Duarte, Defense Lead Ducks Past Wildcats

Oregon-Arizona Box Score | Boxscore

TUCSON, Ariz. – Chris Duarte's three-pointer with 17 seconds remaining lifted Oregon to a 63-61 victory over Arizona on Saturday afternoon at the McKale Center.

In a game that neither team led by more than three points the entire second half, the Ducks (12-4, 7-3) earned their ninth victory over the Wildcats (14-7, 8-7) in the last 11 meetings.

How it Happened: Christian Koloko hit a pair of free throws to give Arizona a 61-60 lead with 34 seconds remaining. On Oregon's final possession, Will Richardson drove the baseline and drew the defense before flipping to Duarte, who was open from the wing.

Arizona had one last chance, but Duarte smartly committed a foul with 1.1 seconds remaining – the Ducks had a foul to give – and Arizona's three at the buzzer was off the mark.

Eugene Omoruyi was a consistent force throughout the game for the Ducks, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. LJ Figueroa had 13 points and six rebounds, while Duarte added 10 points and six rebounds.

Fueled by five points from Omoruyi, Oregon raced out to an 11-2 lead just four minutes into the game. Omoruyi put the Ducks ahead 22-12 with a layin off an Arizona turnover with 10:02 remaining before the Wildcats started to claw back and tied the game at 34-34 at halftime.

Omoruyi scored 11 points in the first half, while Figueroa added eight. Oregon's last points of the opening frame came on an emphatic dunk by Franck Kepnang, who scored six points in the first half.

What Stood Out: For the second straight game, Oregon held its opponent below 40 percent from the field. The Wildcats shot 38.6 percent (22-of-57).

Notable: Omoruyi joined Figueroa, Amauri Hardy and Eric Williams Jr. with 1,000 points in their collegiate careers. Omoruyi finished the game with 1,001 career points as a collegian. ... Williams, who has been playing through a knee injury, was unavailable on Saturday. ... Oregon wore its gray "Mighty Oregon" uniforms for the first time this season.

Quotable:
Chris Duarte
"My teammates kept having confidence in me and Will (Richardson) made a great play to get me open."

Up Next: Oregon will host Colorado on Thursday at Matthew Knight Arena (8 p.m. PT, ESPN2).