via Oregon State Athletic Communications
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Oregon State men’s basketball team fell 82-81 Thursday evening to Santa Clara in a hard-fought overtime contest on the road in Santa Clara, Calif.
The Beavers battled back from multiple deficits during regulation and led by three with 17 seconds left in the extra period but could not overcome the Broncos.
Parsa Fallah led the Beavers with 24 points and seven rebounds, going 11-for-16 from the floor. Michael Rataj finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, as he put up his eighth double-double of the season.
Isaiah Sy went 4-for-7 from the floor and 3-for-5 from 3-point range, scoring 12 points including some big buckets down late in regulation and in overtime. Damarco Minor had 11 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Josiah Lake II had six assists.
As a team, the Beavers shot 44 percent from the floor and 85 percent from the free throw stripe.
Oregon State took a 7-4 lead into the game’s first media timeout, but Santa Clara responded with a 15-0 run to go in front 19-7. The Beavers battled back to get within striking distance late in the half, getting within six with two minutes left in the period. Oregon State leveled the score at 32 heading into the intermission.
The Beavers took the lead on a Nate Kingz bucket early in the second half. The Broncos scored six-straight points to go in front 54-46 with 12 minutes remaining in the contest. Santa Clara went up by 12, but the Beavers recorded six quick points to get back within six. Sy gave the Beavers the lead on a 3-pointer with five minutes to go.
The teams traded punches down the final stretch of the contest, with Rataj tying the score at 71 with just under two minutes remaining. Neither team scored from there, as the game went to overtime.
A Sy 3-pointer gave Oregon State a four-point advantage with 1:27 left in the extra period. Fallah put OSU up three with 17 seconds on the clock, but a put-back in the closing moments gave the Broncos the one-point victory.
The Beavers will head to the Central Valley on Saturday for a matchup with Pacific.