Oregon State
Western Oregon at Oregon State (Exh.)
Eubanks dunks WOU in debut
November 06, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Corvallis, Ore. – Four players scored in double figures and the Oregon State men's basketball team pulled away from Western Oregon in the second half to defeat the Wolves 76-57 on Thursday night in a non-counting exhibition game.
Freshmen center Drew Eubanks electrified the Gill Coliseum crowd of 4,725 with several highlight-reel dunks as he scored a game-high 16 points in his OSU debut. The first true freshman to start a season opener since Seth Tarver in 2007, Eubanks added 10 rebounds, five blocks, two steals and an assist in just 25 minutes.
Freshman forward Tres Tinkle and freshman guard Stephen Thompson Jr. added 14 and 12 points, respectively, and senior guard Langston Morris-Walker had 11. Senior guard Gary Payton II had 17 rebounds, seven assists, seven points and two steals.
OSU started quickly and led 14-0 and 17-2 before the Wolves rallied to take their only lead of the night, 30-29, with 3:19 left in the first half. However, two baskets by Tinkle and a 3-pointer by senior guard Malcolm Duvivier fueled an 8-0 OSU run over the final three minutes that gave the Beavers a 37-30 halftime lead.
WOU drew within 38-36 early in the second half but Eubanks dunked on successive possessions to establish a 42-36 edge with 17:29 to play. WOU never got closer than five points (46-41) thereafter; OSU pulled away in the final 10 minutes for a decisive victory that avenged a loss to the Wolves in a similar game last season.
The Beavers outscored WOU 50-12 in the paint, 27-3 on fast-break points and 12-1 on second-chance points. OSU also outrebounded the Wolves 55-34.
Two players with OSU connections led the Wolves. Guard Kadeem Stickland, the son of OSU letterman Pat Strickland (1992-93) had 15 points and seven assists and former OSU walk-on guard Alex Roth (2014-15) added 14.
The Beavers open the regular season on Nov. 14 with a 4:30 p.m. nonconference game against Northwest Christian at Gill Coliseum. It will be televised by Pac-12 Networks.
Fans can purchase OSU men's basketball season tickets and single-game tickets by visiting this link or by calling 800-GO-BEAVS. Far West Classic Invite tickets will be included for all season-ticket holders, giving fans a total of 18 games to watch in Corvallis and Portland during the 2015-16 season (including the exhibition game).
For Far West Classic Invite tickets and other information, click on this link.
