The threes started falling early, and once they did, Oregon State never looked back.

“I am super proud of what we’ve fought through as a team early in the season,” Oregon State head coach Wayne Tinkle said.

“To put a performance out there with a whole different level of intensity, communication, and defense — and actually looking organized offensively — was nice to see.”

The Beavers snapped their five-game losing streak Wednesday night, defeating Vermont 80-58 at Gill Coliseum in their strongest performance of the season. They lead the way, never trailing throughout the 40-minute contest.

Tinkle praised the team’s shooting confidence, saying, “I like to see that every night. We knew we had shooters on this team. We made it really simple over the last two days on what we were going to do offensively.”

Oregon State opened the game on a 6-0 run with a 3-pointer from Josiah Lake II and a smooth jumper by Isaiah Sy.

Vermont answered with a T.J. Hurley layup, but Sy quickly responded with a deep 3-pointer to keep the Beavers in control.

From there, Oregon State cranked up its defensive pressure.

A strong block from Olavi Suutela and relentless on-ball pressure set the tone early as Vermont struggled to find rhythm.

The Catamounts tried to stay within reach, but a 3-pointer from Dez White stretched the lead to 16-5.

Vermont briefly stopped the bleeding with a Ben Michaels 3-pointer, but it didn’t last long.

Oregon State fired back with a flurry: buckets from Jorge Diaz Graham and two deep 3-pointers from Malcolm Christie pushed the lead even further.

The Beavers held Vermont scoreless for four minutes until David Simon finally converted inside to make it 24-10.

Vermont attempted to build momentum, but Diaz Graham shut it down with back-to-back blocks that electrified the arena and elevated Oregon State’s intensity.

The teams traded baskets, but Lake II, Ja’Quavis Williford, and Christie kept the Beavers comfortably ahead.

Williford drilled a contested 3-pointer to make it 35-18 with four minutes left.

Oregon State’s defensive energy helped them close the half strong, taking a 42–24 lead into the locker room. At halftime, the Beavers had six blocks to Vermont’s one and were dominating the paint.

They also held the lead for the entire half while shooting a blazing 7-13 from deep compared to Vermont’s 3-10.

The second half began just like the first, with a deep 3-pointer from White.

Vermont kept trying to chip away, but OSU answered every run.

When Vermont’s Gus Yalden hit a 3-pointer, Lake II responded immediately with one of his own.

Then came the play that sealed the momentum.

As Vermont tried to build energy, Diaz Graham drilled a 3-pointer, drew the foul, and finished the four-point play.

“I think they were starting to get a little momentum,” Tinkle said. “That gave us great momentum to carry on the defensive end.”

That play sparked a knockout stretch. Christie and Lake II hammered in back-to-back threes to push the lead to 62-37.

Vermont made one final push with a 9-0 run led by Sean Blake, Jackson Skipper, and Ben Johnson, eventually trimming the lead to 64-51.

But Oregon State responded again, a White 3-pointer, a Diaz Graham dunk and a Christie dagger from deep ended any remaining hope for a comeback.

The Beavers closed it out 80-58, ending their losing streak in emphatic fashion.

The difference was clear: Oregon State shot 14-28 from three (50%), while Vermont finished just 6-22 (27%).

OSU’s combination of hot shooting and rim protection overwhelmed the Catamounts all night.

Oregon State (4–5) now turns the page quickly as it hosts Southern Utah on Dec. 6 at Gill Coliseum.