CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State used an 11-1 run late in the second half to post a comeback 73-61 win over the upset-minded UTSA men's basketball team, on Wednesday afternoon at Gill Coliseum.
UTSA (2-3) posted a strong defensive effort in Corvallis, while seeking its first win over a power-five conference foe since upsetting Iowa during the 2009-10 season.
Oregon State (3-3) used an 11-1 run to regain the lead in the final minutes of the second half after the Roadrunners owned the lead for 28 minutes of the 40 minute contest.
The Beavers were held to just eight made buckets in the first half and finished the game shooting 40.4 percent from the field (21 of 52) and just 5 of 21 from 3-point range. After the Beavers used 39 free-throw attempts to post a win over UTSA in Houston last year, the Beavers made 20 of 25 attempts on Wednesday.
UTSA was led by a 14-point performance from junior Cedrick Alley Jr., who added five rebounds and one assist. Jhivvan Jackson reached double figures with 10 points, five rebounds and three assists. Jordan Ivy-Curry (seven), Eric Parrish (six), Erik Czumbel (six), Luka Barisic (five) and Keaton Wallace (five) each added at least five points. UTSA got a team-leading eight rebounds from Parrish.
The Roadrunners were held to 35.6 percent shooting from the field, including a 6 of 26 stretch from distance.
Oregon State got 22 points from leading scorer Ethan Thompson.
UTSA will return to action on Dec. 20, playing host to Our Lady of the Lake University at 3 p.m. on CUSA TV and Ticket 760 AM.
The Roadrunners scored the first 13 points of the game, getting a pair of free throws from Parrish and Wallace, and buckets from Alley and Germany to force an Oregon State timeout with a 9-0 lead. UTSA then added on with a midrange jumper from Alley, a pair of free throws from Jackson, and a layup from Lachlan Bofinger, to take a 15-5 lead into the second media break of the first half.
Erik Czumbel was found open on the wing by a nifty pass from Alley, sinking his ninth triple of the season in 13 attempts, giving UTSA an 18-8 lead.
Houston ripped off an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 18-16 before Bofinger finished a putback for a four-point lead. The Beavers took their first lead after a pair of free throws, 21-20, taking a three-point lead into the final media timeout of the period.
UTSA evened it at 23 after a Wallace corner trey and Jordan Ivy-Curry's offensive rebound and lefty floater off the glass gave the Roadrunners a 25-23 lead.
After Oregon State evened it at 26, Alley sank a pair of free throws and after the Beavs evened it at 28, Parrish gave UTSA a lead on a run out.
After the game was even at 30, Alley grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled on the putback, sinking both free throws. UTSA then got a defensive stop and regained possession with 10 seconds left. Jackson lofted a 30 foot triple that sailed wide, into the hands of Ivy-Curry, who laid it off the glass for a 34-30 lead at the break. UTSA was held to 32.3 percent from the field and 2 of 14 from distance in the first half, holding OSU to just 26.7 percent.
Alley got the scoring going with a wing triple for a seven-point lead and Germany executed a layup for a 39-32 lead. After a pair of OSU buckets, Jackson snapped a streak of 13 consecutive misses with a smooth floater in the lane, taking the lead to 41-36.
The Beavs cut the lead to one before Luka Barisic sank a midrange jumper and after again cutting it to one, Czumbel drilled a corner 3-pointer for a 46-42 lead.
After the game evened up at 46, Parrish found himself in a transition opportunity, fighting through traffic for the contested layup.
Barisic gave UTSA a 51-46 lead after a wing triple off the dribble, UTSA's last bucket before an 11-1 Oregon State run. After Jackson made a free throw for a 52-51 lead, Oregon State ripped off a 6-0 run to take a 57-52 lead with 3:55 left in regulation, forcing a timeout from Coach Steve Henson.
Alley sank a midrange jumper to cut the lead to 58-54 as the clock ticked under three minutes. Oregon State took the lead to 62-54 before Jackson splashed his first triple of the game with 96 seconds left.
- UTSA -
