Preview: San Francisco Dons vs. Oregon State Beavers in WCC Championship

LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — The West Coast Conference men’s basketball championship on Sunday, March 8, 2026, features a matchup of teams seeking to extend surprising postseason runs, as the seed San Francisco Dons face the seed Oregon State Beavers.

Both teams arrive with nearly identical records. San Francisco (17-15) advanced with an 82-65 quarterfinal win over Portland on Saturday, led by 23 points from David Fuchs and 18 from Tyrone Riley. Oregon State (16-15) earned its spot by upsetting higher-seeded opponents.

The Beavers hold a decisive mental edge from the regular season, having swept the Dons. Oregon State won 90-63 in San Francisco on Feb. 12 and 70-62 in Corvallis on Dec. 30. In the most recent meeting, the Beavers dominated, holding the Dons to 34.4% shooting.

A key player to watch for San Francisco is guard Tyrone Riley, who has logged heavy minutes and scored in double figures in four straight games, including his 18-point performance Saturday. He will need to be efficient against Oregon State’s defense.

For Oregon State, forward Johan Munch has been a consistent offensive force, averaging 16 points over his last three contests. He scored nine points in 20 minutes during the Feb. 12 rout of the Dons.

San Francisco enters with momentum from its convincing win over Portland, but its season has been marked by inconsistency, including a 94-73 loss to Santa Clara on Feb. 21. Oregon State also struggled in its last outing, a 93-72 loss at Santa Clara on Feb. 28, but has shown resilience with overtime wins over San Diego and Loyola Marymount this season.

The championship game, held at a neutral site in Las Vegas, presents an opportunity for either team to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and cap a .500-or-better season with a title. The matchup hinges on whether San Francisco can solve Oregon State’s defensive pressure and reverse the lopsided results from their two regular-season encounters.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT at the Thomas & Mack Center.