Oregon State
Far West Classic Invite: Cal State Fullerton vs. Oregon State
Balanced Attack Leads Beavers Over Titans
December 19, 2015 | Men's Basketball
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Four players scored in double figures as Oregon State made a triumphant return to the Moda Center, its first visit since December of 2005, in an 82-69 victory over the Cal State-Fullerton Titans. The victory improved OSU to 7-2, matching last season's start with first-year head coach Wayne Tinkle, while the Titans slipped to 6-4.
OSU used a 11-0 run midway through the first half, keyed by three-pointers by Malcolm Duvivier and Olaf Schaftenaar, and would eventually build the opening stanza lead to us much as 14 at 42-28 before settling for a 44-32 halftime advantage. The Titans made just three field goals in the last 7:35 of the half after hitting six of their first 12 three-point field goal attempts in a period that saw starters Drew Eubanks and Gary Payton II limited to a combined 17 minutes due to foul trouble.
The Titans used a 7-0 streak in the second half to stay within striking distance, but the Beavers used a late 8-0 run sparked by a three-point play by Duvivier and a trey by Langston Morris-Walker to finally subdue the opponent. OSU built as much as an 18-point second half lead in a period that sent the predominately Beaver crowd of 8,032 to their feet with an electrifying dunk by Gary Payton II, the game's leading scorer with 19 points. Duvivier had a season-high 15 points with Tres Tinkle adding 13 and Stephen Thompson Jr. scoring 10.
The Beavers don't have much time to rest as they welcome the 7-3 Tulsa Golden Hurricane, winners of three of its last four games and coming of nearly a week break from game action, Saturday night to the Moda Center at 8:10 p.m. for the second round of the Far West Classic Invite. Tickets for the game, including the preceding contest between the Titans and Portland Pilots, are available at the ticket office or at beavertickets.com. If you can't make it to the game it will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Networks.
