Oregon secured an 85-79 victory over Washington at Matthew Knight Arena on Saturday night, with Kwame Evans Jr. playing a decisive role in the final moments of the game. Evans Jr. scored nine points in just 11 seconds, turning a three-point deficit into a six-point lead for the Ducks after converting an and-one three-pointer and making several free throws.
“It was the ultimate feeling,” Evans Jr. said. “I wanted to come through for the seniors. The possessions before that weren’t too good, but something had to fall. It was really great to get the win and hit my free throws. It was a tough year for us, and winning the last game was a good feeling.”
Evans Jr. finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and three steals, making 11 of his 13 attempts from the free-throw line. He tied the game with a three-pointer with 11 seconds left and then sealed Oregon’s win by hitting key free throws in the closing seconds.
Nate Bittle contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists for Oregon. Takai Simpkins added 18 points on efficient shooting, while Drew Carter scored 10 points and Dezdrick Lindsay provided 11 off the bench, including three early three-pointers that helped Oregon build momentum.
Oregon established control early in the first half with a 16-0 run that gave them a substantial lead at 29-8 midway through the period. The Ducks shot nearly 58 percent from the field in the opening half and made eight of their thirteen attempts from beyond the arc to take a 44-30 advantage into halftime.
Washington mounted a comeback in the second half led by Hannes Steinbach, who posted game-highs of 26 points and 13 rebounds. The Huskies improved their shooting after halftime and were perfect from the free-throw line in that span as they narrowed Oregon’s lead.
With just under half a minute remaining, Steinbach put Washington ahead by three after converting two free throws. Evans responded quickly with a tying three-pointer before drawing a foul and sinking another free throw to give Oregon back the lead.
After Washington missed its next attempt, Evans was fouled again as well as receiving additional opportunities due to technical fouls assessed against Washington’s bench with five seconds left. He converted five out of six subsequent free throws to secure Oregon’s win.
The Ducks recognized seniors Nate Bittle, Drew Carter, Oleksandr Kobzystyi, Takai Simpkins, and Miles Stewart following their final home game. Evans Jr.’s performance marked his fifth game this season scoring at least twenty points; Bittle extended his streak of double-digit scoring games to sixteen while also reaching his career milestone of blocking his 175th shot.
Oregon will next face Maryland on Tuesday in Chicago as part of their Big Ten Tournament opener.
