Oregon Ducks Edge UCLA 68-66, Advance To Face Arizona In Pac-12 Tournament Semifinals

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 14: Head coach Dana Altman of the Oregon Ducks reacts in the first half of a quarterfinal game against the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

750 THE GAME STAFF

The Oregon Ducks dug deep and found a way to win on Thursday afternoon in Las Vegas, Nev., defeating UCLA 68-66 at T Mobile Arena in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals. The 4-seed Ducks advance to Friday’s semifinals where they will face top-seed Arizona (5:00 p.m. on 750 The Game from Westwood One).

The winner of the Pac-12 Tournament earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Oregon led UCLA 63-53 at the under-4 timeout late in regulation. But Mick Cronin’s Bruins went on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to one. Oregon got a clutch bucket on a bouncing hook shot from big man N’Faly Dante, only to see UCLA guard Dylan Andrews connect on an impressive scoop shot over Dante and make it a 65-64 game with 11 seconds left.

After a pair of Ducks free throws and another UCLA bucket, Oregon freshman Jackson Shelstad made one of two free throws to give Oregon a 68-66 lead with 4.4 seconds left. After a timeout, UCLA had to go the length of the floor, and Andrews went end-to-end to attempt a game-tying running jumper that Dante challenged and forced to miss, securing the win for Oregon.

Survive and advance.

Oregon will play Arizona at 5 p.m. PT on Friday. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/ExLhRHEVYA

— Oregon Men’s Basketball (@OregonMBB) March 15, 2024

“We just got to stay ready,” Dante told the Pac-12 Network postgame following the win. “We know we have a tough one tomorrow, We just got to go for it. We have a goal to win this last one. That’s what I’ve been telling my team all day. Let’s win the first one and think about the second one.”

Arizona dispatched 9-seed USC 70-49 earlier Thursday. The Wildcats swept the regular season series against the Ducks in two meetings.

Oregon and Arizona tip off at 5:00 p.m. on Friday on 750 The Game, your home of the NCAA Tournament from Westwood One.

Don’t miss John Canzano broadcast live from Las Vegas Thursday and Friday this week as the Ducks aim to make a run in the last-ever Pac-12 Tournament as we know it.