Oregon State kept rolling Monday night, using a parade to the foul line and a few timely bursts from deep to beat Eastern Washington 94-84 at home and move to 3-0.
The Beavers were relentless at the stripe, knocking down 36 of 44 free throws. Daniel Freitag led the way with 21 points and was flawless on his 10 free-throw attempts. Xavion Staton, the BYU transfer, filled up the box score again with 11 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks.
Oregon State set the tone early on the defensive end. The Beavers piled up five blocks in the first half, and Staton was responsible for three of them. That pressure helped fuel a strong offensive opening, too, with Josiah Lake and Legend Smiley giving the Beavers a lift.
Lake scored 12 points in the first half, hitting both of his three-point tries and all four of his free throws. Smiley came off the bench and caught fire from long range, drilling four threes and adding a two-pointer on his way to a team-high 14 first-half points.
Eastern Washington spent much of the opening half in foul trouble, and Oregon State made the Eagles pay. The Beavers went 15 of 17 at the line before halftime, while EWU attempted just two free throws in the first 20 minutes.
The second half opened with more Oregon State shooting from outside, and the Beavers stretched the lead to 17 points. Eastern Washington answered with a 9-0 run to get back within single digits, but Oregon State quickly slammed the door with a 10-0 surge of its own, including a pair of fast-break finishes.
From there, the Beavers stayed in control. Eastern Washington never got the margin under 10 over the final five minutes.
Freitag stayed perfect at the line in the second half as well, making eight more free throws. Chris Johnson also shook off early foul trouble and made his presence felt after the break, finishing with 12 points and two steals.
Oregon State returns to action Friday, November 13, against Mississippi Valley State. Tipoff from Gill Coliseum is set for 6:30 p.m. on the Pac-12's YouTube channel.
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That uncertainty matters because backup Max Cutforth has given Boise State a real reason to think twice, playing well enough in recent games to keep the conversation alive. For Oregon State, it means preparing for a Boise State offense that could look a little different depending on how much mobility Madsen has, even if the coaching staff is publicly standing behind its No. 1 quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Fans Already Have A GameDay Debate On Their Hands
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Oklahoma State's Red Zone Surge Could Matter To Oregon State Fans
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Caleb Hawkins has been a big part of that surge, giving Oklahoma State a reliable downhill answer once the field shrinks, while Drew Mestemaker has added another layer by making the passing game function near the goal line and keeping defenses honest with his legs. For Oregon State, the concern is less about one explosive play than the steady pressure of a team that is suddenly much harder to stop when it gets close. [Read more 🡒]