Washington holds off Oregon’s late rally for 61-56 win

EUGENE – Jaylen Nowell scored 20 points, capped by three free throws with 1.6 seconds left, and Washington weathered a furious Oregon rally to escape 61-56 on Thursday night.

Nowell was fouled on a desperation 3-point try after Payton Pritchard lost the ball as the Ducks were trying to set up for a final shot with the score tied at 56. Pritchard hit Nowell on the arm as he rose to shoot from about 30 feet.

Oregon’s last possession ended with Paul White throwing the length of the court out of bounds. UW’s Matisse Thybulle added two more free throws for the final points.

David Crisp added 18 points and Noah Dickerson 11 for the Huskies (15-4, 6-0 Pac-12), who won their eighth consecutive game. It’s also Washington’s best start in conference play in 35 years.

Louis King had 19 points to lead the Ducks (11-8, 2-4), and Miles Norris added 10 off the bench. Oregon lost a fourth home game at Matthew Knight Arena for the first time since it opened in 2011. It was Washington’s first victory there.

The Huskies led 51-42 before Pritchard led the Ducks on a 14-0 run over 6 minutes to go up 56-51, but Oregon never scored again. Washington answered with five straight points by Nowell to tie.

Washington led by as many as 12 in the first half and was up 27-19 at the break largely because of Sam Timmins’ seven consecutive points off the bench. King had nine for the Ducks, who committed 10 turnovers and had three starters go scoreless in the first half.

It was the third-fewest points in a first half by Oregon this season.

Washington will go for its second road sweep of the season and its sixth in the past 10 years when it visits Oregon State on Saturday. The Huskies haven’t given up more than 70 points in a conference game.