Phil Knight received a late present to celebrate his 84th birthday Thursday night: an upset win and a court full of overjoyed students.

Oregon came into the game with a win-or-go-home mindset. Up against the No. 12 UCLA Bruins, and badly needing a boost to their fringe NCAA tournament hopes, the Ducks gave their home crowd a show.

The Matthew Knight Arena student section started to fill up an hour before tip-off. The fans created the atmosphere for success — it was up to the team to take advantage.

And they did, closing out a 68-63 win that adds to the postseason candidacy for the Ducks (17-10, 10-6), who have been up and down of late.

Will Richardson’s offensive display in Tucson did not follow him back home. He shot 3-of-13 from the field and finished with 11 points. Thankfully for Richardson, his fellow guards picked up the slack. De’Vion Harmon scored 17 points while Jacob Young ended with 14.

Meanwhile, Johnny Juzang’s high-scoring performance in the previous meeting for UCLA (20-5, 12-4) did not translate to his trip to Eugene. The 17-point-per-game scorer was halted to just 7 in the first half before heading to the sidelines after an awkward fall. The Bruins combined to shoot 38% from the field.

“We got a big win at home and we got another big one against ‘SC on Saturday,” Harmon said. “Will inserted himself in the game without his shots falling. He kept us going — I was able to hit a few shots — we all came through tonight.”

The Ducks’ lead grew after the Bruins went on a pair of two-minute scoring droughts in the first 10 minutes of play, though UCLA never let the lead get out of hand. Oregon’s 11 first half turnovers inhibited any chance of breaking the game open.

As the Bruins evened the score the crowd began to quiet down. When energy was needed, Franck Kepnang did what he does best: pure effort. Three blocks and a vicious dunk in a two-minute span brought the crowd to their feet. The much-needed boost had Oregon sitting at a five-point halftime lead.

“I thought the effort was really good,” coach Dana Altman said. “Franck really, his effort in the first half carried us. The turnovers took away that energy. I thought our guys played really hard and at this time of year that’s all you can ask.”

Juzang’s injury bothered him enough to sideline him for the rest of the contest. The Ducks feasted without his presence. The five-point halftime lead grew to as large as 13 as UCLA went on their longest scoring drought of the night.

Without their leading scorer, the Bruins relied on Cody Riley and Tyger Campbell, who finished with 12 points each.

N’Faly Dante’s quick third foul gave Kepnang a larger role. He took his chance with full stride, again inspiring the crowd with unmatched energy. His 8 points were belied by his multiple high-intensity plays from the post.

“He was unbelievable that first half,” Altman said. “His energy and contest at the rim — loved his energy loved his fight. A night where Dante was in foul trouble, Franck picked us up.”

A scoring drought for Oregon allowed the Bruins to regain life. Jaime Jaquez rallied his team together without Juzang. The Bruins’ smothering defense gave the Ducks many problems. A second three-minute scoring drought along with even more costly turnovers gave the Bruins the lead.

“The best thing about it is we didn’t separate,” Harmon said. “We came together when they went on that run. It’s not always going to be pretty but I’m proud of how we handled that situation.”

The short-lived one-point UCLA lead was countered fast. A charging foul on Jaquez sidelined him for the final 3 minutes. His absence was much needed for Oregon as the Ducks closed out the game in dominant fashion.

A desperation pass in the final minute was intercepted by Quincy Guerrier, finalizing the victory. The fans jumped around on the court with the team to celebrate its third victory against a ranked opponent.

“I’m thankful for everybody whose shown up all year,” Altman said. “Sometimes those fans can pick you up and they did that tonight. I’m hoping we have a good crowd Saturday.”

Oregon took both games from the ranked Bruins this season and will try for its second LA sweep on Saturday as it hosts the No. 16 Trojans. In another game with a must-win feel, the Ducks will look to replicate the same energy.