CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon guard Joseph Young said the Ducks showed on Wednesday night that they have a lot of heart and toughness.
“I just feel like this team has a knack for winning and being there for each other, having each other’s back,” he said.
Elgin Cook scored 17 points to lead Oregon past Oregon State 65-62 in a hotly contested rivalry game.
Young added 15 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Ducks (23-8, 13-5 Pac-12), who have won five in a row.
Malcolm Duvivier scored 18 points and Gary Payton II had 13 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and six steals for the Beavers (17-13, 8-10), who have lost six of seven.
Oregon State pulled to within one with 34 seconds left after a Duvivier layup, but Oregon made six free throws in the final 30 seconds to secure the win. The Beavers committed two costly turnovers in the final 1:30.
Oregon now has eight wins by five points or less this season.
“We don’t mean to make them that close,” deadpanned Oregon coach Dana Altman. “Our guys feel comfortable down the stretch.”
Oregon shot only 36.4 percent from the floor, but went 19-24 on free throws for the game and outrebounded Oregon State 39-34.
The Beavers have no seniors on the roster, so first-year coach Wayne Tinkle started five walk-ons for the final home game of the regular season. Those players might not be on the team next season due to a strong recruiting class.
“It was to really give a tribute to our guys for what they’ve done for us this year on what normally would be a senior-type night,” Tinkle said. “Some people might call me crazy and maybe I am, but it was something our guys deserved.”
Oregon State trailed 3-0 when the starters took the floor 28 seconds in. The Ducks pushed the lead to 8-0 before Duvivier sank a 3-pointer at the 17:58 mark.
Oregon went cold from the floor, and Oregon State led 28-19 with 5:05 left, but Young responded with eight straight points.
The score was tied 32-all at halftime, and the second half was a back and forth affair.
With the score tied at 52, Dwayne Benjamin sank a 3-pointer for the Ducks with 3:48 left. Oregon State turned the ball over near halfcourt on the next possession, leading to a Dillon Brooks layup.
The Beavers pulled to within one, but Cook scored a layup with 1:45 remaining, though he missed the ensuing free throw.
TIP INS
Oregon State: The Beavers needed a win to go .500 in conference play for the second time in 25 years. . Payton received a technical foul for a forearm during a rebound scrum late in the first half.
Oregon: The Ducks can finish no worse than third place in the Pac-12, and Oregon has clinched a bye in the conference tournament. . Entering the game, Young ranked fifth in the nation in free throw percentage at 91.3 percent. He made 6 of 6 on Wednesday.
CIVIL WAR
The matchup was the 344th time Oregon and Oregon State have played each other, the most in college basketball. Wednesday was the second time in 39 years that both teams came into the contest with at least 17 wins.
GILL ATTENDANCE
The Beavers were averaging 6,694 fans at Pac-12 home games this year before Wednesday, a 42 percent increase from last season. Wednesday’s announced attendance was 9,339.
UP NEXT
The Beavers and Ducks play next week in the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas.
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