SEATTLE — Nate Bittle scored 36 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Oregon secured a hard-fought 80-73 overtime victory against Washington on Saturday night, wrapping up the regular season with a 23-8 record and a 12-8 mark in Big Ten play.
Bittle set the tone early, pouring in 12 points in the first six minutes as the Ducks built a 16-6 lead. Oregon maintained control through much of the first half, leading by as many as 10 before Washington closed the gap. Bittle had 21 first-half points, but the rest of the Ducks struggled offensively, shooting just 3-of-11 down the stretch. Oregon held a 36-33 advantage at halftime.
Washington (13-18, 4-18) took its first lead of the game at the 12:37 mark of the second half on a three-pointer by Wilhelm Breidenbach, putting the Huskies up 49-48. Oregon responded with Bittle’s hot hand, and a Bam Tracey bucket gave the Ducks a 56-51 lead with under nine minutes to play. However, turnovers and missed opportunities allowed Washington to battle back, retaking a 59-58 lead with six minutes remaining.
The teams traded blows in the final minutes. Bittle’s tip-in gave Oregon a 68-67 lead with 51 seconds left, but Kwame Evans Jr. missed two free throws with 27 seconds remaining, leaving the game tied at 68 and forcing overtime.
In the extra period, Oregon appeared poised to pull away, opening a 75-70 lead after a second-chance bucket by Evans Jr. However, missed free throws—five of six in one stretch—allowed Washington to stay within reach. A late layup by Mekhi Mason trimmed the Ducks’ lead to 78-73 with 31 seconds left, but Ke’Shawn Barthelemy hit two free throws to seal the win.
Bittle was dominant, hitting 13 of his 20 shots overall and 3 of 4 from three-point range. The rest of the Ducks combined to make just 14 of 35 attempts, including a woeful 3 of 17 from beyond the arc.
Barthelemy finished with 14 points, while Evans Jr. contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds. The Ducks shot 49.1% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 6-of-21 three-point attempts. They dominated the boards, outrebounding Washington 43-28, and scored 32 points in the paint.
Oregon, one of the better free-throw shooting teams in the Big Ten, started 9-of-10 from the line but made just 11 of their next 20, finishing well below their season average of 76.8% heading into the game.
Washington was led by Great Osobor’s 21 points, while Zoom Diallo added 13. The Huskies shot 41% from the field but were held to just 22.2% shooting in overtime.
Oregon advances to the Big Ten Tournament, where they will face Indiana in the second round on Wednesday at noon ET on the Big Ten Network.
