Eric Williams Jr. drained a 3-pointer with 12.7 seconds left Monday night, snapping a tie and lifting Oregon to a 78-76 win over Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore.
The score was 74-74 before Williams popped out to the right wing and drilled a 23-footer while being well-guarded, capping a 14-point, 11-rebound performance off the bench.
The Beavers (3-11, 1-3 Pac-12 Conference) could have forced overtime, but Warith Alatishe missed an open layup as time expired. It spoiled a good performance for Alatishe, who led his team with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting.
Five players finished in double figures for the Ducks (9-6, 2-2), led by Jacob Young with 16 points. N’Faly Dante added a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double, while Will Richardson and De’Vion Harmon each scored 10 points.
Dashawn Davis scored 14 points and dished out five assists for Oregon State, while Roman Silva chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds. Leading scorer Jarod Lucas made only 4 of 14 shots and finished with eight points, well under his 13.8-point average.
There were 12 ties and seven lead changes in a well-played game that saw neither team lead by double figures. The Beavers hit 53.4 percent from the field, but Oregon compensated with a 24-6 point advantage from the 3-point arc.
Both teams got off to excellent starts on offense, and the game tied at 12 just 4 1/2 minutes in when the first TV timeout occurred. That blistering pace didn’t continue, but the first half’s remainder was still played at a high level.
Oregon State grabbed a 24-22 lead with nine minutes left when Ahmad Rand dunked off a Davis assist. Davis then drove and hit a layup at the 4:59 mark to up the Beavers’ advantage to 30-26.
However, Oregon controlled the last 4 1/2 minutes of the half, beginning with Williams’ pullup jumper. The Ducks went to the locker room with a 40-36 edge after Young took and drained the last shot, a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 2.1 seconds remaining.
–Field Level Media