Oregon men’s basketball stunned the Arizona State Sun Devils in a 76-72 win in Tempe, Arizona, on Thursday night. The loss was ASU’s first home defeat of the season.
For the Ducks (2-2 Pac-12), the victory comes on the heels of a tough loss at the hands of Oregon State. Guards Payton Pritchard and Elijah Brown each finished the night with 18 points, while forward Mikyle McIntosh notched a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds.
The first half was an exercise in back-and-forth play for the Ducks. With just over eight minutes to play in the first half, ASU led just 20-18. Then the Ducks turned the ball over, and the tables turned.
The Sun Devils went on an 11-0 run before Oregon stopped the bleeding. Both teams traded baskets in the final four minutes of the half, and when the clock hit zeroes, the score was tied at 41 after Brown nailed a 3-pointer.
The second half followed a similar pattern, both teams jostling for the lead. The Ducks eventually fought their way to an eight-point lead with just over four minutes in the game. The Sun Devils closed the gap to two at one point, but were unable to knot things up. A pair of Pritchard free throws with 14 seconds left iced the game, the Ducks left the court victorious.
The Ducks won the rebounding battle despite shooting worse than Arizona State. Oregon grabbed 15 offensive rebounds, which led to 19 more shots for the Ducks.
While the game was near the end and Arizona State began fouling, Elijah Brown and Pritchard hit key free throws. Overall, Oregon shot 12-of-14 from the line.
The win is big for a Ducks team looking to strengthen their case for the NCAA Tournament.
Oregon will look to build on the win when they face the No. 17 Arizona Wildcats on Saturday.
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