SEATTLE — Nate Bittle delivered an impressive performance, scoring a personal best of 36 points and pulling down 12 rebounds as Oregon edged out Washington 80-73 in an overtime thriller on Sunday. This match marked the conclusion of the regular season for the Ducks.
Closing their season in style, the Ducks secured their seventh consecutive victory, sweeping their series against the Huskies this year. Oregon (23-8, 12-8 Big Ten) heads into the conference tournament as the eighth seed where they will take on Indiana, the ninth seed, on Thursday. Unfortunately, Washington, alongside Penn State and Nebraska, missed the cut for the 15-team tournament.
Bittle, who is vying for the prestigious Kareem-Abdul Jabbar Award for the nation’s best center, tallied 21 points by halftime, and with an early three-pointer in the second half, surpassed his previous career points record by reaching 26. The dominant center made 13 out of 20 attempts from the field and was efficient from beyond the arc, sinking 3 of 4 three-pointers. Additionally, he was nearly perfect from the free-throw line, hitting 7 out of 8 attempts.
In regulation’s final minute, Washington’s Great Osobor made a crucial free throw to knot the score at 68, necessitating the overtime period. However, the Huskies struggled offensively in overtime, only finding their first point with a free throw from Osobor two minutes in, narrowing the gap to 75-71. Washington’s only field goal in extra time came courtesy of Mekhi Mason’s layup with just 31 seconds remaining.
Apart from Bittle’s heroics, Oregon also benefited from Keeshawn Barthelemy who added 14 points. Kwame Evans Jr. was impactful off the bench, securing a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while TJ Bamba contributed 10 points along with four assists.
For Washington, Osobor led the charge with 21 points, supported by four assists and three steals in his senior season’s final game. Zoom Diallo was also a key contributor with 13 points and five assists, Frank Kepnang managed 12 points paired with seven rebounds, Mason added 11 points, and Tyler Harris finished with 10 points and six rebounds.
