Oregon State didn’t just beat Cal Baptist on Friday night. The Beavers kept showing the kind of offensive range that’s making this early stretch under Justin Joyner look a lot more dangerous than a typical opening-week tune-up.
In a 96-68 win at Gill Coliseum, OSU launched 35 three-pointers, its most in a game since Dec. 11, 2016, while also pounding the ball inside and finishing with a lopsided 48-24 edge in paint points. For a team that opened the season with 34 free throw attempts in a 102-point outing, it was another clear sign that this group can win in more than one way.
“Obviously a fun game, for us to score 96 again tonight,” Justin Joyner said. “We love that style of play.
I think we’re built for any type of game. I think we showed that.”
Legend Smiley led the way with a career-high 21 points, giving Oregon State four players in double figures. The sophomore transfer from San Francisco shot 9 of 13 from the field, hit 3 of 7 from deep, and added four rebounds and two assists in more than 29 minutes off the bench.
“I want to give a shout-out to my teammates; they found me in spots where I was open and I was able to knock it down,” Smiley said. “Knocking down my shots and when you’re playing with a great group of guys it makes it so much easier.”
The Beavers weren’t exactly scorching from outside, finishing at 34.3% from three and missing several open looks. But the volume told the story. Joyner said Cal Baptist’s defense was part of that, with the Lancers trying to keep Oregon State away from the paint.
Still, the Beavers were efficient where it counted. They shot 78.8% inside the arc and kept forcing the issue until the game broke open.
DeShawn Gory scored 18 points, with 14 coming in the first half as Oregon State built a 44-34 lead at the break. Then the Beavers turned it up after halftime.
Josiah Lake II scored 15 points, 13 of them in the second half, and OSU finished the game on a 24-6 run. Lake was 5 of 7 from the field, including 3 of 4 from three, and perfect on both free throws.
Terry Coner Jr. led Cal Baptist with 16 points and three rebounds, while Justas Stonkus added 12. The Lancers, who beat Oregon State in Corvallis last season, never got closer than nine points in the second half.
For a game that won’t carry much weight in the bigger picture - it figures to land as either a Quadrant 3 or 4 result - Oregon State still got something meaningful out of it. With 12 new players and a new coaching staff, the Beavers are already looking connected.
Their 198 points through two games are the most in a two-game stretch since the start of the 1997-98 season.
“I think that shows our depth throughout our whole team and the coaching staff is doing a great job of bringing guys in who want to win,” Lake said. “Even though I’m the only returner, everyone has the same mindset as me: they all want to win just as much as me. I think that’s something that is a really big key for us.
“I think the guys are so unselfish and it’s going to be a different guy every night. I think we all believe in each other the same way.”
In Other News...
Oregon State Faces A Bigger Test Than Saturdays Betting Line Suggests
Saturdays matchup at Reser Stadium looks straightforward on paper, with Oregon State laying 6.5 points against Texas State, but the deeper read from the other sideline suggests a game that could ask more questions than the line implies. A Q&A with Texas State beat reporter Caleb Yum painted a picture of a Bobcats team that has enough offensive punch to make things interesting, while also carrying the kind of defensive concerns that can turn a road trip into a track meet.
Much of the focus centered on quarterback Brad Jackson, whose strengths and weaknesses help define how Texas State wants to play and where Oregon State can try to press its advantage. The preview also pointed to the defensive challenges the Bobcats will have to survive if they want to leave Corvallis with a result, which is why this one feels less like a routine home favorite spot and more like a test of whether the Beavers can control the game before the broadcast and streaming audience settles in for a long afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon States Fast Start Is Giving Beavers Fans Real Reason To Believe
Oregon States early-season momentum kept rolling with a convincing 96-68 win over Cal Baptist, a result that gave the Beavers another clean look at how much balance they can bring on offense. Josiah Lake, Deshawn Gory and Xavion Staton all chipped in as part of a deep scoring night, helping Oregon State move to 2-0 and giving the home crowd plenty to like about the way this group is coming together.
The next test comes against Eastern Washington, and it arrives with a little more buzz around this team than there might have been a week ago. Fast starts can be misleading this time of year, but Oregon State has already shown enough scoring depth and energy to make its opening stretch feel more than just a warm-up, which is exactly the kind of foundation the Beavers have been looking for. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Needs More Than One Star To Bounce Back Against Texas State
Oregon State heads into its matchup with Texas State trying to steady itself after taking its first conference loss, and the Beavers will need more than one standout to do it. The focus this week is on how the secondary responds and whether the passing game can find enough rhythm to support the rest of the offense, especially with several younger contributors continuing to carve out roles.
A sophomore running back has been one of the brighter spots lately, while a true freshman wide receiver and a transfer tight end have both shown they can give the passing attack some needed juice. Those individual flashes matter, but Oregon States challenge is turning them into a more complete effort, one that travels better and gives the Beavers a cleaner path back on track. [Read more 🡒]