CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Warith Alatishe scored 21 points and Jarod Lucas caught fire in the second half as Oregon State rallied to down Portland State 74-64 in a season opener for both teams Tuesday night.
The Beavers — coming off last season’s ride to their first Pac-12 Conference championship and a trip as deep into NCAA Tournament as the Elite Eight— trailed most of the first half and by as many as 11 in the second.
Lucas scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half and buried back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 12-0 Oregon State rally as the Beavers took control in the final 11:38 to avoid falling flat on their laurels.
Maurice Calloo also scored 16 with eight boards, posting 11 points after halftime. Ahmad Rand came off the bench for six impactful minutes during the second-half rally, scoring four points with three blocked shots. Calloo averaged 2.4 rebounds per game last season.
Khalid Thomas scored 16 points, James Jean-Marie 14 points with 10 rebounds and Marlon Ruffin 11 for Portland State, which turned the ball over 17 times leading to 17 Oregon State points.
In the Viking-dominated first half, Michael Carter scored a layup to put PSU ahead 4-3, a lead that would stand the entire half. Ian Burke's half-court buzzer-beater had Portland State up 32-28 at the break.
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