It’s any guard’s dream to have a big-man switch out, on an island — and that’s exactly what happened for Will Richardson in the final seconds of Oregon’s 84-81 loss to No. 3 Arizona.

Down-3. Richardson against the 7-foot Christian Koloko. The Ducks’ season on the line.

Punch-dribble. Cross-over. Hesitation. Koloko was falling for none of it.

Richardson failed to find space for a 3 and tried to drive into the lane and create contact. The buzzer sounded without a shot attempt. Game over. Season over?

Following a 25-point performance against Utah on Feb. 5, Richardson had shot 18 of 45 from the field over the four games leading up to Saturday. His decision-making and shot-creation remained a step ahead of the Wildcats defense, until the final possession.

For the first 33 minutes of the game, he was seemingly unguardable. Then, Richardson took a shot to the left eye, blood-dripped down face and he was forced to sit out for the next 3 minutes.

Richardson returned to the game with 4 minutes remaining but struggled to regain a rhythm.

The phrase ‘Vegas or bust’ loomed over the program following its devastating 24-point loss on national television to the 9-15 Arizona State Sun Devils. Now, the slogan has turned into a reality as the Ducks (17-10, 10-6 Pac-12) dropped a second consecutive game and third in the last four contests.

The Sun Devils should have presented a rather easy victory before a gauntlet of ranked opponents, but that was far from the case. The Ducks left Tempe for Tucson with their backs against the wall.

Then, like numerous Dana Altman teams from the past, their offense caught fire when it mattered most. In a game where the Ducks had no business keeping it close, they controlled the tempo throughout and held a 4-point lead with 3:23 remaining.

Quincy Guerrier shot an uncharacteristic 6-of-11 from 3 as he and Richardson combined for 43-points on 14-of-27 shooting. The Ducks’ offense, which sputtered throughout their clash with the Sun Devils, found a new gear.

Unfortunately, Oregon’s red-hot offense was seemingly contagious. The Wildcats shot 71% from the field in the first half and 53% for the game. Led by Benedict Mathurin’s 24 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, the Pac-12 leaders held steady on their hunt for a No. 1-seed.

The Ducks competed until the final buzzer sounded. Kerr Kriisa’s 30-foot 3-point shot gave the Wildcats (23-2, 13-1) a three-point lead with 1:26 remaining and it didn’t change hands after that.

The reeling Ducks host No. 13 UCLA on Thursday with the Pac-12 tournament looming in the near future. Finishing the regular season with three wins will go a long way, but the Ducks will most likely have to emerge from Las Vegas with the Pac-12 tournament trophy to earn their spot in March Madness.