Oregon State men’s basketball lost to Sam Houston State 85–75 on Wednesday night at Gill Coliseum, as the Bearkats jumped out to an early lead that the Beavers could not overcome.
With the loss, the Beavers fell to 6–6 overall, while Sam Houston improved to 7–3.
While OSU scored the first basket of the night, the Bearkats immediately responded with a 10-1 run to establish a 10-3 lead with 17:40 remaining in the first. The Bearkats were able to maintain control throughout much of the first period, save for a brief comeback attempt near the end of the first half.
Leading 34-23 with 5:23 remaining, the Beavers capitalized on three-pointers from Dez White and Isaiah Sy to trim the deficit to 36-35 with 2:15 to go. The Bearkats then clawed their way to a 10-2 run to close out the half and went to the locker room with a 46-37 advantage.
Sam Houston shot 48.6 percent from the floor before intermission and built a 46–37 halftime advantage, aided by second-chance opportunities and efficient free-throw shooting.
The Beavers kept themselves within striking distance despite shooting just 6-18 from three in the first half. Josiah Lake II led Oregon State with drives to the rim, while Isaiah Sy knocked down a pair of timely three-pointers to prevent the margin from growing larger.
Sam Houston’s frontcourt presence, particularly Veljko Ilic, proved too difficult to contain. Ilic finished the game with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, anchoring Sam Houston’s rebounding efforts to a 46–26 performance over the Beavers.
“We weren’t ready for a fight, they were, it’s that simple,” Head coach Wayne Tinkle said in the postgame press conference.
The Bearkats came out of the locker room with the same energy they took into the game, opening the second period with a 9-4 scoring run that ballooned the lead to 57-41.
While OSU’s Keziah Ekissi was able to provide a spark off the bench, his 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting were not enough to jumpstart the Beavers’ offensive engine.
Throughout the second half, Sam Houston’s Kashie Natt and Po’boigh King combined to score several key baskets during a crucial stretch, halting Beaver runs and restoring a comfortable lead.
The Bearkats’ Natt led all scorers with 19 points, while King added 18 points, three assists, and steady perimeter shooting. The Bearkats finished 10-of-27 from beyond the arc and 17-of-23 at the free-throw line, capitalizing on Oregon State’s late fouls. Sam Houston also collected 15 offensive rebounds, leading to 14 second-chance points in a game whose final margin was 10 points.
For Oregon State, Lake II paced the Beavers with 19 points, while Dez White dropped 11 points, and Sy added nine. The Beavers struggled from deep overall, shooting just 26.5 percent from three (9-of-34). Despite outsourcing Sam Houston’s bench 21–17, Oregon State could not overcome the rebounding disparity or field goal percentage disparities.
“This was less about X’s and O’s and more about Jimmies and Joes. We knew it was gonna be a rock fight, and we needed to be ready for a fight,” Tinkle said after the match.
Oregon State returns to action on Sunday, December 21, when the Beavers travel to Tempe, Arizona, to play Arizona State University at noon.