With his team leading by six and 1:30 left in the game, Oregon’s Jordan Bell had a decision to make.
He could either stay with his man underneath the basket or run out and challenge Oklahoma State’s Anthony Hickey’s three-point attempt.
Bell didn’t even hesitate to challenge Hickey and the result was as expected from the 6-foot-9 freshman. Bell blocked Hickey’s shot, grabbed the rebound and passed the ball off to Joseph Young to retain possession. That sequence all but assured the Oregon victory as the Ducks hung on to beat Oklahoma State 79-73 in the round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament.
Bell finished the game with just six points and five rebounds but it was his defense that turned the game in favor of the Ducks. He had five blocked shots and altered numerous others as Oklahoma State was forced to settle for contested jump shots instead of taking the ball down low.
Young led all scorers in the game with 27 points, while Elgin Cook chipped in 18. Dillon Brooks had 17 points in the game, including a pivotal three-pointer at the four-minute mark to give the Ducks a 73-69 lead.
Le’Bryan Nash had 18 points and Hickey added 17 for the Cowboys. Oklahoma State stayed in the game by hitting 10 three-pointers, including six in the second half.
The game was a back-and-forth affair.
In the second half, a Dwayne Benjamin steal and dunk made the score 70-62 in favor of the Ducks. Oklahoma State responded with a 7-0 run over the next four minutes to cut the score to 70-69, before Brooks’ aforementioned three-pointer stopped the rally.
Oregon went 4-for-5 from the charity stripe and Bell had two blocks over the final 49 seconds to help the Ducks pull out the win.
How the game came to that may’ve just been because of Young’s takeover near the end of the first half.
Trailing 36-28 with 4:18 remaining in the first half, Young scored the next 15 points for the Ducks as the team took a 43-39 lead into the locker room. Young would add 12 in the second half, once again leading the Ducks to a place unimaginable at the season’s start.
Oregon will play the winner of No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 16 Coastal Carolina’s matchup on Sunday in Omaha, Nebraska. The Ducks lost to Wisconsin in the round of 32 of last year’s NCAA Tournament.
Notes: 
– Joseph Young scored 15 straight points in the last four minutes of the first half to give the Ducks a four-point advantage heading into the half. Before that point, he was 0-3 from the field.
– Young, Brooks and Cook combined for 62 of Oregon’s 79 points.
– With its win over Oklahoma State, Oregon advanced to the round of 32 for the third consecutive season.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka