The Oregon Ducks (12-3, 4-0 Pac-12) had maintained a relatively consistent lead throughout the entire second half. The lead had not gone above 12 points or below five points for the first 15 minutes of the second half. However, the Washington State Cougars (10-5, 1-3 Pac-12) had finally managed to break through and had brought the lead to just 84-82 with just under two minutes remaining in the game.

Then, an unlikely hero emerged as Jadrian Tracey responded by putting the game out of reach with a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left in the game to secure the win for Oregon.

Hours before, the Ducks got the scoring started quick with a 3-pointer from Brennan Rigsby on their first shot of the game. That shot helped Oregon jump out to a 10-2 lead less than four minutes into the contest. The two teams traded baskets for a while, which saw the lead go as low as six points and as high as nine. Oregon was able to keep Washington State from gaining any momentum early. 

However, an and-1 3-pointer from the Cougars’ Jaylen Wells cut the lead to just two points with a bit more than eight minutes left in the first half. Washington State’s Miles Rice made a 3-pointer of his own on the next possession to give the Cougars their first lead of the game.

Oregon scored a 3-pointer on three of its next four possessions, one each from Jermaine Cousinard, Kwame Evans Jr. and Rigsby, put the Ducks back up 39-35 with just over five minutes left in the first half.

An impressive defensive performance across the board for Oregon helped secure the first-half lead with a 9-0 run over a two-minute stretch. Washington State was unable to make a field goal for the final six minutes of the first half, but was able to stay close due to making six free throws during that stretch. The score was 46-41 at halftime in favor of the Ducks.

Rigsby was a major reason for the Oregon lead. He had a team-high 13 points in the first half on perfect 5-5 shooting from the field. The Ducks shot an incredible 69.2% from the field as a team for the first half, including 63.6% from 3-point range.

The Ducks jumped out to a quick start in the second half, utilizing 3-pointers from Rigsby and Jackson Shelstad to push the lead to double-digits for the first time at 54-44. The Cougars tried to battle back, but almost every basket was met with an Oregon score on the other end.

The Ducks were able to maintain their momentum as they kept Washington State at a healthy distance. The sparse home crowd could not help spur a comeback attempt from the Cougars, as they were not able to get within closer than six points for the first ten minutes of the second half.

Cousinard and Shelstad joined Rigsby in double-digit scoring figures early in the second half to form a trio for Oregon that Washington State had no answer for. The three finished with 16 points, 14 points and 18 points respectively. On the other end, Rice was giving the Ducks problems as he had already totaled a game-high 18 points with 10 minutes left in the game, and would finish with 22.

The Cougars continued to make attempts to take the lead back, or at least bring the score a little closer. A made 3-pointer from Washington State’s Isaiah Watts brought the lead down to seven points, but Kario Oquendo responded with his own 3-pointer to bring the lead back up to 76-66 with just under eight minutes left in the second half.

The Cougars brought the lead to just five points, the lowest total in the second half at that point. However, another well-timed 3-pointer from Oquendo put Oregon up by a much more comfortable eight points with just over five minutes left in the game.

Washington State refused to go away, this time bringing the lead as low as four. Once again, Oquendo played savior for the Ducks with his third 3-pointer of the second half to bring him up to 15 points on 5-5 shooting from the field on the game. Oregon held a 84-77 lead with just under three minutes remaining in the game.

Five quick points from the Cougars dropped the lead down to just two points with just under two minutes left. Tracey, who finished with seven points, made a crucial 3-pointer to give the Ducks a two-possession lead with 40 seconds remaining in the game 87-82. Oregon was able to hold on for the final seconds of the game to win 89-84.

The Ducks remain undefeated in Pac-12 conference play with the win. The next game for Oregon is on Saturday, January 13 when the California Golden Bears (5-10, 1-3 Pac-12) travel to Eugene.