Grambling State @ Oregon St. preview

Grambling State at Oregon St.

Last Meeting ( Dec 15, 2014 ) Grambling State 43, Oregon St. 71

Oregon State wraps up a mini two-game homestand Saturday when its welcomes Grambling State to Gill Coliseum. The contest serves as a Las Vegas Classic campus game.

The Beavers are 3-0 so far at home with wins over Cal State Northridge (87-67), Iowa State (80-74) and UC Santa Barbara (78-67). Senior forward Tres Tinkle posted double-doubles in all three of those wins, including a season-high-matching 27 points to go along with 11 rebounds Wednesday in the victory over the Gauchos. Oregon State shot a season-best 56.6 percent from the field Wednesday but failed to score at least 80 points for the second time this season. Grambling State, meanwhile, currently is the only Southwestern Athletic Conference team above .500 in the early season and is in the midst of four-game western road swing.

TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network

ABOUT GRAMBLING STATE (3-1): The Tigers, projected to finish third in the 10-team SWAC preseason coaches poll, tipped off its road trip Wednesday with an 83-76 loss at San Jose State. Senior guard Ivy Smith Jr., a preseason All-SWAC first-team selection, scored a team-high 19 points and senior forward DeVante Jackson added 15, but the Tigers hit only one of 10 3-point attempts and misfired on 13 of 30 free throw tries. Jackson (16.8 points per game) and guards Prince Moss (15.0), Anthony Gaston (13.3) and Smith (12.3) are Grambling’ State's leading scorers on the season while 6-8 forward Terreon Randolph is the Tigers’ top rebounder with 8.5 per outing.

ABOUT OREGON STATE (4-1): The 6-foot-7 Tinkle, son of head coach Wayne Tinkle, is the team’s leader in scoring (22.6), rebounding (10.2) and assists (4.4) and was tied for the national lead with four double-doubles as of Thursday. Guards Ethan Thompson (13.8 points) and Zach Reichle (10.0) and forward Kylor Kelley (11.4) also are averaging double figures for the Beavers, who are averaging 16 assists and only 10.8 turnovers per outing. The 7-foot Kelley blocked six shots Wednesday against UC Santa Barbara and is among the national leaders with 3.8 blocks per game.

TIP-INS

1. This will be the third meeting between the programs in the last eight seasons and the first since 2014, when Oregon State posted a 71-43 home win early in Wayne Tinkle’s debut season with the Beavers.

2. Led by reserve guard Jarod Lucas (50.0) and Tinkle (45.8), Oregon State has five players shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point range.

3. Grambling State also boasts five 40-percent-or-better 3-point shooters, led by guards Kelton Edwards (60.0) and Moss (53.3).

PREDICTION: Oregon State 90, Grambling State 68