Utah Valley holds off late Oregon comeback to win 77-72

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Trey Woodbury scored 24 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had six assists and helped Utah Valley withstand a late comeback to post a 77-72 win over Oregon on Tuesday night.

The Wolverines took a 17-point lead into intermission, but Oregon whittled it away in the second half, getting the deficit to single digits for good on a layup by Quincy Guerrier with 7:14 left, and his 3 with 5:51 left made it a two-possession game, 62-58.

Utah Valley managed to parry Oregon’s every thrust down the stretch. Le’Tre Darthard knocked down a 3 with 3:44 left to push the lead to seven, 68-61. Guerrier hit a clutch 3 and hit two free throws with 1:22 left to get within two, but Woodbury came out of a Utah Valley timeout to stick a pull-up 17-footer with just over a minute to go and added a free throw with :29 left to make it a five-point game. Blaze Nield and Justin Harmon both hit a pair of free throws in the final 13 seconds to preserve the win.

Harmon and Tim Ceaser each scored 13 points for Utah Valley (8-4), which has now won six straight games.

Will Richardson finished with 26 points, seven rebound and four assists to lead the Ducks (7-5). N’Faly Dante posted a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds and Guerrier had 14 points and seven rebounds.

Oregon had its three-game win streak snapped. The Ducks will host Oregon State on New Year’s Eve.

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