Saturday, February 28
Evanston, IL
11 a.m.
University of Oregon
11-18,4-14Big Ten
62
at
63
Northwestern
13-16,5-13Big Ten
1
2
F
Oregon
36
26
62
Northwestern
29
34
63
One-Point Game Goes to Northwestern
02/28/26 | Men's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. — Oregon Ducks men's basketball built a double-digit second-half lead but couldn't hold off a late surge, falling 63-62 to Northwestern on Saturday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Oregon (11-18, 4-14) led 36-29 at halftime and pushed its advantage to 12 points early in the second half, but Northwestern shot 61.5% after the break and took advantage of the game's final possession to take the win.
Nate Bittle led the Ducks with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, adding nine rebounds in 38 minutes. Kwame Evans Jr. finished with 15 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the season, while Takai Simpkins added 11 points. Oregon shot 48.1 percent from the field in the first half and 57.1 percent from 3-point range (4 of 7) before cooling to 31.3 percent shooting after halftime.
How It Happened: The Ducks were efficient early and held the Wildcats to 30 percent shooting in the first half. Oregon closed the half on a 12-0 run and took a seven-point lead into the break after Bittle buried a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining.
Oregon extended the margin to 43-31 with 18:05 left in the second half after Evans converted a 3-pointer off a turnover. The Ducks maintained control through the opening stretch of the period, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and points in the paint.
But Northwestern gradually chipped away, using transition scoring and improved shooting to erase the deficit. The Wildcats scored 20 fast-break points for the game, while Oregon managed just two fast-break points.
Wei Lin gave Oregon a 62-61 edge with a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound with 50 seconds remaining. After Northwestern regained possession in the final seconds, Nick Martinelli scored on a second-chance floating jumper with one second left to put the Wildcats ahead 63-62.
Up Next: The Ducks play at Illinois on Tuesday (6 p.m., Peacock).
Oregon (11-18, 4-14) led 36-29 at halftime and pushed its advantage to 12 points early in the second half, but Northwestern shot 61.5% after the break and took advantage of the game's final possession to take the win.
Nate Bittle led the Ducks with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, adding nine rebounds in 38 minutes. Kwame Evans Jr. finished with 15 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, his fourth double-double of the season, while Takai Simpkins added 11 points. Oregon shot 48.1 percent from the field in the first half and 57.1 percent from 3-point range (4 of 7) before cooling to 31.3 percent shooting after halftime.
How It Happened: The Ducks were efficient early and held the Wildcats to 30 percent shooting in the first half. Oregon closed the half on a 12-0 run and took a seven-point lead into the break after Bittle buried a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining.
Oregon extended the margin to 43-31 with 18:05 left in the second half after Evans converted a 3-pointer off a turnover. The Ducks maintained control through the opening stretch of the period, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities and points in the paint.
But Northwestern gradually chipped away, using transition scoring and improved shooting to erase the deficit. The Wildcats scored 20 fast-break points for the game, while Oregon managed just two fast-break points.
Wei Lin gave Oregon a 62-61 edge with a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound with 50 seconds remaining. After Northwestern regained possession in the final seconds, Nick Martinelli scored on a second-chance floating jumper with one second left to put the Wildcats ahead 63-62.
Up Next: The Ducks play at Illinois on Tuesday (6 p.m., Peacock).
Team Stats
Oregon
NU
FG%
.390
.446
3FG%
.368
.250
FT%
.750
.750
RB
37
32
TO
16
12
STL
5
11
Game Leaders
Pts
19
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
15
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
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