Putting the ball in the basket didn’t seem to be a problem for Gonzaga during Thursday night’s battle with Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon.

The issue for the Bulldogs (14-5, 5-1 WCC), however, was on the other end of the floor. Led by 29 points from Michael Rataj and 20 from Nate Kingz, the Beavers (14-4, 4-2 WCC) made 58.5% of their field goal attempts to outlast the Zags in a 97-89 overtime final from Gill Coliseum.

“[Oregon State] made shots and [isolated] guys and posted us,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of the Beavers’ attack strategy after the game. “And when we did guard them well, they hit some tough shots [and] some tough pull-ups.”

Here’s more from Few after the loss.

On Gonzaga’s struggles defensively against Oregon State:

“We played really, really good offense. We just could not get consistent stops for longer stretches. Came out in the second half with more intensity on the defensive end. [The Beavers] were still able to get some tough shots. I mean they had some real backbreakers, the bank 3 and contested 3. Even when we did play good defense, they were able to knock in some really tough shots. You almost have to play perfect on offense when you’re playing defense like that.”

On Graham Ike’s big night:

“He was great. Graham was terrific. He delivered time and time again in a high-level game against a very good, physical, big postman. You know, you also got a guard at the other end too. So again, our offense wasn’t the problem — our defense was at pretty much all five spots.”

On the positives the Bulldogs can take from the loss:

“We competed, great environment, fought, dug our way back in after our slow start; played some good ball there in the middle of the second half. We just had a couple of possessions, I think we missed a lay-up on one of those; and then again, just not even some of the stops, we foul a lot off the ball. We fouled on the ball. They were able to get critical free throws when they were in the bonus, and you just can’t do that.”

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For the first time in 34 years, Gonzaga brought its men’s basketball team to Gill Coliseum.

Over nine thousand Beavers & Bulldogs fans joined them. The first sellout crowd for a Gill Coliseum men’s basketball game in five years got their money’s worth tonight: an overtime thriller that ended in a court-storming.

In the first four minutes, Oregon State raced ahead. A long-range elbow jumper from Demarco Minor gave Oregon State a 4 point edge, and then Nate Kingz stole a Gonzaga pass, drew a foul, and sank two free throws. At the first timeout, Oregon State led 13-7.

Gonzaga slashed the margin to 1 on a Ryan Nembhard wide open three-pointer, after two Oregon State defenders collided. Then, a Bulldogs’ fastbreak bucket after a Michael Rataj miss gifted Gonzaga their first lead of the night.

Teams traded buckets for the next few minutes. With 7:59 remaining, Josiah Lake stole a cross-court pass from Ryan Nembhard and flew down the floor for a Beavers layup, 25-21 Oregon State.

Late in the first half, Nate Kingz erupted. First, the former McNary HS standout spun free of a Gonzaga defender and drilled a jumper near the top of the key. Then, Kingz launched a three point bomb. The crowd surged, Gonzaga coach Mark Few hastily called for timeout, and the scoreboard lit up 35-29 Oregon State.

In the final moments of the opening period, Michael Rataj kept the pace. The German senior notched a second-chance putback layup, but Khalif Battle upset the Beaver wing’s efforts with a buzzer-beating three. At halftime, Oregon State led by the narrowest of margins, 46-45.

Gonzaga’s Graham Ike opened the second half with a game-tying layup, then seized the lead on a free-throw, and the Bulldogs went on a 9-3 run.

Oregon State pulled within 1 on a Demarco Minor stepback jumper with 12:49 left. Then, Parsa Fallah drew a pair of free throws, but the Beaver big couldn’t convert either attempt, and Gonzaga kept its advantage.

But not for long. Soon, Demarco Minor sprang open. As the shot clock wound down, the Beavers guard nailed a game-tying three pointer with 11:08 remaining.

The two West Coast Conference foes resumed their battle. Following a Nolan Hickman layup that lifted Gonzaga back ahead, Nate Kingz tied it with two free throws. Gonzaga’s Graham Ike swung the lead back to the Bulldogs with consecutive makes, 69-65 with 9 minutes left.

Gonzaga seemed poised to land another blow, ahead 76-71 with 5 minutes remaining, but Ryan Nembhard walked. Possession went to the Beavers, who climbed within three on a Michael Rataj jumper. With two minutes left, Demarco Minor brought the crowd to a fever pitch with a game tying fadeaway. Then Michael Rataj hooked one from the right elbow, soaring the Beavers ahead 79-77.

Under a minute remaining, the game got even better. Michael Rataj extended Oregon State’s lead on a beautiful layup that kissed the top of the glass before dropping through the twine, but Clackamas’ own Ben Gregg answered with a Gonzaga three-pointer.

From there, Gonzaga quickly fouled Oregon State. A pair of Beavers free throws made it 83-80 Oregon State with :20 remaining. Needing a triple, the heavily-favored Bulldogs roared back on a game-tying Graham Ike three-pointer with 4 seconds left.

Overtime swung back-and-forth as the teams traded baskets. Leading 89-87 with 2:01 left, Michael Rataj drove inside, drew a decisive fifth personal foul on Graham Ike, and strolled to the charity stripe. The extinguished Gonzaga big finished with 26 points on 9-14 shooting. Rataj calmly hit a pair of free throws, as Oregon State moved ahead 91-87 with 2:01 in OT.

The next Gonzaga possession was denied by a Josiah Lake steal. As time dwindled under a minute, Gonzaga clawed within 2 on a Braden Huff jumpshot.

They never got any closer. Liutauras Lelevicius spun free for a layup, 93-89 Beavers. Then free throws from Josiah Lake and Michael Rataj shut the door. Fans stormed the floor at the overtime buzzer, and the Beavers earned a signature win.

Oregon State moves to 14-5 overall, 4-2 in West Coast Conference play. Gonzaga drops to 14-5 overall and 5-1 in the conference, a half game behind St Mary’s. The Beavers have now won thirteen consecutive matchups against Mark Few’s blue-chip program from Spokane.

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Gonzaga and Oregon State kindle a new rivalry Thursday night when they square off for the first time as West Coast Conference foes in Corvallis, Oregon.

The Bulldogs (14-4, 5-0 WCC) and the Beavers (13-5, 3-2 WCC) haven’t met on the hardwood in over 34 years, though that’s set to change for the foreseeable future as both share WCC membership for this season and next. With both set to join the new-look Pac-12 Conference in 2025-26, they’ll be seeing each other multiple times per season after not having played each other in three decades.

The Zags enter the matchup coming off a victory over another future Pac-12 foe, Washington State, on Saturday. Graham Ike led the way with 21 points on 8-for-11 from the field, while Nolan Hickman stepped up with 19 points and seven rebounds in the 88-75 win over the Cougars. Gonzaga led by three points at halftime before putting its in-state rival away with a 15-5 scoring run to open the second half.

Ike leads the country’s fourth-highest-scoring offense at 16.6 points per game. The Bulldogs’ 87.8 points per contest is also on pace to be the third-highest in program history. Senior guard Ryan Nembhard has masterfully pulled the strings as the team’s floor general, as he leads the country in total assists with 169.

Oregon State entertains Gonzaga following a 91-55 victory over Pacific on Saturday. Parsa Fallah led the way with 25 points on 6-for-7 from the floor and 13-for-14 from the charity stripe. Michael Rataj put up 15 points and nine rebounds, while Nate Kingz added 20 points. The Beavers set a new program record by going 31-for-32 (96.9%) at the free-throw line, which marked the highest free throw percentage in a game with 30 or more attempts.

Rataj, a 6-foot-9 junior from Germany, paces the Beavers at 16.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Oregon State has allowed the fewest rebounds per game to its opponents (29.2 per game) in the WCC. Gonzaga, conversely, is No. 2 in the league at 40.2 boards per game.

Oregon State has been dominant at Gill Coliseum, where it’s 10-1 so far this season. In those victories, the Beavers outscored the opposition by 20.2 points. On the other hand, however, Gonzaga’s 11 straight true road wins are the second-longest active streak in the nation.

HOW TO WATCH GONZAGA VS. OREGON STATE

Who: Gonzaga and Oregon State ignite a conference rivalry between Pacific Northwest schools

When: 8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET | Thursday, Jan. 16

Where: Gill Coliseum | Corvallis, Oregon

TV: CBS Sports Network

Betting: Gonzaga -9.5 (-102)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

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