via Oregon State Athletic Communications
HONOLULU, Hawai’i – The Oregon State men’s basketball team opened the 2024 Diamond Head Classic with a victory, taking down Charleston 74-65 Sunday afternoon at the Stan Sheriff Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i.
With the win, the Beavers move to 9-2 for the third time during head coach Wayne Tinkle‘s tenure, matching the program’s best start since it opened the 1984-85 season 10-1.
Michael Rataj recorded his sixth double-double of the season, going for 16 points and 12 rebounds. Damarco Minor matched Rataj’s 16 points. Parsa Fallah scored 13 of his 14 points in the first half, and finished the day with four assists.
Nate Kingz rounded out a quartet of Beavers in double-figures, ending the contest with 10 points on 3-for-5 shooting. Josiah Lake II had eight points, including an emphatic put-back dunk in the closing minutes.
As a team, the Beavers shot 47 percent from the floor, while holding Charleston to 36 percent shooting. Oregon State out-rebounded the Cougars 36-301.
The teams traded punches early on, as the two sides headed to the game’s first media timeout. Oregon State used an 10-0 run to jump out to an 20-11 lead. The Beavers held onto the advantage for the remainder of the opening half, leading by as many as 14 before heading to the intermission up 35-26.
Fallah paced the Beavers with 13 first half points on 6-for-7 shooting from the floor.
The two sides went back-and-forth early in the second half, with the Beavers extending the advantage to 13 with 16 minutes remaining, before the Cougars go back within four with six minutes on the clock. Oregon State held a double-figure advantage with less than two minutes to play and never relinquished the lead, as it claimed the nine-point victory.
The Beavers will be back in action Monday against the winner of this afternoon’s game between Loyola Chicago and Oakland.
