How Michael Rataj carried Oregon State men’s basketball to marquee win over No. 16 Gonzaga

[ad_1]

Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle calls a defense to his team during Thursday’s first half against Gonzaga at Gill Coliseum.

CORVALLIS — In the midst of a resurgent season, Wayne Tinkle and the Oregon State men’s basketball team got their long-awaited signature win on Thursday.

The Beavers survived a thrilling shootout at Gill Coliseum to upset No. 16 Gonzaga, 97-89, and capture their biggest win in recent program history. It’s OSU’s first win over a top-25 opponent since it knocked off Arizona in Corvallis last January.

For a program that has been pushing to reestablish its identity for the past half-decade, Thursday’s victory was a pivotal one for Tinkle and his squad in front of a sold-out home crowd.

“You know, this young team is still learning. But just a great way tonight of coming, drawing that line in the sand and saying, ‘Not tonight, we’re gonna get it done,'” Tinkle said. “You all know my respect for that program, for (head coach Mark Few). They had some unbelievable performances. They manhandled us on the boards. But our guys found a way to pull it out. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Oregon State forward Michael Rataj (12) shoot the ball over Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle (99) during Thursday’s first half at Gill Coliseum. Rataj had a career-high 29 points in the Beavers’ win.

With the win, Oregon State improved to 14-5 on the year and 4-2 in the West Coast Conference. Gonzaga, meanwhile, dropped to 14-5 and 5-1.

Junior forward Michael Rataj carried the Beavers with a career-high 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting. He scored 10 of those points in overtime — including a gutsy pull-up three on Oregon State’s first possession of the extra period to set the tone.

“I just felt like, at some point, my teammates trusted me to make the right plays,” Rataj said. “I was just trying to drive, make a shot and help us win. That’s what it’s all about.”

Sophomore guard Josiah Lake II and sophomore forward Liutauras Lelevicius each went just 1-of-2 from the field on the night. But the pair of…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michael-rataj-carried-oregon-state-130329773.html

Author : Statesman Journal

Publish date : 2025-01-17 13:03:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.