Simpkins’ basket with just seconds left helps Oregon fend off pesky Hawaii 60-59
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Takai Simpkins scored 18 points and his game-winning running jump shot with 4.2 seconds left helped Oregon avoid an upset by beating Hawaii 60-59 in a season opener for both teams on Tuesday night.
Without a timeout, Hawaii’s Hunter Erickson took the inbounds pass and managed to dribble to the Hawaii foul line but his running jumper went off to the left to end the game.
Trailing 59-58, with 39 seconds left, Oregon missed five-shot attempts, secured four offensive rebounds and won a Hawaii challenge for possession before Simpkins’ game winner.
Dezdrick Lindsay’s layup with 11:05 remaining put Oregon ahead 50-36. The Rainbow Warriors responded with a 14-0 run that saw Oregon fail to score in a four-minute span. The Ducks led 33-26 at halftime.
Nate Bittle scored 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Oregon.
Isaac Johnson scored 13 points for Hawaii, which was seeking its first win over Oregon since 1999.
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