Kwame Evans Jr. scores final 9 points, Oregon beat Washington in regular-season finale

The Oregon Ducks had a thrilling finish to their regular-season finale against the Washington Huskies, with Kwame Evans Jr. leading the charge with 20 points, including the last nine of the game. Despite blowing a 21-point lead, the Ducks rallied to beat Washington 85-79 in a nail-biting contest.

Evans was the hero of the game, making a crucial and-1 free throw after being fouled on a 3-point shot to give Oregon a one-point lead with just 11.5 seconds remaining. He then sealed the victory by making 5 of 6 free throws after stealing the ball from Washington’s Hannes Steinbach. The Huskies’ coach, Danny Sprinkle, was ejected from the game after receiving back-to-back technical fouls for his outburst.

Takai Simpkins contributed 18 points, while Nate Bittle added 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists for Oregon. Dezdrick Lindsay and Drew Carter also chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Ducks started the game on fire, shooting 11-of-14 from the field, including a perfect 7 of 7 from beyond the arc, to build a commanding 21-point lead in the first half. They shot 58% from the field in the first half, including eight 3-pointers, to take a 44-30 lead at halftime.

Steinbach was the standout performer for Washington, scoring 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting and grabbing 13 rebounds. The 6-foot-11 freshman now has 20 double-doubles this season, tied for the second most nationally.

Washington mounted a fierce comeback in the second half, led by Steinbach’s 13 points in a 29-8 run that gave the Huskies a three-point lead with just 24 seconds remaining. However, Evans’ heroics in the closing moments secured the victory for Oregon.

Both teams will now await the Big Ten Tournament pairings to be announced on Sunday to determine their matchups in Chicago next week. It was a thrilling end to the regular season for both teams, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting postseason ahead.