It was supposed to be a bounce-back Saturday at Gill Coliseum. Instead, the oregon state game score told a much grimmer story for the home crowd. Pacific 81, Oregon State 64. Honestly, if you watched the first half, you might have thought the Beavers were going to grind this one out. They were down only three at the break. But then the wheels didn't just come off; they basically disintegrated.
College basketball is a game of runs. We all know that. But what happened on January 17, 2026, was less of a run and more of a systematic dismantling. Pacific’s Elias Ralph went absolutely nuclear, dropping 20 points and grabbing 11 boards. The Beavers? They looked stagnant. They looked tired. Mostly, they looked like a team that didn't have an answer for a Pacific squad that shot 60% from the floor in the second half.
Breaking Down the Numbers
The final oregon state game score of 64-81 reflects a massive disparity in efficiency. Look at the shooting splits. Pacific was 9-of-21 from deep. Oregon State? A measly 4-of-16. It’s hard to win games when you’re getting outscored by 15 points from the arc alone.
Yaak Yaak was the lone bright spot for Wayne Tinkle's squad. He finished with 13 points, doing most of his damage at the charity stripe. But when your leading scorer is barely hitting double digits, you’ve got a problem. The Beavers moved to 10-11 overall and 3-5 in the West Coast Conference. It's a tough pill to swallow for a fan base that’s seen some flashes of brilliance this year.
The paint was a war zone. Pacific dominated there, outscoring the Beavers 42-18. 42 points in the paint! That is a staggering number for a road team. It felt like every time Oregon State tried to establish a presence inside, Isaac Jack or Elias Ralph was there to shut the door. Jack was particularly effective, scoring four straight buckets early in the second half to push the lead to double digits. Once it hit 49-39, the air just left the building.
The Problem with Consistency
What most people get wrong about this Oregon State team is thinking they lack talent. They don't. They have athletes. What they lack is the "connector" player—the guy who stabilizes the offense when things get chaotic.
Against Pacific, the turnovers weren't even the main culprit. They only had nine. That’s actually a decent number. The issue was the shot selection. Too many contested mid-rangers. Not enough movement. When you compare that to Pacific’s 14 assists, you see the difference in ball movement.
- Final Score: Pacific 81, Oregon State 64
- Top Performer: Elias Ralph (20 pts, 11 reb)
- Beavers Leader: Yaak Yaak (13 pts, 5 reb)
- The Turning Point: Pacific's 7-of-11 three-point shooting in the second half.
Why the Second Half Collapsed
You’ve got to wonder what was said in the locker room. The Beavers came out for the second half and looked like they were stuck in mud. Meanwhile, Pacific looked like they’d been shot out of a cannon.
The Tigers' Justin Rochelin stayed hot, continuing a streak of five games in double figures. But the real backbreaker was the depth. Kajus Kublickas came off the bench and gave Pacific 15 points. Career high. That’s the kind of unexpected production that kills you in conference play. You prepare for the stars, and the bench guys end up burying you.
Oregon State’s defense, which has been its calling card at times this season, was nowhere to be found. They allowed Pacific to shoot 7-of-11 from three in the second half. That’s 63.6%. You can’t defend that. You just can’t.
Looking Ahead
The oregon state game score isn't just a number; it’s a symptom of a larger struggle to adapt to the WCC's pace. The Beavers are currently sitting near the bottom of the middle pack. They aren't out of it, but the margin for error has evaporated.
If they want to turn this around, the focus has to be on perimeter defense and finding a secondary scoring option. Josiah Lake II and Dez White have shown they can play, but they need to be more aggressive when Yaak is being doubled.
The reality of the 2025-26 season is that the WCC is deeper than people think. Gonzaga and Saint Mary's are still the class of the league, but teams like Pacific and Santa Clara are no longer "easy" wins. Especially on your home floor. This loss hurts because it was at Gill. You have to protect home court in this league, or you’re going to find yourself playing on Thursday in the conference tournament.
What You Should Watch For Next
If you're following the oregon state game score trends, keep an eye on the rebounding margin. In the Pacific loss, they were out-rebounded 31-25. It’s a small gap, but it led to nine second-chance points for the Tigers. In a game where momentum is everything, those extra possessions are killers.
The Beavers need to find a way to get Olavi Suutela more involved. He had 6 points on 3-of-4 shooting against Pacific. Why only four shots? He’s one of the few guys who can actually finish through contact. If the guards can start looking for him on the roll instead of settling for threes, the offense might actually find some rhythm.
📖 Related: LeBron James Says He Doesn’t Know When He Will Retire: The Reality of the 23rd Season
Actionable Insights for Beaver Fans:
- Watch the rotations: See if Coach Tinkle shakes up the starting five to find more defensive energy early in the second half.
- Monitor the WCC standings: The gap between 5th and 10th place is razor-thin. Every game now has "must-win" energy.
- Track the shooting percentage: If this team can't get back above 40% from the field, they'll struggle to keep up with the high-scoring offenses of the WCC.
The next few games will define whether this season is a rebuilding year or a missed opportunity. The talent is there, but the execution needs a massive upgrade.