Utah takes its best shot at No. 4 Oregon, but Ducks hang on for a 69-64 victory

Give Oregon credit, it never panicked.

With Utah threatening at various points of the second half, the fourth-ranked Ducks held steady, which is what older, Final Four-caliber teams generally do.

Payton Pritchard scored a team-high 19 points to offset 24 from Both Gach as the Ducks escaped the Huntsman Center with a 69-64 win over the Utes on Saturday afternoon.

With Oregon up, 67-64, and the Utes in an extended scoring drought, Timmy Allen’s 3-point attempt from the left wing was rushed and with a hand in his face. That was Utah’s final gasp.

Utah (10-4, 1-1 Pac-12) left points on the floor, but at the under-8 media timeout of the second half, this was still very much a winnable game for the Utes.

Down five with the ball, Mikael Jantunen hit a 3-pointer from straightaway, plus there was a flagrant one away from the ball on Juiston. Timmy Allen hit both free throws to tie the game at 56 with 7:35 to play.

Momentum and the lead changed hands for a three-minute stretch afterwards. With Oregon up one, approaching the under-4, the Ducks (11-3, 1-1 Pac-12) got a series of buckets underneath after good dribble penetration. The last one in a three-possession stretch came from Juiston for a 67-62 lead with 2:56 left.

The Tribune will update this story.

from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/2QmB9Ia