Ducks Down Huskies in Exciting Finish

Saturday, March 7

Eugene, Ore.

8 p.m.

University of Oregon

12-19,5-15Big Ten

Washington

15-16,7-13Big Ten

Washington

Oregon

03/07/26 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

EUGENE, Ore. — Kwame Evans Jr. converted an and-one three-pointer late Saturday night to help lead Oregon to an 85-79 win over Washington on Senior Night at Matthew Knight Arena.

Evans Jr. scored nine points in 11 seconds to take the Ducks from down three to up six after the four-point play and a series of free throws.

"It was the ultimate feeling," Evans Jr. said. "I wanted to come through for the seniors. The possessions before that weren't too good, but something had to fall. It was really great to get the win and hit my free throws. It was a tough year for us, and winning the last game was a good feeling."

Evans Jr. led Oregon with 20 points and seven rebounds while going 11-of-13 from the free-throw line. He added two assists and three steals and delivered several crucial plays late, including a game-tying three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining and a series of free throws in the final seconds that sealed the victory.

Nate Bittle added 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Ducks, while Takai Simpkins contributed 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Drew Carter finished with 10 points and Dezdrick Lindsay scored 11 off the bench, including three three-pointers that helped Oregon surge ahead early.

How It Happened: Oregon took control in the opening half with a 16-0 run that stretched the lead to 29-8 with 9:29 remaining before halftime. The Ducks shot 57.7 percent from the floor in the first half and made 8-of-13 three-point attempts to build a 44-30 advantage at the break.

Washington gradually chipped away in the second half behind strong play from Hannes Steinbach, who finished with a game-high 26 points and 13 rebounds. The Huskies shot 51.7 percent after halftime and went a perfect 14-of-14 from the free-throw line in the period as they erased most of Oregon's lead.

The Huskies completed the comeback with 24 seconds remaining when Steinbach converted two free throws to give Washington a 79-76 lead.

Evans answered moments later, knocking down a three-pointer to tie the score at 79-79 with 11 seconds left. After drawing a foul, he hit the go-ahead free throw to put Oregon ahead for good.
Following a Washington miss, Evans was fouled and the Washington bench was assessed two technical fouls with five seconds remaining. Evans made five of the six free throws to secure the six-point victory.

Notable: Seniors Nate Bittle, Drew Carter, Oleksandr Kobzystyi, Takai Simpkins and Miles Stewart were honored postgame for their careers with the Ducks. … Evans Jr. recorded his fifth 20-point game of the season. … Bittle scored in double-figures for the 16^th consecutive game and blocked the 175^th shot of his career.

Up Next: Oregon plays Maryland on Tuesday in Chicago to open the Big Ten Tournament. (2 p.m., Peacock).