Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

 

EUGENE, Ore. --- Joseph Young's three-pointer with 23.4 seconds left in overtime proved to be the difference as Oregon outlasted UC Irvine, 69-67, at Eugene Monday night.

Young's three gave Oregon (10-3) a 68-64 lead as the Ducks rallied from an 11-point, second-half deficit.

UCI's Travis Souza answered with a trey with six seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 68-67 before the Ducks' Dillon Brooks hit 1 of 2 free throws with 5.4 seconds left for the final margin.

A 30-foot attempt by the Anteaters' Alex Young hit the back of the rim as time expired.

UCI shot 53.8 percent from the field in the first half and led 33-26 at halftime.  The 'Eaters built an 11-point lead at 37-26 with 19:10 left in regulation before the Ducks rallied.

Oregon closed to within 46-44 on a basket by Ahmaad Rorie with 9:21 remaining, but Jaron Martin hit a pair of free throws and Aaron Wright added one foul shot to extend UCI's lead to 49-44 with 7:08 left.

The Ducks then went on a 6-0 run to go up 50-49 on a layup from Elgin Cook with 4:55 remaining, but the 'Eaters rattled off six straight points to take a 55-50 lead on a bucket from Will Davis II with 3:28 left.

UCI held onto the lead and led 57-54 after a three from Souza with 26.1 seconds remaining, but Oregon's Dwayne Benjamin hit a three from the right corner with 7.6 seconds left to send the game into overtime.

The Ducks quickly built a five-point lead early in overtime, but two baskets by Alex Young, including a three-pointer, pulled UCI even at 64-all with 1:37 left in the first extra session.

Cook hit a free throw with 1:15 remaining for a 65-64 Oregon lead, preceding Joseph Young's three that turned out to be the game-winning points.

Benjamin led Oregon with 18 points, Brooks scored 15 and Elgin Cook 14.

Alex Young led UCI (6-6) with 12 points and six assists, Martin and Souza scored 11 points apiece, and Davis had 10 points, five rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals.

Wright added nine points and a career-high four steals for the 'Eaters, Ioannis Dimakopoulos had eight points, and John Ryan pulled down eight rebounds.

UCI was without the services of its top two scorers, 7-6 sophomore center Mamadou Ndiaye (sprained foot) and sophomore guard Luke Nelson (facial injury).

The Anteaters had 10 steals in the game, but were out-rebounded 38-29.  UCI shot 41.9 percent from the floor to Oregon's 42.9 percent.

UCI hosts Hampden-Sydney College (Coach Russell Turner's alma mater) Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 in the Bren Events Center.  The Tigers are 8-1 on the season.

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