After three days of West Coast Conference post-season play in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Beavers Men’s Basketball team finally have their matchup for the quarterfinals.
The Beavers (9–9, 16–15) will take on the University of San Francisco Dons (8–10, 17–15) at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8 at Orleans Arena.
San Francisco took care of business against the Portland Pilots on Saturday to solidify their position in the quarterfinals, ending the game decisively at 82-65.
Coming in as a number four seed this year, the Beavers slingshot straight to the quarterfinal round per the tournament rules, bypassing the first three rounds.
The opportunity offers Oregon State a chance to improve on last year’s tournament performance, when the fifth-seeded Beavers were eliminated by No. 9 Pepperdine in the third round. This year, the Beavers have a chance to leave the WCC with a bang.
Oregon State has beaten the Dons in both of their match-ups this season. Their game on Feb. 12 held the second highest offensive showing from the Beavers, pulling away from the Dons early to leave the game 90-63.
The Dons did not lead for a single minute during the February match, and the Beavers shot 88.9% from the free throw line.
In the game, Josiah Lake II had 16 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, and was perfect from the line.
Lake II was named to the All-WCC First team on March 3. The junior guard will be in good company on Sunday, with San Francisco juniors Ryan Beasley and David Fuchs earning second team accolades and Oregon State sophomore Isaiah Sy receiving Honorable Mention.
Despite the head-on wins, the Beavers can’t compete with the Dons stat sheet. San Francisco boasts 2,387 points on the season, while Oregon State has only come up with 2,213, the lowest overall offensive performance in the WCC.
The Dons also hold the fourth most rebounds in the conference, averaging 36.1 rebounds per game.
The Beavers have struggled away from home, winning only four out of the 11 road games, compared to a 12-5 record at home. They have lost all three games this season played at a neutral stadium.
The last game the Beavers played in was on Feb. 28 against Santa Clara away from home, and ended with a 72-93 loss. The Dons also ended their regular season away, but came home with a win 72-61 against Pacific.
Both teams face high stakes in the tournament. The last time the Dons took the WCC championship trophy was in 1998, and Oregon State has struggled the past two years in the conference.
Oregon State is also set to leave the WCC for the revamped Pac-12 conference. This tournament is their last chance to make a mark in the conference.
The winner of Sunday’s game will play against the No. 2 Gonzaga on Monday at 6:00 pm at the Orleans arena in Las Vegas.