Oregon Unable to Keep Pace With Washington
Tre Simmons and Bobby Jones each scored 15 points, and Nate Robinson and Jamaal Williams had 14 apiece, leading No. 14 Washington to a 77-56 victory over Oregon on Thursday night at Seattle.
Simmons also had 12 rebounds, and Jones, usually Washington’s defensive stopper, made two of three three-point baskets to help the Huskies, 14-2 overall, 4-1 Pacific 10, win their 16th consecutive home game.
Freshman Bryce Taylor scored 16 points, and another freshman, Maarty Leunen, had 10 rebounds for Oregon (10-3, 2-2), which sustained its worst loss of the season.
The Ducks trailed, 40-29, at halftime but moved to within 40-36 on a basket by Malik Hairston, a three-pointer by Aaron Brooks and a tip-in by Taylor. But Jones made a three-point basket to start a 9-2 run for the Huskies.
The Huskies kept rolling after a timeout, with Jones making another three-point basket before his play of the night.
He made a steal in the backcourt, then spun past Leunen, drawing a foul. Jones finished the three-point play, and Washington led, 55-38, with 15:24 to go. The advantage was comfortably in double figures the rest of the way.
Brooks, a former high school standout in Seattle, had nine points and four assists in his first game against the Huskies. He sat out both games as a freshman last season because of a broken bone in his right hand.
The Ducks came in leading the conference in shooting percentage at just over 50% but shot a season-low 37%. They also committed a season-high 22 turnovers.
Washington State 63, Oregon State 45 -- The Beavers (10-5, 2-2) played without starting guard J.S. Nash, who was suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
Nash, a senior, is their third-leading scorer, averaging 10.6 points per game.
Jeff Varem scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds at Pullman, Wash., for the Cougars (8-6, 3-2), off to their best start in conference play since opening the 1994-95 season with a 5-2 record.
The Beavers’ 45 points and 31.1% shooting were season lows.