CORVALLIS, Ore. — Damarco Minor led the scoring with 23 points as Oregon State secured an impressive 80-57 victory over Utah Tech in their season opener on Monday night.

The Beavers have now successfully won each of their 11 season openers under the guidance of coach Wayne Tinkle, who stands just one victory away from achieving 300 career wins.

Oregon State’s lineup showcased a diverse group with nine newcomers hailing from nine different nations, including the USA, Canada, Denmark, Iran, Lithuania, England, France, Germany, and Turkey. Among the standout performances was Michael Rataj from Augsburg, Germany, who contributed 15 points and seven rebounds. Additionally, Parsa Fallah, a transfer from Southern Utah originally from Amon, Iran, made a significant impact with 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in his first game.

Nate Kingz, who previously went by Meithof, returned from injury to add 11 points, marking his return after missing all of the previous season. Another debutant was Liutauras Lelevicius, who had played for Lithuania during the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship and was confirmed eligible to participate in the season just last week by the NCAA.

The Beavers displayed solid shooting, hitting 32 of 64 attempts from the field; however, their three-point shooting was less impressive, converting just 6 of 24 attempts.

For Utah Tech, Justin Bieker led the scoring with 14 points, while Noa Gonzalves contributed 10 points. The Trailblazers struggled offensively, shooting only 33.3% from the field (19 of 57), including a challenging 5 of 25 from the three-point range.