Beavers Unleashed: The Dynamic World of Oregon State University Athletics

THE GAME: Oregon State will welcome No. 16 Gonzaga on Thursday at Gill Coliseum.

TELEVISION: The matchup will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network

RADIO: The contest will be aired live on Beaver Sports Radio Network, with Mike Parker providing the commentary.

LIVE STATS: Real-time statistics can be accessed at this link

QUICKLY: Thursday will signify the 28th historical clash between Oregon State and Gonzaga, and the first encounter since the 1991-92 season (which was also the last occasion Gonzaga came to Gill Coliseum) … The Beavers have secured victory in 12 consecutive encounters in the series. The Bulldogs last triumphed over OSU in 1932 … Out of the teams’ 27 matchups, 15 occurred prior to 1933, with the inaugural meeting happening in 1912 … Oregon State has maintained the same starting lineup for 13 continuous games and is among 14 Division I teams with a current stretch of 13 or more games featuring the same starters … The Beavers made 31 out of 32 attempts from the free throw line on Saturday at Pacific, marking a program record for free throw efficiency in a game with over 30 attempts … The Beavers rank 19th nationally in scoring defense, restricting opponents to an average of 63.2 points per game … Oregon State is on track for its most successful season in defensive scoring average since the 2014-15 squad permitted 59.2 points per game … OSU has kept 11 out of its 18 adversaries under 38 percent shooting from the field and has allowed over 65 points only six times … The Beavers have restricted their last three opponents to a cumulative 18-for-70 shooting from beyond the arc … Michael Rataj and Damarco Minor both rank in the top six within the WCC for steals per game … This season, Oregon State has achieved shooting 45 percent or higher from the field on 12 occasions … The average winning margin for Oregon State in its 12 victories is 22.5 … Three of the Beavers’ losses this season (Oregon, North Texas, and Santa Clara) were decided by three points or fewer … Michael Rataj is in the top 13 of the WCC for points per game, rebounds per game, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, blocks per game, and steals per game

THE TEAM: Here are some quick points of interest regarding the 2024-25 Oregon State men’s basketball squad:

• The Beavers boast a team with nine international athletes, representing eight different nations (Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Lithuania, Turkey, United Kingdom). Including the USA, Oregon State’s count of nine represented countries is the second highest among Division I men’s basketball teams, trailing only UT Martin with 12.
• The Oregon State men’s basketball team is one of 10 OSU programs set to participate in the West Coast Conference starting in the fall of 2024 as part of a two-year conference affiliation agreement announced on December 22.
• The 2024-25 WCC schedule will feature the Beavers facing opponents they have rarely encountered throughout their history. Below is Oregon State’s total encounters against each WCC adversary (excluding Washington State), along with the most recent season the two squads played. Portland – 71 encounters, last in 2020-21; Gonzaga – 27 encounters, last in 1991-92; Santa Clara – 10 encounters, last in 1997-98; San Francisco – 10 encounters, last in 1968-69; Pepperdine – 5 encounters, last in 2018-19; LMU – 5 encounters, last in 2017-18; Saint Mary’s – 4 encounters, last in 1968-69; San Diego – 3 encounters, last in 2012-13; Pacific – 3 encounters, last in 1994-95.
• The Oregon State men’s basketball program has received a $1.5 million contribution from Joth Ricci and his family, as part of a $3 million donation to benefit both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. Ricci, recognized for leadership roles with Dutch Bros, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Adelsheim Vineyards, Jones Soda, and currently, Burgerville, is a 1990 Oregon State alumnus serving as an executive in residence for the College of Business.

SATURDAY at Pacific:

• The Beavers’ 36-point victory margin was their most substantial in a road contest since 1989.
• Parsa Fallah topped the Beavers’ scoring with 25 points