Amid a season plagued by injuries and clunky losses, all that mattered Wednesday night was the product on the court. A team fully unified in defeating their greatest foe.
In what may be the final game the Ducks and Beavers play as conference rivals, a more thrilling night couldn’t have been produced.
Kwame Evans Jr. played his best game as a Duck. Jermaine Couisnard was the ever-present veteran Altman needed. N’Faly Dante — despite a down night scoring — controlled the interior.
Both teams combined for a plethora of fouls, free-throws and lead changes, but it was a late coda of dominance that put Altman’s squad (19-9, 11-6 Pac-12) on top 78-71.
After hanging with the Ducks for 35 minutes, OSU (12-17, 4-14) went ice-cold from the field while Oregon played its best ball of the night.
Amid a six-and-a-half-minute OSU field-goal drought, Kwame Evans Jr. (22 points) rose to meet the moment when his team needed it most. He grabbed a clutch steal and was fouled on the ensuing possession. His pair of free-throws would put the Ducks up 10 with 2:09 remaining.
“KJ did a tremendous job finishing plays,” Altman said. “Really happy for him… he played really good.”
The Ducks defense put a chokehold on a previously potent Oregon State offense — which went 5-19 over the game’s final 10 minutes, compared to an impressive 7-11 from the Ducks.
Pregame rivalry game hype set the stage for a back-and-forth battle. The first-half and majority of the game that ensued fit the billing perfectly.
Oregon State’s Jordan Pope Torched the Ducks on the perimeter in the first half finishing with 15 points on 7-8 shooting.
Although shooting 58% from the field, the Beavers turned the ball over eight times, which with Oregon turned into seven points on its way to lead 35-33 at the half.
The Ducks, however, relied more on an equal distribution of scoring as N’Faly Dante dominated the interior early before an OSU defensive adjustment left Jackson Shelstad (11 points) and Evans Jr. open on the perimeter.
Although boisterous for most of the night, a three-minute Oregon scoring drought coupled with Oregon State going 6-6 from the field kept the crowd mostly on mute.
Neither Jermaine Couisnard, nor Shelstad or Evans Jr. could stop Pope for the majority of the game. Finishing with 22 points, he added two early baskets leading the Beavers to a four-point advantage in the early going of the second half.
“We gave him a couple early ones that got him going,” Altman said. “We didn’t stop him in the first half at all.”
Playing in his last rivalry game, Dante immediately surged back, knocking the ball from Oregon State’s Tyler Bilodeau’s hands and throwing the ball off of Bilodeau out of bounds. The next possession resulted in Dante slamming home a second-chance rebound, putting Oregon up two with 8:30 remaining and sending the crowd into oblivion.
After Pope and the Beavers’ early barrage, Chol Marial’s fourth personal foul was deemed a flagrant, resulting in two free-throws and the ball for Oregon. Both of OSU’s centers had racked up four fouls early in the second half, and with 10 minutes remaining, the Ducks had made 13 foul shots to the Beavers’ four.
With both teams knotted at 55 with 9:43 remaining, Dante and Couisnard added interior baskets to put Oregon up four.
The game featured 11 lead changes but that margin would be all the Ducks would need as Evans Jr. added a clutch 3-pointer putting Oregon up seven with 5:15 to go.
Oregon State went an ice-cold 1-10 down the stretch and the seven-point lead Oregon had taken would be enough.
When the Beavers couldn’t buy a basket, the free-throw disparity was to little avail. OSU got to the line just eight times compared to 32 attempts from the Ducks.
Josiah Lake II and Pope would hit late 3’s, but it was too little too late for the Beavers, who lost the ensuing free-throw battle.
Evans Jr.’s performance couldn’t have come at a better time for the Ducks, who need a late run to avoid missing a third-straight NCAA Tournament.
“Like coach said, ‘always swing away,’” Evans Jr. said of the team’s upcoming games.
Evans Jr. played his best game as a Duck. Jermaine Couisnard was the ever-present veteran Altman needed. Dante — despite a down night scoring with a mere 11 points on eight shots — controlled the interior.
The Beavers looked disjointed down the stretch as they fell to a more connected team. One that rose to every moment that mattered and one that hopes to ride Wednesdays success to an end-of-season run.
“Everyone is going to have to step up,” Altman — whose team sits in third place in the Pac-12 with three conference games remaining — said. “I told the team it’s a great opportunity to make something happen with these three games.”
The roar of applause that beckoned down from Matthew Knight Arena set the scene perfectly. The Ducks beat the Beavers and showed why they aim to play for something more than pride down this final stretch.