MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho men's basketball (4-5) closes their two-game road trip in Corvallis, Ore. on Saturday against the Oregon State Beavers (5-2). The game at Gill Coliseum is slated to tip-off at 2 p.m. PST and can be streamed on ESPN+. 

How to Follow
Idaho vs. Oregon State // Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. PST 
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Listen: The Varsity Network or GoVandals.com/Listen

Notables
Idaho continues to run its offense through shots from beyond the arc. The Vandals rank 65th in the nation in three-pointers per game (9.4) and 63rd in three-point percentage (37.3%). Idaho has made five or more threes in 22 straight games, the longest streak in the Big Sky. 

Scoring has been a team effort for the Vandals this season, as there have been five games this season with three or more Vandals in double figures. Idaho also gets a big boost from the bench, ranking second in the Big Sky averaging 27.6 points a game from non-starters. 

Jack Payne has been a threat on defense, as the Boise native is one of four Big Sky players averaging two or more steals per game. Julius Mims has driven the Vandals on the glass, pulling down 6.4 rebounds a game, a mark good enough for fourth in the conference. 

Last Time Out
Idaho grabbed their first road win of the season against the Kansas City Roos, 82-77.

The Vandal attack had their best game of the season, shooting 56.9% from the field, including 72.7% in the first half, and made 10 threes for the fifth time in 2024. For the second time in the first nine games, five Vandals scored in double-figures, as Payne put up a career-high 17 and four steals. 

For the first time in 2024, Idaho never trailed, taking the lead on a Jojo Anderson triple nine seconds into the game. The five-point victory was the Vandals' fourth of the year.

Scouting the Beavers
Oregon State heads into the clash with a 5-2 record after beating UC Davis at home 90-57. The Beavers sprinted through the first four games on their calendar, winning by an average of 26.5 points. Losses to 9-0 in-state rival Oregon and on the road to North Texas are the only two blemishes on the Beavers early schedule, with the two defeats coming by a combined six points. 

The Beaver defense is one of the best in the nation at limiting made field goals and stopping shots, ranking in the top 20 nationally in both shooting percentage allowed (36.6%) and blocks per game (5.6). OSU is one of 13 teams in the country to allow less than 60 points a game, holding opponents to just 58.1 points over their first seven games. 

Junior forward Michael Rataj is the standout player on the Beaver offense, scoring 15 or more points in every game this season on 52.6% shooting. Rataj uses his 6-9 frame to pull down rebounds and block shots, averaging 9.4 boards and 1.29 blocks. The Augsburg, Germany native is one of 29 players in the nation to put up four or more double-doubles. 

The Beavers are coming off a 13-19 campaign in 2023-24, getting knocked out in the first round of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament. Oregon State brings nine newcomers to their 2024-25 squad, as they join the West Coast Conference for the next two seasons. The Beavers were picked seventh in the WCC Preseason Coaches Poll. 

Series History Vs. Oregon State
The Vandals and Beavers have met 173 times, dating back to the 1909-10 season, when the two teams split a series in Moscow. The two land-grant institutions shared membership in the Northwest Conference and Pacific Coast Conference from 1902 to 1959, meeting four times a season between 1929-30 and 1954-55. They last met in Corvallis on Dec. 9, 2011, with Idaho taking the victory, 74-60. The Vandals have won two straight in Corvallis. 

Up Next 
Idaho returns home to the ICCU Arena to face UC San Diego on Sunday, Dec. 15. The game is part of a doubleheader, with the women's team taking on Utah State at 1 p.m. PST, with the men's game following at 4 p.m. PST. 

Follow
Fans can follow the Vandals all season long on Facebook, Instagram, and X at @VandalHoops, and with the Voice of the Vandals, Dennis Patchin, at GoVandals.com/Listen. All home and conference contests will be streamed live through ESPN+.