TUCSON, Arizona — Bennedict Mathurin scored 24 points, Kerr Krissa hit a crucial 3-pointer with about 1:30 remaining and No. 3 Arizona managed to beat Oregon 84-81 on Saturday night.
It was an entertaining, high-scoring game that featured 16 lead changes in front of a sold-out crowd at the McKale Center. Krissa’s long 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down and 1:26 remaining in the game pushed Arizona ahead 79-76.
The Wildcats wouldn’t trail again, hitting enough of their free throws to stave off Oregon’s final charge. The Ducks had a chance to tie on their final possession but Will Richardson was called for traveling as time expired.
Azuolas Tubelis added 14 points and 7 rebounds for the Wildcats, and Christian Koloko had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Arizona (24-2, 14-1 Pac-12) has a 15-game winning streak at home dating to last season. The Wildcats also snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Ducks.
Richardson had 22 points for Oregon, which has lost three of its past four games, Quincy Guerrier added 21 points and made six 3-pointers. N’Faly Dante added 13 points and 15 rebounds.
It wasn’t quite enough for the Ducks (17-10, 10-6), who were swept in Arizona after also losing to Arizona State on Thursday night.
Arizona took its first lead of the second half when Koloko made a jumper at the free-throw line for a 55-54 advantage. Krissa added a 3-pointer and Mathurin made a tough layup in the paint to push the lead to 60-54 and cap a 13-0 run.
Oregon had a terrific offensive start, making 13 of 21 shots to take a 32-20 lead midway through the first half. Arizona stormed back with a 10-0 run as the shooting excellence continued for both teams.
The Ducks had a 47-45 halftime lead and the Wildcats trailed despite shooting nearly 71% before the break. Richardson led Oregon with 16 points while Mathurin had 11 for the Arizona.
BIG PICTURE
Oregon: Not many teams can match Arizona’s offensive pace but Oregon looked just fine trading buckets with the Wildcats. The Ducks are going through a tough stretch but certainly have the talent to challenge anyone when the Pac-12 tournament comes.
Arizona: The Wildcats shook off Oregon’s hot shooting and won their eighth straight game. It’s a deep team that can get its offense from a lot of places. Many pundits believe Mathurin is going to be a very good NBA player and Saturday’s game certainly showed that talent.
UP NEXT
Oregon: Hosts UCLA on Thursday night.
Arizona: At Utah on Thursday night.
