Richardson takes over late as Oregon beats Oregon St. 77-68

Updated Dec. 31, 2022 10:41 p.m. ET

Associated Press

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Will Richardson scored 22 points — 14 in the final 11-plus minutes — and N’Faly Dante had 17 points and eight rebounds to help Oregon beat in-state rival Oregon State 77-68 Saturday night.

Quincy Guerrier and Kel'el Ware added 13 points apiece for Oregon (8-6, 2-1 Pac-12).

Oregon State scored 22 of the first 29 second-half points to take a two-point lead — the Beavers' first since early in the game — when Tyler Bilodeau hit two free throws to cap the spurt with 11:33 to play and Dexter Akanno scored five consecutive points to make it 60-57 with 9 minutes to go.

Then Richardson took over.

The fifth-year senior tipped in a missed 3-point shot by Guerrier and then took a steal the other way for a layup to put Oregon back in front. Jordan Pope hit a 3 that gave the Beavers a 63-61 advantage with 7:46 to go but Ware answered with a conventional three-point play and Richardson added a short jumper, Akanno hit a 3 to make it 66-66 all for Guerrier scored from behind the arc with 5:48 left to give the Ducks the lead for good.

Richardson scored the game's final six points.

Akanno hit four 3-pointers and finished with 20 points — both career highs — for Oregon State (7-7, 1-2). Glenn Taylor Jr. added 12 points and Bilodeau finished with 10.

Guerrier and Richardson each hit a pair of 3s in an 18-2 run that gave the Ducks an 11-point lead with 8 1/2 minutes left in the first half and they used a 10-3 spurt over the final 4 minutes to make it 44-31 at intermission.

OSU leads the series against the Ducks — the most contested series in NCAA history which dates to 1903 — 192-169 but Oregon has won four in a row against the Beavers.

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