Oregon
Michael Rataj’s second-half explosion leads Oregon State past Santa Clara
CORVALLIS – Oregon State rode the second-half scoring of Michael Rataj and the savvy play of senior guard Damarco Minor on Saturday to a 83-69 win over Santa Clara at Gill Coliseum.
Much like he did during Thursday’s win over Pepperdine, Rataj caught fire after halftime, scoring 22 of his career-high 30 points during the second half.
The 6-foot-9 Rataj, the West Coast Conference’s second-leading scorer, hit 9 of 17 field goal tries and went 10 of 10 at the free throw line. Rataj is averaging 25 points over his last four games.
The Beavers (16-6, 6-3 WCC) played at a high level with Minor in the game. Minor had 10 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals to lead the Oregon State attack.
Nate Kingz scored 16 and Liutauras Lelevicius 10 for the Beavers, who shot 54%. It is the sixth time in nine WCC games Oregon State has shot better than 50%.
The win briefly pulls Oregon State into a second-place tie with San Francisco, Gonzaga and Santa Clara (14-7, 6-3) in the WCC. Gonzaga and San Francisco play later Saturday night.
Oregon State cooled down Santa Clara, which came to Corvallis with victories in five of its last six games, including a win at Gonzaga. Adama Bal led the Broncos with 13 points.
Oregon State led 32-30 at halftime, but the margin could have been larger had the Broncos not closed the half on a 9-2 run. The Beavers had some spectacular moments, but also had several empty offensive stretches. Santa Clara also picked apart Oregon State’s defense several times for easy layups.
The Beavers were aggressive early, taking a 9-3 lead three minutes into the game. Santa Clara bounced back, taking an 18-17 lead on a free throw by Christoph Tilly nine minutes before halftime. Oregon State had its best stretch of the game, outscoring the Broncos 13-3 over a five-minute period to take a nine-point lead. The Beavers only points during the final four minutes of the half were two free throws by Lelevicius.
Oregon State’s defense impacted the early stages of the second half. The Broncos managed only one field goal during the first six minutes as the Beavers opened a 45-32 lead. But each time OSU threatened to run away, Santa Clara responded.
One such move came midway through the second half, after the Beavers took a 55-43 lead. The Broncos turned up the defense, hit some threes on the way a 13-2 run to cut the OSU advantage to one point with seven minutes remaining.
Back came Oregon State, as Kingz and Rataj hit three-pointers, and Rataj had a three-point play to build the lead back to 68-60.
Santa Clara couldn’t stop Oregon State down the stretch, as the Beavers hit their final six shots of the game.
Oregon State returns to action Tuesday when the Beavers travel to Spokane at play Gonzaga at 8 p.m. Earlier this season, OSU beat the Bulldogs 97-89 in overtime.
–Nick Daschel can be reached at 360-607-4824, ndaschel@oregonian.com or @nickdaschel.
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Oregon
Oregon gas tax and fee hikes delayed pending November vote
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Planned increases to Oregon’s gas tax, DMV fees, and payroll tax are on hold after a petition garnered enough signatures to challenge parts of a recent transportation funding bill.
The Oregon Secretary of State’s office confirmed that the petition, led by the group No Tax Oregon, will place the issue on the November ballot.
The group, spearheaded by Republican legislators Sen. Bruce Starr and Rep. Ed Diehl, launched the campaign following Gov. Tina Kotek’s approval of the bill last November.
On Dec. 12, No Tax Oregon submitted over 190,000 signatures to the Secretary of State.
The delay raises questions about the impact on the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and transportation funding.
On this week’s segment of Your Voice, Your Vote, KATU’s Angelica Thornton interviewed Rep. Ed Diehl and Rep. Susan McLain, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, to discuss the implications of the referendum.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (4)
Watch the full Your Voice, Your Vote segment below or on KATU’s YouTube channel:
Oregon
J.D. PicKell explains why Oregon-Indiana Peach Bowl rematch is perfect for Dan Lanning
J.D. PicKell explains why Oregon-Indiana Peach Bowl rematch is perfect for Dan Lanning originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Oregon Ducks’ 23-0 Orange Bowl win against the Texas Tech Red Raiders was the eventual planted seed for the soon-to-be Peach Bowl next Friday, as they will rematch the Indiana Hoosiers for a chance to go to the national title game in Miami.
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Despite losing to the Hoosiers during the regular season, the Ducks’ resilience has shone through since, making On3’s J.D. PicKell cautiously optimistic the Ducks could turn the tables on the No. 1-seeded Hoosiers.
“That might be the greatest gift this football team could have had, in the context of this season,” PicKell said. “That loss, I think, was a big reason why you’ve seen Oregon grow and progress the way they have in this College Football Playoff.”
PicKell said Oregon’s ability to “grow” has been apparent this postseason so far.
“Very different from last year’s team, when it comes to the way they’re evolving, the kind of ball they’re playing right now in the second round of the College Football Playoff,” PicKell said. “I think a lot of Oregon’s growth, you’ve got to give credit to some of the scars they have over the course of this season.”
We’ll see if PicKell’s words hold true, but it seems the Ducks have a shot to make the postseason even more interesting.
Come next Friday, we’ll find out.
Oregon
Oregon Lottery Pick 4 results for Dec. 28
The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 28, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Dec. 28 drawing
1PM: 0-2-6-1
4PM: 0-2-4-1
7PM: 4-3-9-2
10PM: 6-3-9-2
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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