Oregon State secured a crucial victory. They beat Pepperdine with a final score of 83-73. This basketball game took place on Saturday, February 21, 2026. It was held at Gill Coliseum. This win was important for the Oregon State Beavers. It helped them get back to .500 overall. Their record improved to 15-14. They are now 8-8 in West Coast Conference play. This win is important trending sports news for the region.
Balanced Scoring Propels Beavers
Six Oregon State players reached double figures. This balanced attack was key to the win. Josiah Lake II led the team. He scored 18 points. He also contributed 8 assists. Furthermore, he grabbed 5 rebounds. Lake played a significant role. Keziah Ekissi came off the bench. He scored 15 points. Ekissi shot well from three-point range. He made 4 of 6 attempts. Jorge Diaz Graham added 13 points. Isaiah Sy tallied 12 points. He also had 7 rebounds. Sy provided 5 assists. Olavi Suutela achieved his first career double-double. He scored 11 points. He also pulled down 11 rebounds. Johan Munch nearly matched him. Munch posted 10 points. He also had 12 rebounds. This was the first time two Beavers had double-doubles in a game since the 2018-19 season. This game is vital Oregon sports news.
Pepperdine Fights Hard, Falls Short
Pepperdine showed resilience. They held a halftime lead. The Waves led 42-36 at the break. However, their offense stalled in the second half. Oregon State went on a significant run. Aaron Clark led Pepperdine’s effort. He scored a game-high 32 points. Clark also added 3 assists. David Mager had a strong game off the bench. He scored a career-high 16 points. Mager made 3 of 4 three-point attempts. Styles Phipps contributed 11 points. He also recorded 3 steals. Despite their efforts, Pepperdine could not maintain their lead. They fell to 8-21 on the season. They are 3-13 in WCC play.
Second-Half Turnaround
The Beavers trailed at halftime. Oregon State came out strong in the second half. They outshot Pepperdine 50% to 36% in the final 20 minutes. The Beavers also dominated the boards. They outrebounded Pepperdine 49-27. Oregon State set a season-high with 19 offensive rebounds. This created many second-chance points. The game was close for much of the second half. It was tied at 62 points. Oregon State then scored six unanswered points. This gave them a seven-point lead late in the game. Pepperdine got within four points. However, Oregon State sealed the victory. They scored the final five points. This secured the 83-73 win. This outcome is important college sports news.
Implications for the Season
This victory holds significance for Oregon State. They are in a four-way race for the fourth seed. This seed is crucial for the WCC tournament. A loss to last-place Pepperdine would have hurt their standing. The Beavers are managing injuries. They played with only eight scholarship players. Key players Dez White and Matija Samar were sidelined. Head coach Wayne Tinkle expressed pride in his team’s effort. He noted their toughness in the second half. The team is looking ahead. Their final home game is against San Diego. This is a trending topic in college basketball news. The Beavers aim to finish the regular season strong.
