Kwame Evans Jr. scores 22 points, Oregon beats Oregon State 78-71 for 7th straight win in the series

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Kwame Evans Jr. scored 22 points to lead Oregon to a 78-71 victory over Oregon State on Wednesday night for its seventh straight win in the series.

Oregon (19-9, 11-6) remains in third place in the Pac-12 standings, two games back of conference-leader Arizona. The Ducks travel to face the sixth-ranked Wildcats on Saturday.

Neither team had led by more than six points leading up to a 55-all tie with 9:43 remaining. Oregon then pulled away with a 14-4 run for a 69-59 advantage with 2:08 to play. N’Faly Dante sparked the surge with a dunk and Jermaine Couisnard scored seven points during the stretch.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Josiah Lake II and Jordan Pope, and Tyler Bilodeau’s jumper cut the Beavers’ deficit to 74-69 with 48 seconds left. Brennan Rigsby answered with Oregon’s sixth dunk before the Ducks sealed it at the free-throw line.

Evans was 6 of 7 from the floor, made 9 of 12 free throws and grabbed nine rebounds. Couisnard finished with 16 points and Rigsby scored 14. Dante, who scored on a last-second dunk to beat the Beavers 60-58 on Feb. 17, chipped in with 11 points and surpassed 1,000 in his career.

Bilodeau scored 26 points and Pope added 22 for Oregon State (12-17, 4-14). The pair combined for four of the Beavers’ seven 3-pointers.

Jackson Shelstad scored nine of his 11 points in the first half to help Oregon build a 35-33 lead at the break. Pope scored 15 first-half points for the Beavers.

Oregon State hosts Utah on March 7.

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