Olu Ashaolu and Devoe Joseph scored 13 points each to lead the Oregon men’s basketball team to a 59-57 victory over the Arizona Wildcats Saturday afternoon at McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz.
The Ducks (13-5, 4-2 Pac-12) saw their 12-point halftime lead erased late in the second half as Arizona’s Nick Johnson sparked an 11-0 run to give the Wildcats their first lead at 56-54 with less than three minutes remaining.
E.J. Singler connected on a short jumper during Oregon’s ensuing possession, and then found senior guard Garrett Sim for a three-pointer in the corner to put the Ducks ahead by three.
Joshian Turner converted on the back end of a pair of free throws with 1:25 to go, but the Wildcats (12-6, 3-2) would get no closer. Arizona had two good looks at the basket during the game’s final possession, but Brendon Lavender’s three-point attempt missed long, and Kyle Fogg’s short jumper in the key bounced off the rim as time expired.
Singler had another typically strong performance for the Ducks, scoring 12 points to go along with a game-high seven assists and four rebounds. Sim added 12 points to help Oregon outshoot the Wildcats from the field as both teams finished over 40-percent for the game.
Junior forward Solomon Hill paced Arizona with 16 points and seven rebounds in a team-high 38 minutes of playing time. Turner scored 11 points and was the only other Wildcat to finish in double figures.
Oregon will be back in action on Thursday when they host USC for a 5:30 p.m. contest at Matthew Knight Arena. The Ducks will then take on UCLA at 1 p.m. Saturday.