Kwame Evans Jr. scores 22 points, Oregon beats Oregon State 78-71 for 7th straight win in the series
![Oregon center N'Faly Dante (1) dunks next to Oregon State...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3AMGI2NDZiNDgtZGZiNy00%3ANDgtZGZiNy00MDYxOGM0%2Foregon-st-oregon-basketball.jpeg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D770%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Oregon center N'Faly Dante (1) dunks next to Oregon State center KC Ibekwe during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Eugene, Ore. Credit: AP/Amanda Loman
EUGENE, Ore. — Kwame Evans Jr. scored 22 points to lead Oregon to a 78-71 victory over Oregon State on Wednesday night for its seventh straight win in the series.
Oregon (19-9, 11-6) remains in third place in the Pac-12 standings, two games back of conference-leader Arizona. The Ducks travel to face the sixth-ranked Wildcats on Saturday.
Neither team had led by more than six points leading up to a 55-all tie with 9:43 remaining. Oregon then pulled away with a 14-4 run for a 69-59 advantage with 2:08 to play. N’Faly Dante sparked the surge with a dunk and Jermaine Couisnard scored seven points during the stretch.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Josiah Lake II and Jordan Pope, and Tyler Bilodeau's jumper cut the Beavers' deficit to 74-69 with 48 seconds left. Brennan Rigsby answered with Oregon's sixth dunk before the Ducks sealed it at the free-throw line.
Evans was 6 of 7 from the floor, made 9 of 12 free throws and grabbed nine rebounds. Couisnard finished with 16 points and Rigsby scored 14. Dante, who scored on a last-second dunk to beat the Beavers 60-58 on Feb. 17, chipped in with 11 points and surpassed 1,000 in his career.
Bilodeau scored 26 points and Pope added 22 for Oregon State (12-17, 4-14). The pair combined for four of the Beavers' seven 3-pointers.
Jackson Shelstad scored nine of his 11 points in the first half to help Oregon build a 35-33 lead at the break. Pope scored 15 first-half points for the Beavers.
![Oregon guard Brennan Rigsby (4) dunks against Oregon State during...](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.newsday.com%2Fimage-service%2Fversion%2Fc%3ANzU4MDA5YmYtNDk2OS00%3AYmYtNDk2OS00NTQwODkz%2Foregon-st-oregon-basketball.jpeg%3Ff%3DLandscape%2B16%253A9%26w%3D768%26q%3D1&w=1920&q=80)
Oregon guard Brennan Rigsby (4) dunks against Oregon State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Eugene, Ore. Credit: AP/Amanda Loman
Oregon State hosts Utah on March 7.
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