Career game by Nate Bittle leads Oregon Ducks to seventh straight conference win

Senior center Nate Bittle earned an incredible double-double to lead Oregon to a win over the Washington Huskies in the Ducks' seventh straight win.
Oregon center Nate Bittle leads the Ducks through the student section after the game.
Oregon center Nate Bittle leads the Ducks through the student section after the game. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks haven't made it easy for themselves this season and when the men's basketball team traveled to Seattle for its final regular-season matchup of the year, the Ducks sent it into overtime against the unranked Washington Huskies.

Nate Bittle, who went on to have a career night with a 36-point double-double, scored a resounding 21 points in the first half and led Oregon to a three-point lead over Washington.

However, an impressive second-half performance sent the game into OT as the Ducks looked to win their seventh consecutive game of the year. A defensively dominant overtime by Oregon held the Huskies to just 5 points as the Ducks scored 12 of their own to earn the 80-73 win.

Bittle finished with 36 points (career high), 12 rebounds, two blocks, and two assists as guard Jackson Shelstad and forward Brandon Angel struggled to find their shot, combining for just six points.

Senior guard TJ Bamba fouled out of the game with just two minutes left in overtime, and fellow senior Jadrian Tracey took his place on the floor. Immediately, Tracey made an impact on the Ducks' OT effort by sinking an incredible reverse layup to put Oregon up 77-71 with 1:35 remaining.

Defensive stops by Oregon, led by Kwame Evans Jr. and Bittle, led the Ducks to their overtime victory and their seventh straight win. With the win, the Ducks improved to 23-8 overall and 12-8 in conference play.

The Ducks earned a spot in the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament to cap off their first season in the conference, which will tip off at 12:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, March 12. Washington fell quite a few wins short of seeing the postseason tournament. The conference tournament will be broadcast on Peacock and the Big Ten Network.

Selection Sunday for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is scheduled for March 16 at 3 p.m. PT – it will be broadcast on CBS.

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