Decimated by the transfer portal and carrying just eight scholarship players on its roster, Oregon State men’s basketball just missed, falling to Central Florida 76-75 Tuesday in the first round of the College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas.
Knights forward Moustapha Thiam hit a free throw with 55.8 seconds remaining to break a 75-75 tie.
“It was something new, because we hadn’t been in this situation with so much time in between games,” Beavers coach Wayne Tinkle said. “It was a tough balancing act.”
The Beavers, whose season ended with the loss, were without their top three scorers, who were among four OSU players to enter the transfer portal since it opened March 24. Among those absent was leading scorer Michael Rataj, who committed to Baylor on Monday.
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“I really credit these guys,” Tinkle said, pointing his thumbs at Liutauras Lelevicius and Damarco Minor. “These guys, especially the last couple days, for the leadership they provided on the court in practices to keep guys fresh, engaged, believing, excited.
“It was tough, because there were discussions about should we participate. I said, ‘This is gonna be a hell of an event, you guys have earned it, even if there’s only six guys we’re going to go down there and represent Oregon State and Beaver nation the right way.”
Oregon State took two cracks at the win during the final 10 seconds. Lelevicius was first, but his drive to the basket was blocked by Thiam. Minor collected the rebound, and hit a baseline jumper with 5.1 seconds left. But shortly before Minor took the shot, OSU coach Wayne Tinkle called a timeout, negating the basket.
Following the timeout, Lelevicius’ three-pointer clanked off the rim, the Beavers’ final scoring threat.
While the Knights (18-16) have dealt with portal departures of their own, they got big performances Tuesday from Tyler Hendricks, Darius Johnson and Nils Machowski with 15 points apiece.
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Lelevicius ended with a career high 20 points, and Maxim Logue added 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead Oregon State (20-13). Logue’s points and rebounds were a career high. Minor poured in 16 points and had eight rebounds.
Oregon State thrived in the wicked pace early on, taking a 19-12 lead midway through the first half. But its depth and conditioning was tested as the half waned on, as UCF found a way to settle into the game and start hitting open looks.
Buoyed by eight three-pointers, the Knights took a 45-36 lead into halftime. The Beavers surrendered a 7-0 run heading into the break, appearing out of gas.
“We gave them a couple touchdown turnovers, silly passes that led to layups,” Tinkle told FS1 at the half, noting he expected his inexperienced group to come out in the second half “with their ears pinned back.”
Tinkle’s words came to fruition in the early minutes of the second stanza, as Oregon State rattled off an 8-2 run to cut the UCF lead to 47-44. Minor controlled the pace, and the Beavers’ collective effort ticked up a notch.
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The Knights settled down once more, taking a 57-50 lead as the second half progressed, led by the shooting of Hendricks.
Oregon State retook the lead at 62-61 with 9:21 left on a three-point play by Logue, who during one stretch of the second half scored 10 consecutive points for the Beavers.
Dior Johnson’s fastbreak layup gave UCF a 69-66 lead with 5:34 to go, forcing a timeout by Tinkle to settle his group. The lead would change hands repeatedly in the ensuing minutes, leading into a basket by Josiah Lake II with 2:54 to go that put the Beavers up, 72-71.
UCF finished it out, sending the shorthanded Beavers packing. But those who stayed were proud of doing so.
“You’ve got to finish what you start,” Minor said. “No matter what guys try to do, that’s their journey. You’ve got to stick to the gameplan. I’m a loyal guy. Coach gave me this opportunity and I’m gonna bang out with him.”
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— Ryan Clarke covers college sports for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at RClarke@Oregonian.com or on Twitter/X: @RyanTClarke. Find him on Bluesky: @ryantclarke.bsky.social.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
