El Paso, TX -- (Sports Network) - Rickey Claitt went 8-of-9 from the field for 28 points, and the Oregon State Beavers won the second College Basketball Invitational with a 81-73 victory over the UTEP Miners at Don Haskins Center.

In the tournament's second season, a best-of-three format was used for the first time in the championship round. The Beavers (18-18) won the first game at home, 75-69, before falling here in El Paso on Wednesday, 70-63. Oregon State was able to squeak out its fifth road victory of the season to secure a .500 record after going a dismal 6-25 in 2007-08.

Lathen Wallace added 14 points for the Beavers, while Roeland Schaftenaar had 12 in the victory.

Stefon Jackson led the Miners (23-14) with 26 points, and Arnett Moultrie had 19 points in a losing effort, as the team lost at home for only the fifth time all season. Randy Culpepper provided 16 points for UTEP.

The Miners got off to a quick start, jumping out to an 11-3 lead, but Oregon State answered with the next 11 points, as two free throws from Schaftenaar put the Beavers ahead by three midway through the first half.

UTEP fought back to take a one-point lead, but an ensuing 9-2 Oregon State run put the Beavers in front by six, 23-17, on an Omari Johnson three-pointer with 5:49 to go. The visitors increased their edge to eight, 34-26, at the break.

The Miners quickly closed their gap to two by scoring the first six points of the second half, but Oregon State pushed their lead back up to nine, 47-38, on a Claitt three just past the five-minute mark.

Six straight points by UTEP, capped by a Culpepper three, drew the Miners to within two again, 52-50, just past the halfway point. Oregon State, however, had an answer once more, as Schaftenaar hit a jumper and Claitt drained a three to make it a seven-point game.

The Beavers took control not much later, putting together a 9-0 run to make it a 14-point contest with 4 1/2 minutes left. Claitt and Johnson each scored four on the run, and with a 66-52 lead, the team never led by less than six down the stretch.

Game Notes

Tulsa beat Bradley in a best-of-one championship in the inaugural tournament last year...Oregon State leads the all-time series with UTEP, 3-2...The Beavers beat Houston, Vermont and Stanford to reach the title round, while UTEP bested Nevada, Northeastern and Richmond.