For the first time this season, No. 4 Arizona couldn’t complete its comeback.
Despite 21 points from Mark Lyons and 16 from Solomon Hill, the Wildcats fell just short Thursday in their quest to remain one of three undefeated teams in the country. Arizona’s perfect season ended with a 70-66 loss to Oregon.
“We obviously want to win every game, but we know it’s not a perfect world,” said Nick Johnson, who had 12 points. “It definitely hurts because we know we let one slip away with our defense and our execution and stuff like that.”
E.J. Singler had 14 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals for Oregon (13-2, 2-0 Pac-12), which overcame an 11-0 deficit to lead for the final 27:32. The Ducks ran their home winning streak to 17 games, including 11 this season.
Dominic Artis, Carlos Emory and Tony Woods had 10 points apiece for Oregon.
“I think we’ve been playing really well the whole season,” Singler said. “I think we’re a really good team. This game really showed our team we can compete with a lot of different people.”
The Wildcats (14-1, 2-1) didn’t go quietly. Trailing 67-55 with under 3 minutes to play, Arizona mounted one last rally.
Lyons made a 3-pointer, Johnson followed with a layup, and Lyons drained another 3 while falling backward to cut it to 67-63 with 1:18 to go.
Free throws by Singler and another 3-pointer by Johnson made it 69-66 with 50 seconds left.
“We didn’t play as smart as we wanted to,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “They’re a team that’s won 14; you could see their confidence even when they were down late.”
Northwest
At No. 9 Gonzaga 83, St. Mary’s 78 — Kelly Olynyk scored 31 points and the Zags held off the Gaels in the latest installment of one of the best rivalries on the West Coast.
Kevin Pangos added 22 points for Gonzaga (16-1, 3-0 West Coast Conference), which has won seven straight since losing at home to Illinois. It was Olynyk’s second consecutive 30-point game.
Stephen Holt led Saint Mary’s (12-4, 1-1) with 23 points.
Gonzaga led by 20 early in the second half but had to stave off a furious rally by the Gaels.
Holt hit three baskets and two free throws in a 90-second span to cut Gonzaga’s lead to 55-44 with 13:27 left. Two more buckets by Holt and two by Kyle Rowley made it 59-53 as the Bulldogs suddenly couldn’t find the basket.
After a flurry of baskets that trimmed Gonzaga’s lead to three, Olynyk’s layup put the Zags ahead 76-69 with 3:32 left.
Arizona State 72, at Oregon State 62 — Carrick Felix had 18 points and 14 rebounds and the Sun Devils held off a late Oregon State comeback.
Jahii Carson added 20 points for Arizona State (14-2, 3-0 Pac-12). Devon Collier had 18 points, eight rebounds for Oregon State (10-5, 0-2).
At Eastern Washington 82, Northern Arizona 59 — Collin Chiverton scored 22 points and Venky Jois had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Eagles. Martin Seiferth added 13 points and eight rebounds for Eastern (4-11, 2-3 Big Sky), and Thomas Reuter had seven assists.
New Mexico State 83, at Seattle 82 2OT — Tyrone Watson had 26 points, six rebounds, five assists and seven steals for the Aggies.
New Mexico State (9-8, 3-2 WAC) trailed 67-64 with 7 seconds to go at the end of regulation before Bandja Sy hit a 3-pointer.
At Portland State 87, Sacramento State 69 — Michael Harthun scored 18 points, leading five players in double figures for the Vikings.
Harthun was 7 of 11 from the field and made four 3-pointers. Aaron Moore scored 16 points and had a team-high six rebounds for PSU.
