Oregon Ducks Defeat Washington Huskies, Take Win Streak Into March Madness

EUGENE – March Madness has arrived, and the Oregon Ducks men's basketball team is heading into postseason play with a dangerous level of momentum. The Ducks are now riding a seven-game winning streak after an 80-73 overtime win over rivals the Washington Huskies on the road.

With the end of the regular season behind them, the Ducks now have a new task at hand: performing well in the Big Ten Conference tournament and securing a high seed in the NCAA tournament.

Oregon center Nate Bittle leads the Ducks through the student section after the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Indiana Hoosiers Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Center Nate Bittle had one of the best games of his career against the Huskies, scoring a career-high 36 points on 13-of-20 shooting, which are career-highs for both made field goals and attempts. Bittle also attacked the boards, grabbing 12 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season and his third in the last five games.

Bittle’s 36 points not only set a season high for an Oregon player but also marked the first 30-point game of the season for a Duck.

Despite the victory, the game wasn’t without its tense moments. Sophomore forward Kwame Evans Jr. had an opportunity to win it in regulation but missed two crucial free throws with 27.2 seconds remaining, leaving the score tied at 68-68.

Oregon’s Kwame Evans Jr., left, goes up for a shot against Rutgers’ Ace Bailey during the second half. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite the misses, Evans came through in overtime. He opened the extra period by hitting two key free throws and then put the Ducks ahead 75-70 with a put-back basket at 2:17. The sophomore secured his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

“Nate did an unbelievable job — what a performance,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “KJ [Kwame Evans Jr.], wow, was he good. Those two guys gave us some separation there and did a tremendous job.”

Both Bittle and Evans will play crucial roles in Oregon's postseason run. The duo is extremely versatile, as both players can use their size and length to dominate in the paint.

MORE: Oregon Ducks Secure No. 8 Seed In Big Ten Tournament, Indiana Hoosiers Matchup

MORE: What Dan Lanning Said About Staying With Oregon Ducks, Eugene

MORE: Updated National Championship Odds: Ohio State, Oregon Ducks, Texas Longhorns Battle

MORE: Marcus Mariota Fights Back Tears, Reveals Advice As Keynote Speaker In Hawaii

What makes the Ducks even more dangerous is their ability to stretch the floor. Bittle, in particular, has been effective from beyond the arc, shooting 31.9 percent from three this season. With Evans and Bittle able to spread the defense, opposing teams will face a tough challenge, as they must defend both inside and out.

Iowa forward Even Brauns (0) defends a 3 attempted by Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad (3) Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks also managed to pull off the win despite sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad’s shooting struggles. Historically, Shelstad has been the player on Oregon’s roster to consistently make big shots.

Shelstad leads the team in scoring with 13.6 points per game while shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from three. However, even the best shooters have an off day, and that’s exactly what happened Sunday against the Huskies.

Shelstad scored just 4 points and missed all five of his three-point attempts. While this performance was out of the ordinary for him, it also proved that Oregon can still find ways to score even when their best shooter is off. With Evans and Bittle stepping up inside, guards Keeshawn Barthelemy and TJ Bamba filled the void on the outside, scoring 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Oregon’s TJ Bamba, left, celebrated with teammate Keeshawn Barthelemy as the team moves into a comfortable lead over USC on back to back 3-point shots by Barthelemy at Matthew Knight Arena. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon’s deep bench has been a key factor in their success all season. With the win over Washington, the Ducks improved to 23-8 in the regular season and finished with a 12-8 record in their first season of Big Ten play.

“It makes us hard to guard, and that kind of depth is huge,” Oregon Forward Brandon Angel told Olivia Cleary earlier this season. “Having that many options is obviously a weapon offensively.”

Next, the Ducks will head to Indianapolis to compete in the Big Ten tournament.

The Ducks enter the tournament as the No. 8 seed and have earned a first-round bye. They will play No. 9 Indiana (19-12, 10-10) at 9 a.m. Thursday in the second round, a team Oregon defeated earlier in the season in Eugene.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo speaks during senior day and Big Ten regular season championship celebration at Breslin Center in East Lansing on Sunday, March 9, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If Oregon wins, they will face the No. 1 overall seed Michigan State.

Big Ten regular-season champion Michigan State (26-5, 17-3) will play the Oregon-Indiana winner at 9 a.m. Friday in the quarterfinals. The Spartans are one of four teams that received a double bye, along with No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 Michigan, and No. 4 UCLA.

The Ducks now turn their focus to the Big Ten Tournament, where they will aim to secure a strong postseason performance.