Nate Kingz makes six three-pointers and scores 22 points to help rally the Beavers from an eight-point second-half deficit.
Oregon State took a difficult path Friday night, but the Beavers are 4-0 for the first time in nearly a decade after rallying in the second half to beat Cal State Fullerton 70-51 at Gill Coliseum.
Oregon State trailed by as many as eight points early in the second half before outscoring the Titans 41-14 during the final 16 minutes to pull away.
The last time OSU started a season 4-0 was 2015-16, a season the Beavers turned into a trip to the NCAA Tournament. This was the toughest of the four wins, as Cal State Fullerton threw a scare into OSU by shutting down their scorers for most of the first half.
Nate Kingz scored 22 points and Michael Rataj had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Beavers. The only shots Kingz took were three-pointers, as he shot 6 of 9 from behind the arc.
Oregon State shot 8 of 27 from the floor during the first half, but warmed up considerably after halftime. OSU shot hit 13 of 21 shots during the second half, including 7 of 12 from three-point range. The Beavers outscored Cal State-Fullerton 45-19 during the second half.
OSU managed a comfortable win despite getting only one point from starting post Parsa Fallah, who was dominant during the Beavers’ first three games.
The stage is set for Oregon State’s biggest test of the young season, as the Beavers play host to Oregon at 7 p.m. Thursday at Gill Coliseum.
Davis Bynum led Cal State-Fullerton with 12 points. The Titans are 0-4, with losses to Stanford, Grand Canyon, Colorado and Oregon State.
Oregon State, which won its first three games by margins of 23, 28 and 36 points, appeared on its way to another laugher when it took a 7-0 lead three minutes into Friday’s game. But OSU’s offense went cold the rest of the half, as the Beavers made only six baskets through halftime and trailed 32-25.
Fullerton led 37-29 with 16 minutes left when Oregon State went on a torrid run stopped only by the final horn. The Beavers hit seven consecutive shots and took a 47-45 lead with 11 minutes left. From there, OSU poured it on, as the Beavers made 12 of their final 16 shots. The Titans missed 11 consecutive shots, and made only two baskets during the final 11 minutes.
—Nick Daschel can be reached at 360-607-4824, [email protected] or @nickdaschel.
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