You want effort? Sofia Bell hounded Purdue ball-handlers the length of the floor and was a nuisance all night.

You want defensive intensity? Ehis Etute stepped in front of her man, reaching out to grab a steal. 

You want offensive efficiency? Katie Fiso got to her patented mid-range shot, elevating over a helpless defender on the way to a swished jumper.

You want a topsy-turvy game with a team playing up or down to its opponent’s level based on the night? Oregon (20-10, 7-10 Big Ten) will deliver it.

It’s not really what type as much as it is how many wins for Oregon women’s basketball at this point in the season, Wednesday was another example with the Ducks’ growing a lead to as many as 15 in the third quarter, before almost blowing it in epic fashion. Purdue rallied back to trail by just five, but clutch free-throw shooting and execution from Oregon sealed the win.

Bringing the intensity and capitalizing on a sizable early cushion thanks to a strong offense and rebounding, the Ducks secured a much-needed 71-65 win over Purdue (12-16, 4-13 Big Ten) at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana. With the win, which also sealed the Ducks’ second 20-win season in a row and ninth in 12 years under head coach Kelly Graves, Oregon improves its chances of grabbing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament next month.

It looked like the game would lack late drama after Oregon dominated the boards and rode Fiso’s early scoring outburst to a sizable lead. Oregon surged out to an early 9-0 lead with the help of a 3-pointer from Ari Long and three forced turnovers defensively.

Purdue battled back from the early deficit to keep things interesting in the second, but a 22-11 quarter to end the half was enough for Oregon to keep its advantage at a comfortable double-digit advantage.

Or so it seemed.

Purdue rallied back and outscored the Ducks by five in the fourth, but clutch free throws from Etute put the game out of reach.

Nya Smith was Purdue’s primary catalyst, leading the Boilermakers in scoring on the way to a game-high 20 points on 7-14 shooting. Purdue battled back valiantly, but the 21 turnovers, including seven in the first quarter, were too much to overcome.

Looking for more depth on the interior with the absence of Mia Jacobs, Graves turned to Filippa Tilliander in the paint, who tallied two points in nine minutes. The absence of Jacobs was more missed on defense, where Purdue shot 45% from the field but turned the ball over 21 times.

Oregon can clinch a first round bye in the conference tournament with a win over Washington. The Ducks will travel home to take on the Huskies on Sunday at 2 p.m.