Preview: Pacific Tigers at Oregon State Beavers

CORVALLIS, Ore. (Interstat) — A rematch from a lopsided result just over two weeks ago is set for Saturday when the Pacific Tigers visit the Oregon State Beavers in a nonconference men’s basketball game at Gill Coliseum.

Pacific (12-8) enters having dropped two of its last three, including a 69-85 road loss at Santa Clara on Wednesday. The Tigers, however, handily won the first meeting between these teams on Jan. 2, defeating Oregon State 84-53 in Stockton, California.

Oregon State (10-10) snapped a three-game skid with a 76-70 home victory over Loyola Marymount on Wednesday. The Beavers will be seeking both revenge and to level their season record on their home floor.

A key player to watch for Pacific is guard Justin Rochelin, who is averaging 15.4 points over his last five games. He scored 16 points in the loss to Santa Clara and had a team-high 20 in an overtime defeat at Portland on Jan. 8. In the Jan. 2 win over Oregon State, Rochelin contributed 8 points in 26 minutes.

The Beavers counter with guard Isaiah Sy, who is coming off a season-high 25-point performance against Loyola Marymount. Sy’s scoring has been volatile; he was held to 8 points in the loss at Pacific and 3 points in a blowout loss to Santa Clara in late December, but has topped 18 points three times in the last month.

Pacific’s offense, which also features contributors like Elias Ralph (17 points vs. Santa Clara), will test an Oregon State defense that allowed 102 points to Santa Clara and 84 to Pacific in its recent outings. The Beavers’ Josiah Lake, who had 21 points and 3 assists in the win over LMU, provides a secondary scoring option alongside Sy.

The Tigers have shown road resilience with an overtime nail-biter at Portland and a win at San Diego this month, but also have double-digit road losses to Santa Clara, Loyola Marymount and BYU. Oregon State is 7-4 at home this season.

Saturday’s contest is the final scheduled nonconference game for both programs before they resume their respective league slates. Pacific next hosts Seattle on Jan. 24, while Oregon State travels to face Saint Mary’s on Jan. 21.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PST at Gill Coliseum.