Eight days ago, Portland State men’s basketball was winless in 16 games against Oregon State.
The Vikings suddenly have a two-game winning streak over the Beavers. Portland State whipped Oregon State in every way possible Sunday night, beating the Beavers 83-71 for seventh place in the PK Legacy tournament at Chiles Center.
It was the Vikings’ second win over Oregon State (3-4) this season, as PSU won 79-66 at Corvallis on Nov. 19. This performance was more convincing, as Portland State (3-4) hit nine three-pointers, bested OSU on the boards and never trailed.
Portland State had six players score in double figures, led by Jorell Saterfield’s 15 points.
Freshman Jordan Pope topped Oregon State with 23 points.
Portland State dominated the first half and led 45-34 at halftime. The Vikings sprinted to a 18-3 lead six minutes into the game and managed to maintain the spread for most of the half.
The Vikings shot 16 of 32 and made five threes during the first half.
OSU briefly had a couple spurts, but the Beavers couldn’t sustain the momentum. Pope scored five points during a 10-0 run as Oregon State trimmed Portland State’s lead to 20-15. But the Vikings soon stomped on the gas, using transition to fuel an 11-3 run for a 37-22 lead.
The Beavers made a spirited run early in the second half, pulling to within 51-43 on a three-point play by Pope. But like most of OSU’s attempts at claiming momentum, it didn’t last long. The Vikings quickly got control, going on a 11-2 run to take their largest lead at 17 points with 11 minutes remaining.
The Vikings lead grew as large as 22 points, but Oregon State didn’t wilt. The Beavers ran off nine consecutive points to trim the deficit to 76-63 with 4:46 remaining.
PSU coasted to the finish, as its lead never dipped below 10 points.
–Nick Daschel |
