Oregon State University men’s basketball triumphed 94-58 over Western Oregon University Wolves on Tuesday night at Gill Coliseum in a fast-paced and high-energy game, thrilling fans from start to finish. 

The Beavers, fresh off a strong preseason, quickly set the tone with junior forward Parsa Fallah, scoring the first two points just 20 seconds in, followed by junior Michael Rataj’s three-pointer. 

Junior forward Brady Grier added momentum with a second three-pointer for Western Oregon around the seventh-minute mark of the first quarter. 

The Beavers’ defense was aggressive from the start, pressuring the Wolves and forcing nine team fouls in the first quarter.

The game played to the Beavers’ strengths, allowing them to leverage their athleticism. The Wolves remained in pursuit, seizing every possible shooting opportunity. 

The Beavers maintained high energy, moving the ball quickly and intensifying their defense against the Wolves. 

The crowd could be heard in the stands, roaring as the Beavers scored two continuous shots 15 minutes into the first quarter. 

The Beavers dominated the first quarter, making 51.6% (16-31) of their field goals and 28.6% (2-7) of three-pointers. The Beavers kept the Wolves from scoring any consecutive baskets throughout the first quarter. 

By halftime, the Beavers led 43-20, building on strong offensive performances from Fallah and Rataj. 

As the game progressed, the Beavers strengthened their rhythm with three different three-pointer shots within the first five minutes of the second quarter.

With six minutes to go, the Wolves stayed on their heels, making yet another three-pointer. Sophomore guard DaJohn Craig made numerous consecutive shots, maintaining the Beavers’ lead. 

The Beavers had the largest scoring run of the game with 18 points during the 2nd quarter

The Beavers continued to up their team stats and finished the second quarter with 61.1% (22-36) of their field goals and 54.5% (6-11) of their three-pointers. 

Following the game, head coach Wayne Tinkle spoke on the team’s efforts, “We wrote on the board toughness, discipline and togetherness that is what we are going to evaluate.”

Tinkle gave a statement how “The big test is going to be how disciplined are we to play the way we would play against an NBA team.”

“I think it is really good. Mike (Michael Rataj) and Polo (Demarco Minor) bring us together,” Craig said about the team culture. 

The Beavers are looking towards their next matchup at Gill Coliseum at 7 p.m this Friday against Cal State Fullerton.