The stage was set in Beasley Stadium for the Beavers to add to their win total and knock down a PAC-12 conference opponent, although poor shooting and sloppy play led to their demise.

After 40 minutes of battle, the Beavers fell to the Cougars by a score of 80-62.

In the first half, Washington State got out to a commanding 11-0 lead by knocking down shots from beyond the arc and forcing turnovers on the backend. 

The Beavers struggled early offensively, unable to pick up their first points of the game until forward Glenn Taylor Jr. provided some needed life at the free throw line.

The high-octane offense of the Washington State Cougars proved difficult for head coach Wayne Tinkle and the young Beaver lineup. The Cougar offense fired on all cylinders in the first half after shooting under 30% in their last performance against Washington. 

In the opening minutes, Washington State shot the ball perfectly from the field going 8-8 with six of those baskets coming off of assists. 

Tinkle was forced to make defensive changes early as center KC Ibekwe saw a shortened role in Thursday night’s matchup as Cougar center Mouhamed Gueye put on a dominating performance, racking up 21 points on 9-9 shooting. 

Gueye wouldn’t be the only Cougar to shine as four of the five starters for Washington State ended the game in double-figures. (Gueye: 21, Bamba: 14, Rodman: 18, Jakimovski: 13)

Washington State continued to keep their foot on the gas as the second half went underway. 

An early three-point shot from Beaver forward Michael Rataj sparked some life into the Beaver bench, however, offensive fouls and poor passing would sustain the Cougar’s mounting lead, forcing Tinkle to burn his timeouts and readjust his team. 

Beaver forward Tyler Bilodeau managed to put on an impressive performance during the uphill battle. Bilodeau ended with 18 points on 7-11 shooting. Although it wouldn’t be enough to sequester the unstoppable performance of Gueye. 

The Cougars continued their passing clinic throughout the entirety of the game, exploiting the Beaver zone defense and knocking down open shots off the dribble. 

Cougar guard D.J Rodman, poured it on Beaver defenders in the game’s final moments as the Beavers offensive struggles began to deflate the spirits of the Beaver bench.

Running out the clock with their starters on the bench, the Washington State Cougars (12-15) defeated the Oregon State Beavers (10-17) 80-62. 

Stats:

(OSU)

• Tyler Bilodeau (18 points, 5 rebounds, 7-11 FGs)
• Michael Rataj ( 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, 2-3 3-point FGs)
• Jordan Pope ( 9 points, 3 assists, 4-9 FGs)

(Washington State)

• Mouhamed Gueye ( 21 points, 4 assists, 9-9 FGs)
• TJ Bamba (14 points, 2-2 3-point FGs)
• D.J Rodman (18 points, 7-12 FGs)
• Andrej Jakimovski (13 points, 8 rebounds)