Oregon guard De’Vion Harmon popped up from the hardwood flexing his muscles to the roar of the Ducks’ crowd. Harmon’s pesky defense drew an illegal screen from Stanford big man Maxime Raynaud, as the timely hustle-play came a few seconds after Harmon hit a left-corner 3 to quell the Cardinal’s surge.

That fresh momentum was much needed.

Back-to-back tip-ins from center N’Faly Dante had helped the Ducks establish their biggest lead of the night at 14 points early in the second half, but the vibes of their recent victory against the Utah Utes began to fill the arena’s air as they yielded an eight-point run that put Stanford right back in the game. It was later a 3-point game before Harmon asserted himself.

That sequence was one of many from the junior guard that made it clear the Ducks' last clash with the Cardinal -- which Stanford won on a last-second 3-pointer back in mid December -- was still fresh on his mind.

On Thursday, Harmon did everything in his power to prevent a repeat of that outcome, leading the way with a season-high 21 points as the Ducks beat the visiting Cardinal, 68-60.

Whether it’s one of coach Dana Altman’s elaborate strategies or just pure coincidence, the Ducks (16-7, 10-3 Pac-12) have found success spreading the wealth throughout the scoring column.

Thursday at Colorado, Jacob Young’s 21 points led the way to a 15-point victory. Saturday at Utah, Will Richardson’s 25 points helped stave off a late comeback. And on this night, it was Harmon who found his stroke.

“It doesn’t matter who’s the leading scorer,” Harmon said. “I’ve had nights, Will’s had nights and Jacob’s had nights. We just have so many guys who can go bet a bucket… we don’t worry about who’s the first, second or third option.”

It’s been almost a year since Harmon has scored over 20 points in a game. It took a change of scenery for the junior who transferred from Oklahoma. (He scored 23 points for the Sooners in a late-season loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys on last Feb. 27).

Harmon forced his way into the paint Thursday night, showing no fear when challenging the taller Stanford defenders. The 6-foot-2 guard established his presence inside before showcasing his shooting range.

Richardson tends to be the first scoring option for the Ducks offense. Tonight, he deferred to Harmon, recognizing early that he had the hot hand.

Not only did Harmon find his place within the flow of the Ducks offense, but his pesky defense created scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. Harmon had two steals and featured as the point of attack defender on the Ducks' full court press.

“I tried to put energy and pressure on the ball, especially when the game is the most gritty at the end,” Harmon said. “I denied the point guard because he was the one passing in the ball. That led to their big man handling the ball, which forced turnovers.”

The press helped the Ducks shoot out to a double-digit lead, peaking at 40-26 in the opening minutes of the second half. It forced the Cardinal (14-10, 7-7) into errant skip passes and left them with a shortened shot-clock if they were able to break the press.

But Oregon missed nine straight shots to open the door, as Stanford cut its deficit to 41-38, before Richardson broke the ice for the Ducks with a layup, Raynaud scored at the other end for the Cardinal and Harmon followed with his pivotal sequence to help reassert control of the game.

The Ducks have gone 10-1 over their last 11 games, but it hasn’t been a stress-free run of victories. Closing out games has been an uphill battle and Thursday night was headed in that direction.

Harmon’s string of clutch plays along with 12 points in the last 10 minutes from Richardson, who went scoreless in the other 30, helped them avoid a disappointing ending.

Dante also chipped in 12 points on an efficient 5-of-6 shooting to go with 7 rebounds.

“We’ve gone through so much adversity. We’re growing together, trusting each other and the coaching staff,” Harmon said. “It’s that connection that has helped us go 10-1 in the last 11 games.”

After a shaky start to the season, the Ducks are well on their way to securing a spot in the NCAA tournament as they next take on the Cal Bears at 1 p.m. Saturday in Eugene.