The Oregon Ducks earned a much needed victory to keep their bubble hopes alive on Monday evening against the Washington State Cougars, squeaking by with a final score of 62-59.
It was an uncharacteristically bad game from Will Richardson (seven points) but N’Faly Dante and Frank Kepnang dominated in the paint as the Ducks overcame an abysmal shooting night from three (5-19) to secure the victory.
Both teams started out super slow offensively, and a small run by the Ducks late in the first half was eradicated immediately by the Cougars early in the second, as the two teams traded off buckets for the next ten minutes or so.
The big turning point was an excellent sequence from Kepnang, who blocked a shot emphatically on one end before running the floor and finishing through a foul for an and-1.
He missed the free throw, but Oregon managed to hold on from that point on, although poor late game management gave WSU a chance to tie in the final seconds, which missed.
The win gives Oregon a little cushion heading into a big week on the road against the Arizona schools: