DAVE BOLING

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Graham Ike delivered the biggest shot of his career at the most opportune time of Gonzaga’s overtime loss to Oregon State at Gill Coliseum.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Here are three observations from No. 16 Gonzaga's 97-89 overtime loss to Oregon State on Thursday night at Gill Coliseum.

Gonzaga played from behind most of the extra session and fell 97-89, prompting OSU students to storm the court.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Gonzaga hasn’t had much luck in close games. Neither has Oregon State.

Junior forward Michael Rataj is the last of Oregon State’s impressive 2022 recruiting class still wearing a Beavers’ uniform. The German native arrived at OSU with Tyler Bilodeau (transferred to UCLA after last season), Jordan Pope (Texas), KC Ibekwe (Washington), Gonzaga Prep grad Jayden Stevens (Idaho), Nick Krass (Tarleton State) and Donovan Grant (walk-on at Georgetown last season). Rataj stayed with the Beavers, even after a difficult start to his sophomore season. He had a tumor removed from his shin prior to the season and missed most of preseason preparations and the first three games.

Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle and Gonzaga counterpart Mark Few go back nearly three decades. They first met when Tinkle, playing professionally in the late 1990s after a standout career at Montana, helped at then-GU head coach Dan Fitzgerald’s camps.

Gonzaga and Oregon State haven’t seen much of each other the past 30 years, but that figures to change with the Bulldogs and Beavers playing twice in the West Coast Conference each of the next two seasons before joining the Pac-12 in 2025-26.

By Saturday night, the Gonzaga Bulldogs looked to be feeling much better. Both on and off the court.

Gonzaga continues to gain ground in the weekly Associated Press Top 25 with its unbeaten start to West Coast Conference play.

After opening with four West Coast Conference wins as heavy favorites, Gonzaga is in the midst of the resume-enriching or resume-ravaging portion of its conference schedule. At present, the Zags are projected in the 4-6 seed range with a 2-4 Quad 1 record – home vs. 1-30 NET ranking, neutral vs. 1-50, away vs. 1-75 – with wins over San Diego State and Baylor and losses to West Virginia, Kentucky, UConn and UCLA.

Gonzaga expected Washington State to try and play to its size advantage at multiple positions Saturday night, whether that meant 6-foot-6 LeJuan Watts posting up 6-2 Nolan Hickman, 6-11 Dane Erikstrup backing down 6-5 Khalif Battle or 6-10 Ethan Price working against 6-6 Dusty Stromer.