SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA men's basketball team will hit the road for the final time in the non-conference portion of its schedule, venturing to face Oregon State on Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT in Corvallis at Gill Coliseum. The game will be televised live on the Pac12 Networks and broadcast live on Ticket 760 AM.
UTSA (2-2) will conclude its road, non-conference schedule with the outing in Corvallis at Oregon State (2-3, 0-1 Pac 12). This marks the second trip for UTSA to Corvallis in the Coach Steve Henson era, as UTSA has face the Beavers twice during the last four years, including an 88-78 loss at Houston's Toyota Center last season.
The Roadrunners, fresh off finals week, are coming off a 91-62 win over Sul Ross State on Dec. 4. UTSA will hold a pair of non-conference home games at the Convocation Center before the holiday break before opening Conference USA play on Jan. 1-2 in Houston at Rice.
Oregon State (2-3, 0-1 Pac 12) enters the game after losing a 87-86 result vs. Portland on Dec. 10 in Corvallis, the third consecutive loss for the Beavers, who opened the year with wins over Cal and Northwest [Wash.]. Ethan Thompson paces the team with 18.4 points per game, adding 4.6 rebounds. Maurice Calloo averages 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while Jarod Lucas sports 10.0 points and 1.8 rebounds per game off the bench. Zach Reichle averages a near double-double with 9.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
As a team, the Beavers are averaging 79.8 points per game, holding foes to 65.4 points per outing. OSU is shooting 45 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from range, while foes are shooting 39.2 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from 3-point land. OSU is averaging 41.8 rebounds, 18.0 assists, 12.2 turnovers, 6.8 steals and 5.8 blocks per game.
UTSA is led by its dynamic senior backcourt, Jhivvan Jackson and Keaton Wallace. The pair have paced the NCAA's backcourt duos in scoring each of the last two seasons, also ranking among the top three among all scoring duos. Jackson set the C-USA and UTSA record with 26.8 points per game as a junior – second in the NCAA in 2019-20 – while Wallace chipped in 18.8 points per game, a year after a 20.2 points per game campaign.
As seniors, Jackson and Wallace are attempting to bring along a more balanced roster of potential contributors early in the season, with 10 total players averaging three points or more. Jackson averages 18.7 points per game in three outings, while Wallace chips in 13.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per outing.
UTSA has bolstered its roster with a pair of tremendous transfers, including juniors Cedrick Alley Jr. and Eric Parrish. Parrish averages 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in his first year as a transfer from Akron, Nevada and Bossier Parrish [La.] College. Alley has joined Parrish in the starting lineup for each game in 2020-21, averaging 3.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Sophomore center Jacob Germany has started three of four games and averages 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. Sophomore guard Erik Czumbel averages 8.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, while senior forward Luka Barisic chips in 6.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Freshmen have also contributed, including forward Lachlan Bofinger who averages 4.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, who averages 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
The Roadrunners are averaging 79.5 points per game through four outings, surrendering 79.8 points per outing. UTSA is shooting 44.5 percent from the field, 29.1 percent from 3-point range, while holding foes to 40.9 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from distance. UTSA is averaging 42.2 rebounds, 7.0 steals and 4.0 blocks per game.
The Beavers lead the all-time series with UTSA, 3-0, winning the meeting in Corvallis, 72-64 during the 2016-17 season, before besting the Roadrunners 88-78 in a neutral-site meeting at Houston's Toyota Center last season.
In the meeting last year, Oregon State took a 41-34 lead into halftime and held off a furious second-half UTSA charge to post an 88-78 win at Houston's Toyota Center, shooting 39 total free throws as the Roadrunners lead in the foul count 29-16. UTSA got 28 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals from Jhivvan Jackson, with Keaton Wallace owning 21 points, five assists and four rebounds. Oregon State got 23 points each from Kylor Kelley – who added three blocks – and Ethan Thompson. Oregon State shot 55.8 percent from the field – compared to a 45 percent clip from the Roadrunners – and UTSA owned a 37-35 margin on the glass.
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