TEMPE, Ariz. — Chris Boucher scored a career-high 26 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked seven shots and No. 23 Oregon took sole possession of first place halfway through the Pac-12 season with a 91-74 victory over Arizona State on Sunday night.
Dillon Brooks added 18 points and Tyler Dorsey 16 for the Ducks (18-4, 7-2), who won their fourth straight and seventh in the last eight games. Oregon is ahead of four teams at 6-3 in conference play.
The 6-foot-10 Boucher was the national junior college player of the year last season at Northwest College in Wyoming. In this one, he hurt the Sun Devils from inside and outside, sinking a career-best four 3-pointers in eight attempts
Obinna Oleka scored 17 points and Gerry Blakes 15 for the Sun Devils (12-10, 2-7).
Oregon completed a sweep of the Arizona teams in the desert. The Ducks ended No. 18 Arizona’s 49-game homecourt winning streak with an 83-75 win in Tucson on Thursday night.
Leading just 37-36 at the break Sunday, Oregon scored the first seven points of the second half from the foul line and the Sun Devils never caught up again.
Three-pointers by Kodi Justice and Blakes cut the Ducks’ lead to 53-50, then Boucher sank consecutive 3s, Brooks made two free throws and scored inside and a 12-2 run put Oregon up 65-52 with 8 minutes to play.
Tra Holder’s 3 cut the lead to 70-63 but Arizona State could get no closer. A technical foul on Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley for complaining on a foul call resulted in Dorsey sinking three free throws to put the Ducks up 73-63 with 4:57 left.
The Ducks jumped to a 13-0 lead but Arizona State outscored them 23-7 over the next 8 1/2 minutes to take a 23-20 lead. There were four ties and three lead changes in the first 20 minutes.
TIP-INS
Oregon: Ducks were 9 for 9 at the foul line in the first 1:45 of the second half. … Boucher’s previous career high was 18. … The Ducks last swept Arizona and Arizona State on the road in 2012. … Dillon reached double figures for the 16th time in his last 17 games. … Oregon had more turnovers in the first half (eight) than they did the entire game at Arizona (six).
Arizona State: Sun Devils had won five of the previous seven meetings in Tempe. … Arizona State’s 59 percent shooting percentage Thursday night against Oregon State was its highest in a Pac-12 game since 2013.
UP NEXT
Oregon hosts Colorado Thursday night.
Arizona State at Washington Wednesday night.
