LMU delivered a dominant performance at home on Thursday night, defeating Oregon State 82-61 in the first-ever West Coast Conference matchup between the two teams. LMU set the tone early on both sides of the ball, jumping out to an 8-0 lead. The Lions were led by a strong performance from Jevon Porter, who had 18 of his 22 points in the 1st half to carry LMU to a 43-36 halftime lead. There was a noticeable difference in both teams’ energy from returning back
home (LMU) and going on the road (Oregon State). In the 2nd half, LMU turned up their defense and forced Oregon State into difficult shots, only allowing 25 points on 29.2% shooting. Will Johnston led the way on offense for LMU with 13 of his 19 points coming in the 2nd half. LMU led by as many as 23 points, eventually pulling away for a commanding 82-61 Quad 2 Victory.
Michael Rataj was a bright spot for Oregon State, finishing with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. Rataj played well for the Beavers, but no other players scored in double-digits as the team only shot 39.6% on the night and struggled to generate anything on offense. However, four players each contributed 8 points (L. Lelevicius, D. Minor, I. Sy, J. Lake II). Despite Rataj’s strong effort, the Beavers couldn’t overcome their poor shooting and defensive effort, in a 21-
point loss in their first WCC road game.
LMU shot 50.8% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc, while out rebounding Oregon State 38-27. The trio of Porter, Johnston, and Stone-Carrawell accounted for 58 of LMU’s 82 points. Porter had a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Johnston bounced back after a 0/1/0 game against Washington State with 19/6/7 on 6-of-11 shooting tonight. Stone-Carrawell contributed 17 points.
For Oregon State, Head Coach Wayne Tinkle now sits at 22-91 in true road games as OSU’s head coach.
LMU carries their momentum into Saturday, when they host #19 Gonzaga in Los Angeles. LMU has not beat Gonzaga in Gersten Pavilion since 2010. Oregon State looks ahead to a home matchup on Saturday against San Diego in Corvallis, where they should be expected to bounce back after the LMU loss.