In the first matchup of the two Oregon collegiate programs since last season’s Pac-12 postseason, the stage was set for the Beavers to continue their win streak.

The Oregon State Men’s basketball team suffered a 78-76 loss to the Oregon Ducks at Gill Coliseum on Monday night in a game that came down to the very last play.  

The Ducks shared the ball well, with five different players scoring in double figures.  Senior guard Jacob Young led the way with 16 points, and Eric Williams Jr. finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.  N’faly Dante, Will Richardson and De’vion Harmon rounded out Oregon’s double-digit scorers.

Senior forward Warithe Alatishe led the way for the Beavers on a poor perimeter shooting night, finishing 8-10 from the field with 16 points.  Junior Da’shawn Davis finished with 14 and Senior Roman Silva added 12 points, going five for five from the field.  

Trailing by nine points with under ten minutes left, the Beavers used an 11-2 run over the next few minutes to tie the game at 64 with 4:52 remaining.  From there, it was a back and forth affair, with both teams trading baskets until the score was tied at 74 with just 32 seconds to play.

After an Oregon timeout, senior guard Eric Willams Jr sank a deep three with 12 seconds on the timer, and turned to the Oregon State student section to let them hear about it.  After a couple of trips to the free throw line, one for each team, the Beavers had one last chance down 78-76 with 8 seconds left.

In what was a well-designed play, junior guard Jarod Lucas was able to use up some clock and draw the defense to him beyond the three point line, leaving Warithe Alatishe open underneath. With time winding down, Alatishe made a quick move to the hoop and had his attempt fall off the rim as time expired, securing a big road victory for the Oregon Ducks.  

One of the key factors in this game was Oregon State’s abysmal three-point shooting.  Jarod Lucas, who entered the game atop the Pac-12 in three pointers made, went zero for eight from beyond the arc, and the Beavers as a team shot 2-16.  In addition to the poor outside shooting, another crutch for the Beavers was rebounding, as Oregon held a 39-29 advantage in that category and capitalized on second chance opportunities.   

Despite the poor three-point shooting, Oregon State took a step forward in the sense of sharing the ball and playing as a team.  

“For us to have a chance on the last possession as poorly as we shot it and as poorly as we rebounded, it says a lot about some of the other things we did really well,” said head coach Wayne Tinkle. 

Despite the end result, it is clear that Oregon State has made a vast improvement over their last three games, and will use this to prepare for a difficult schedule coming up.

“I know the record is what it is, but we’re gonna be able to accomplish some things, I promise you that,” Tinkle remarked.

With the loss, the Beavers fall to 3-11 on the season and 1-3 in conference play.  Next up, the Beavers will take on the nationally fifth-ranked USC Trojans on Thursday night in Los Angeles.