Box Score
boxscore

Portland, OR - Portland State started well, but Oregon State put the pressure on and changed the game, coming back from a first-half deficit to beat the Vikings, 79-74, at the Stott Center.

A sold-out crowd witnessed a close contest in which the Beavers used their size advantage to finally persevere. Big men Joe Burton (20 points, 7 rebounds) and Eric Moreland (14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks) led the inside game while Devon Collier (23 points) had the perimeter offense.

Portland State shot .559 from the field, and matched the Beavers on the boards at 31-31. However, 19 turnovers hurt their cause. OSU also held a 12-point advantage at the free throw line (18-29 to 6-9).

Lateef McMullan and Renado Parker each scored 16 to lead the Vikings. Aaron Moore hit 7-7 from the field for 14 points and six rebounds.

McMullan sparked an early Viking run, scoring eight points, including a pair of three-pointers. His second three put the Vikings ahead 10-2 at the 16:43 mark.

PSU led 22-13, but Oregon State slapped on a 1-3-1 trap with the 6-foot-10 Moreland out front. That flustered the Vikings into four turnovers, aiding a 13-2 OSU run. The Beavers finally went up 26-24 with 2:50 left in the half. By halftime OSU led 32-26 as the Vikings had eight turnovers in the last eight minutes.

"Everything went the way we wanted it to go the first 10 or 12 minutes," said Viking Coach Tyler Geving but acknowledged his team's downfall. "You can't simulate their length and quickness (in the 1-3-1 zone). We got in trouble against it even though we worked on it (in preparation). When (Moreland) is at the top of that thing it is hard to go from one side to the other and attack gaps. All of a sudden they are trapping you with two big, athletic guys."

Oregon State built its lead slowly behind 14 points from Burton after intermission. It grew to 59-45 with 8:40 left. But the Vikings went on a 10-1 run over the next four minutes to get back in. A Michael Harthun free throw pulled PSU within 69-64 with 1:18 left. With the exception of the final score, the Vikings got no closer.

Parker was 8-13 from the field, ending a mini-shooting slump. "He did a good job finishing inside the paint. That's encouraging. We know what we are going to get out of Renado. He is a solid player," said Geving.

The Vikings are now 1-5 on the season, having lost five in a row. Oregon State improved to 6-2 overall.

GAME NOTES: Oregon State's appearance at the Stott Center marked the first time a Pac-12 team has played in Portland State's small on-campus arena. PSU has hosted games with OSU, Oregon and Washington State, but they all took place at Memorial Coliseum or the Rose Garden…  Portland State plays its final preseason non-conference game on Saturday night, hosting George Fox in a 7:35 p.m. game. The contest will air on Freedom 970 AM and www.freedom970.com.