3-14-21 Emerald Media - Monday Edition

Emerald Media

Blowing

MAR. 15, 2021

Monday Edition

Smoke

Eugene and gas company Northwest Natural couldn’t agree on renewing its 10-year contract. Environmental activists say now is the time to divest.

NEWS

SALIVA COVID-19 TESTS PG 3

A&C

OPINION

EUGENE’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY PG 4

STUDENT TICKET REFORM PG 10

SPORTS

MEN’S BASKETBALL UPSET BY OSU PG 11 M O N D AY, M A R C H 1 5 , 2 0 2 1

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NEWS

UO WAITING FOR APPROVAL OF SALIVA COVID-19 TESTS VOL. 122, ISSUE NO. 38

GET IN TOUCH

SALIVA TESTING AT UO HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS SINCE THE SUMMER BUT HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED YET.

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Ashley Ng

NEWS EDITORS

Jack Forrest Duncan Baumgarten Ardeshir Tabrizian A&C EDITORS

Sarah-Mae McCullough Grace Murray SPORTS EDITORS

Shane Hoffmann Mojo Hill Charlie Gearing

NO. 5 OREGON SOFTBALL CONTINUE HOT START: After defeating Oregon State 14-6 on Saturday, March 13, the Oregon softball team sits at 15-1 and has won six games in a row. After their game against Sacramento State on March 14, the Ducks will host Utah the following weekend. Haley Cruse leads the Ducks with 18 runs to go along with 13 RBIs. – SHANE HOFFMANN

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by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit media company at the University of Oregon. Formerly the Oregon Daily Emerald, the news organization was founded in 1900.

ON THE COVER

Steam is produced at UO Central Power Station in order to heat the University’s campus through a direct heating system. The UO Central Power Station is responsible for providing energy to the University of Oregon. (Ian Enger/Emerald)

REGIONAL AND STATE NEWS NEW COVID-19 VARIANT FOUND IN OREGON: Following a COVID-19 outbreak in Marion County, OHSU scientists found a variant with lineage connecting it to the UK and South African variants, OPB reported. Scientists are advising Oregonians to wear masks, keep their distance from others and big groups and get vaccinated as soon as possible to reduce the risk of contracting the variant.

– KATHERINE WINELAND

EDITOR IN CHIEF

BUSINESS

Around OR

(Kendal/Unsplash)

The University of Oregon announced in June 2020 that it would be applying for emergency use authorization of a saliva-based COVID-19 test.

While approved, it is yet to be implemented.

The executive director of UO’s Monitoring and Assessment Program, Brian Fox, said that the university began to develop a lab that could process nasal swab and saliva testing last year.

UO decided to primarily use nasal swabs since they were approved before saliva testing, and the community became more comfortable with them, Fox said.

“We felt like we could go a little bit slower on developing the other one, like it wasn’t worth doing a lab-developed test,” he said. “The research process for that can take a while, and we had something that worked.”

SalivaDirect — the method UO would use — was developed by the Yale School of Public Health.

According to Yale’s SalivaDirect website, the method detects the virus in a similar way but is cheaper. Fox said it’s also as accurate as nasal swabs.

The FDA issued emergency use authorization for SalivaDirect in August 2020. Even though the MAP website says it has been approved, UO has yet to make use of it.

Fox said that UO is making modifications to the original testing method and is currently waiting for FDA approval for those updates, which is delaying the rollout. The August emergency use authorization issued for the original method “involved a process that was not designated to work with the automation that UO has in place in

our lab,” he said.

“We have been working with Yale to propose and submit modifications to the SalivaDirect EUA to the FDA, which if approved would allow us to do automated saliva testing under their EUA,” Fox said.

The rollout of saliva testing is looking like it may be coming soon. Fox said the University of Illinois has made progress in optimizing the process, and UO is waiting to see whether it could work.

“We’d love to move quickly. But I think it’ll be kind of a slow, measured piece because we want to get it right,” he said.

Adding an additional testing method has many benefits. Not only is saliva testing as accurate, cheaper and faster than nasal swabs, Fox said that the university will be able to test on a larger scale.

“The real benefit for us is that that efficiency gain in the lab means that our overall capacity would increase,” he said. “Which means that we can support the state and the community and other partners in their testing needs.”

Fox said he is proud of the way the MAP team has been dealing with the challenge of COVID-19 testing and is excited about saliva testing.

“I think it’s one more way that they can lead the charge right in partnering with leading institutions across the country to figure out how to do something new,” he said. “Really taking science into the community and applying it is such a great application of our mission.”

(Ian Enger/Emerald)

CHALLENGING THE TRADITIONS OF BALLET: On March 30, Oregon Ballet Theatre will host a virtual discussion called “(R)Evolve: Can Ballet Survive Its Traditions?” Panelists will discuss racism, sexism and other forms of oppression in the ballet industry.

Speakers include writer Phil Chan, who co-founded a movement dedicated to eliminating offensive images of Asians in dance, along with body positive activist and former New York City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan and several members of OBT’s artistic staff.

– JENNAH PENDLETON

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A&C

HOW TO CONNECT REMOTELY WITH EUGENE’S LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY While the way we interact with others may look different during the pandemic, Eugene’s LGBTQ+ community still has a lot to offer.

BY DREW YORK For many LGBTQ+ students, it’s difficult to connect with queer spaces in a remote world. The good news is that classes are set to resume in-person in the fall, but there’s still an entire spring term to get through.

Whether you’re housed on campus, off campus or out of state, it’s easy to feel disconnected and isolated from validating communities.

Luckily, the LGBTQA3 Alliance, LGBT Education Support Services and the nonprofit TransPonder are offering virtual events and safe spaces for many different LGBTQ+ identity groups.

The LGBT Education Support Services is a great place to start. According to its website, the LGBTESS works to affirm LGBTQ+ identities by providing support and resources. These include identity and mental health resources, a coping skills worksheet and a playlist of songs by LGBTQ+ artists.”

The LGBTESS has multiple student groups that meet weekly: the Aces and Aros discussion group (Sundays at 1:00 p.m.), Transgender and Nonbinary Identity Support Group (Tuesdays at 5 p.m.) and

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Queer and Christian (Tuesdays at 7 p.m.), just to name a few. You can keep up with these meeting dates and find out about other groups by checking out the organization’s event calendar.

In addition, the LGBTESS hosts virtual movie nights through their Discord server. “The DaVinci Code” will be screened on March 22 and “Kiki’s Delivery Service” on March 27 — both at 4 p.m. To celebrate Women’s History Month, there will also be 6 p.m. screenings of “A League of Their Own” (March 21) and “On the Basis of Sex” (March 28). Viewers can interact with each other through a chat during the movie.

The best way to access these events and meetings is by requesting to join the group’s Discord server.

In addition to events, the server gives you access to different spaces and discussions where you’re able to interact with other LGBTQ+ students. If you’re unfamiliar with Discord, they have also included a guide on how to use the software.

The LGBTQA3 Alliance is a student-run organization that holds bi-weekly general meetings

over Zoom. There are virtual games and discussions about different subjects such as queer art and LGBTQ+ historical figures. You can find out these meeting dates and times by following the group’s Instagram account and joining the Discord server.

If you’re looking to expand beyond the UO campus, the Eugene-based and trans-run nonprofit TransPonder is offering weekly remote events. Their Trans/Gender Diverse Yoga Class takes place on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. and provides a safe space for all types of bodies. TransPonder also hosts a weekly book club on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. as well as other trans-centered support groups to connect with.

With spring term approaching, it’s a great time to reach out and connect with these affirming spaces.

Getting involved in the community can be as simple as attending a movie screening or joining a student group. For many, social interaction with others who we can relate to is how we care for our mental health.

Take advantage of these safe spaces and explore the communities they offer.

LGBTQ+ GROUPS IN EUGENE LGBTQ EDUCATION SUPPORT SERVICES:

Provides student support groups, movie nights and a Discord server.

INSTAGRAM: uo_lgbtess EMAIL: hwilson2@uoregon.edu

LGBTQA3 ALLIANCE:

Provides bi-weekly general meetings with games and discussions and a Discord server.

FACEBOOK GROUP: University of Oregon LGBTQA3

TRANSPONDER:

Provides a trans/gender diverse yoga class, a weekly book club and other trans-centered support groups.

WEBSITE: transponder.community EMAIL: info@transponder.community M O N D AY, M A R C H 1 5 , 2 0 2 1

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COVER

Eugene puts natural gas contract on hold

The University of Oregon’s Central Power Station provides a number of services regarding utilities production, distributions, operations and more. The UO Central Power Station is responsible for providing energy to the UO. (Ian Enger/Emerald)

University of Oregon climate action groups support the city’s decision to hold off on the contract until the gas company agrees to more sustainable climate action goals

BY COLE SINANIAN AND JOANNA MANN Eugene City Council members failed to come to an agreement with Northwest Natural — a natural gas utility company servicing the Pacific Northwest — on the terms of their contract renewal, which is now set to expire in May. The franchise agreement would have locked the city into another 10-year contract with the gas company, allowing NW Natural to expand its gas infrastructure throughout the city without restriction. The reevaluation of natural gas use in Eugene has brought up similar questions about the University of Oregon’s gas use from students and environmental activists.

The city’s terms In July 2019, the Eugene Sustainability Commission presented a series of policy recommendations meant to be included in the contract with NW Natural in order

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to reduce gas use. The recommendations include limiting or prohibiting new natural gas infrastructure, requiring NW Natural to incentivize customers’ reduced use of natural gas and prohibiting financial incentives for purchasing natural gas appliances. NW Natural refused to agree to these conditions, prompting another six-month extension of the current agreement.

The City of Eugene’s franchise agreement with NW Natural, which was first negotiated in 1999, gives the company legal authority to expand its infrastructure, as well as build and operate pipelines under the city’s streets and other public areas.

It also allows the city government to impose fees on the company based on its revenue from customers within the city’s boundaries.

At a virtual public forum and work session on Feb. 8, the Eugene City Council and residents discussed the NW Natural contract at length. Many residents spoke out

COVER against NW Natural, including those who support the campaign Fossil Free Eugene, a coalition of over 30 organizations — including the UO Climate Justice League and Cascadia Action Network — working to divest the city from the fossil fuel industry.

“It seems clear to me that we need to find a different way to reach the goals that we have articulated,” Councilor Jennifer Yeh said. “Let’s not kid ourselves, natural gas is a fossil fuel; it’s harmful.”

Natural gas is a fossil fuel energy source made primarily from methane and is formed deep beneath the earth’s surface. It is primarily used for heating, gas stoves and generating electricity. While it emits fewer carbon emissions than other fossil fuels like coal and petroleum, it still releases a large amount of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to the negative effects of climate change.

The city’s terms for the new franchise agreement with NW Natural are largely based on its mission to reduce city-wide carbon emissions in accordance with the Climate Recovery Ordinance goals outlined in the Eugene Climate Action Plan.

One of the main goals is for all businesses, individuals and others working in the city to reduce the total use of fossil fuels by 50% by 2030 compared to 2010. The other main goal is for total community greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced to no more than 350 parts per million — 350 particles of carbon dioxide in one million particles of air — by 2100, which in 2016 was estimated to require an average annual emission reduction of 7.6%. If NW Natural agrees to the city’s terms, then the gas company will have to pay the city a higher percentage of its gross revenues than it currently does.

The city also proposed an additional Carbon Reduction Fee based on its Climate Recovery Ordinance to decrease Eugene’s overall carbon emissions. When NW Natural refused to meet these terms, city officials decided it was not the time to settle on this version of the contract.

“I don’t want to be a model to show how a city is held hostage to a franchise agreement that doesn’t serve our higher goals,” Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis said at the public forum. “It is an important moment to stand really clearly for what we see as our legacy work going forward.”

studies meant to determine a realistic timeframe to reach carbon neutrality, Mital said.

He defined carbon neutrality as the point when either total greenhouse gas emissions equals zero, or when the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere equals the amount removed from the atmosphere.

Co-Director of UO Climate Justice League Courtney Kaltenbach said she believes UO and Eugene need to divest in all fossil fuels and focus on a clean energy transition.

“I think that what the UO does is very similar to the City of Eugene more broadly, which is a big campaign of greenwashing, where they like to appear that they’re sustainable, but aren’t actually accountable to like climate goals,” Kaltenbach said.

The group’s members have started testifying at city council meetings, explaining to councilors why the group wants to see Eugene more energy focused. Kaltenbach said it’s important for students to testify because the university has a large impact on the community.

“I think what’s so important about this push to end the contract with Northwest Natural Gas is that natural gas impacts low income, poor communities and People of Color disproportionately,” she said. “So it’s really important that we are aware of this environmental injustice and racism that’s occurring in the town that we’re living in.”

Abbey Gravatt, Student Sustainability Network chair, met with engineers and analysts in October 2020 to discuss how to improve UO’s thermal systems on campus. Buildings are typically heated with natural gas, and student activists are seeking a way to heat them with electric steam boilers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Gravatt said each solution the group proposed is categorized as having a low, medium or high impact on the university’s greenhouse reduction goals. Once each option has been laid out, the engineers, analysts and SSN choose which ones to focus on by finding the right balance between highest impact and cost feasibility.

“It’s a lot of moving parts,” Gravatt said. “I don’t think folks understand how long-term these projects are, especially when we’re focusing on something that’s infrastructure-based. So the time period on this is like, 20, 30 years until it’s completely finished.”

Gravatt leads a campaign for the Climate Justice League that is focused on the UO foundation’s divestment from fossil fuels. The foundation, which funds student scholarships, academic programs and building improvements, has said it is committed to divesting from fossil fuels, but Gravatt now wants to figure out a way to bind them to that decision long-term.

“We’re working on getting transparency on those investments, because there’s a true lack of transparency from that foundation, so we want to be able to always know what they’re investing in,” Gravatt said. “We don’t want the university getting money from a foundation that’s putting their money in bad places.”

“I think that what the UO does is very similar to the City of Eugene more broadly, which is a big campaign of greenwashing, where they’re sustainable, but aren’t actually accountable to like climate goals,” Kaltenbach said.

University’s natural gas use UO uses the majority of its natural gas input as fuel to heat the campus, according to Paul Langley, UO utilities and energy operations and maintenance superintendent. The university purchases natural gas several years in advance from a wholesaler, which is then delivered to campus via an underground gas line owned and operated by NW Natural.

The university is heated by a district heating system, which heats water with the combustion of natural gas to produce steam. The steam is created at the UO Central Power Station and then distributed to buildings throughout campus through a network of tunnels. District heating is standard for college campuses, Langley said, though the method can suffer from inefficiency. Between 30 and 40% of the natural gas input is lost in the steam system due to tunnel leaks and heat loss in the winter.

“Because the tunnels are underground, if you have a pipe that’s uninsulated in a cold tunnel, you’re going to basically be heating the tunnel instead of heating the building,” Langley said.

To address the problem, the Utilities and Energy Department is working to reinsulate the tunnels to improve the steam system’s overall efficiency. The project, outlined in the university’s Climate Action Plan, is about 95% complete and expected to be fully completed after UO resumes normal in-person operations.

Langley said while the university does not buy gas directly from NW Natural, the company charges a delivery fee that’s factored into UO’s gas bill.

During the 2019 fiscal year, UO spent about $2.3 million on natural gas. Langley said anything the city does to limit the expansion of natural gas infrastructure will not affect UO because the university’s gas infrastructure is already established. UO Sustainability Director Steve Mital said if NW Natural agrees to the city’s terms, it’s unlikely that the proposal to increase fees on the gas company will apply to the university’s pre-purchased gas.

“However, we do anticipate carbon fees being assessed on the natural gas we purchase at some point in the future,” he said in an email. “If the city doesn’t adopt its current proposal, the state of Oregon will likely adopt its own statewide version at a later date. We therefore anticipate that our natural gas costs will rise accordingly.”

In accordance with the UO Climate Action Plan, the university is working on a study to identify alternative ways to heat campus without the use of natural gas, Mital said. The study is scheduled for completion in June.

Student advocacy UO’s Climate Action Plan was first established in 2010 before the City of Eugene’s.

Every five years, UO reassesses and recommits to the plan, moving toward the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality. While the university does not have a set date for when it expects to achieve this goal, each iteration of the plan initiates a new set of

The combustion of natural gas at Central Power Station heats water to produce steam. The UO Central Power Station is responsible for providing energy to the UO. (Ian Enger/Emerald)

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For more information, call the Emerald at 541-346-5511, ext. 302, or email kcarbone@dailyemerald.com.

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PHOTO

PHOTOS: Oregon Winter Hikes

BY MADI MATHER AND KIMBERLY HARRIS

Hoodoo Ski Area in Sisters, Ore., is open for winter sports enthusiasts to enjoy skiing or snowboarding. Oregon hiking trails are open and popular throughout the winter 2021. (Kimberly Harris/Emerald)

Dandelions are slowly blown away by strong winds on the Oregon coast. The Heceta Head Lighthouse Trail is a short hike located near Florence, Ore., Feb. 6, 2021. Oregon hiking trails are open and popular throughout the winter 2021. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

The Heceta Head Lighthouse Trail is a short hike located near Florence, Ore., Feb. 6, 2021. Oregon hiking trails are open and popular throughout the winter 2021. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

The Heceta Head Lighthouse Trail is a short hike located near Florence, Ore., Feb. 6, 2021. Oregon hiking trails are open and popular throughout the winter 2021. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

Anna Hyatt walks Clatsop Beach, which is located outside of Seaside, Ore., Oregon hiking trails are open and popular throughout the winter 2021. (Kimberly Harris/Emerald)

Goodman Creek flows swiftly next to the Hardesty Trail.The Hardesty Trailhead is located east of Eugene, Ore., in between mileposts 20 and 21 on Highway 58. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

Sunlight casts shadows on Goodman Creek and the land around it. The Hardesty Trailhead is located east of Eugene, Ore., in between mileposts 20 and 21 on Highway 58. (Madi Mather/Emerald)

Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Government Camp, Ore., is open for winter sports enthusiasts to ski and snowboard. Oregon hiking trails are open and popular throughout the winter 2021. (Kimberly Harris/ Emerald) M O N D AY, M A R C H 1 5 , 2 0 2 1

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OPINION

OPINION: LONG OVERDUE STUDENT TICKET REFORM

(Laura Grigorieff/Emerald)

BY BAZIL STERLING • TWITTER @RAZZLE_BAZIL

STERLING: ASUO’S VOTE TO DISCONTINUE ITS FUNDING OF STUDENT TICKETS HIGHLIGHTS THE GREED OF UO AND THE UO ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT. In a surprising move, ASUO voted to discontinue its agreement with the UO athletic department. The department formerly provided students with discounted tickets to sporting events. ASUO originally allocated $1.7 million for said partnership during the 2020-21 academic year, before the announcement that fans were not permitted to attend games.

The end of ASUO’s partnership with the athletic department is objectively a smart move that will redistribute substantial funds to more deserving programs, helping students in need. Reallocated funds will raise UO’s minimum wage, create a tiered textbook subsidy program, establish menstrual product accessibility in the EMU, fund an emergency housing subsidy fund and more. This funding is long overdue and addresses urgent problems that would certainly improve the overall quality of the UO community.

However, ASUO’s termination of its partnership has exposed the greed of the UO athletic department and UO as a whole. In a given year, the UO athletic department receives roughly $300 million. It is consistently one of the richest sports programs in the NCAA. It’s a crime that such an immensely wealthy department refuses to provide free student tickets to sporting events.

As an avid sports fan and lifelong UO athletics supporter, I’m devastated that the money used to previously fund student tickets prevented funding to essential programs. I’ve certainly made the most of discounted tickets throughout my four years in Eugene. Of course, tickets for UO’s most lucrative sports, like football and men’s basketball, were never free. Lottery systems restricted access to certain PA G E 1 0

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events throughout my time as a Duck, but it also allowed me to have discounted experiences that I would not have paid for otherwise.

If UO even slightly cared about giving its students the opportunity to support their classmates in athletic action, free tickets would be provided to all sporting events. It’s incredibly upsetting that after four years of paying full tuition, I’m still constantly reminded that my peers and my college experience will always be less valuable than a check to the school I’ve supported my entire life.

The UO athletic department and its parent university must use the absurd amount of money at its disposal to provide free or discounted student tickets to those that want them. Previously, every student’s tuition was covering student ticket fees, even though 45% of UO students do not attend a single sporting event in a calendar year.

Personally, I’m fine paying fees to have more affordable access to sporting events.

However, my sentiment is not shared by a large percentage of my peers.

UO needs to make a program that would ensure that students who have no use for athletic tickets do not have to pay for them. Similarly, UO’s next move to provide discounted tickets should not involve additional fees for incoming students.

By doing so, UO has, and will, actively prevent itself from evolving as a public institution. Withholding funds from proposed programs and ignoring necessary improvements is unjust and avoidable. Athletics are lucrative and important, undoubtedly. Yet, an athletic department with a higher annual income than the GDP of some countries needs to share its vast wealth to better support its community.

Bazil Sterling is a columnist for the Emerald’s opinion desk. He specializes in sports discourse and reminding you that athletics matter more than your education. Follow his Twitter @razzle_bazil

SPORTS

OREGON UPSET BY OREGON STATE, 75-64, IN PAC-12 TOURNAMENT SEMIFINALS

BY SHANE HOFFMAN • TWITTER @SHANE_HOFFMANN

(Al Powers/Pac-12)

The Ducks got a taste of their own medicine on Friday night in Las Vegas. Despite a 15-3 second half run, Oregon failed to overcome Oregon State’s scorching three-point shooting, falling 75-64 in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals.

After Oregon shot a blistering 15-for-23 from three in their last matchup with Oregon State on March 7, winning 80-67, it was the Beavers who used the long ball to spark their offense on Friday. Oregon State’s leading scorer Ethan Thompson — who finished with 16 points and tied a career-high five three-pointers — hit two early triples as the Beavers took a swift 6-1 lead.

Oregon State’s defense ran the Ducks off the three-point line using aggressive closeouts. As Oregon went cold from deep, it used quick decisions and precise ball movement to score inside instead.

After Eugene Omoruyi sliced through the lane using a nifty euro step to finish at the rim, the Ducks showcased their perimeter playmaking as the ball fizzed around the court. After each Duck had touched it, Will Richardson dumped it off to Omoruyi under the rim to tie the game at eight with just under 16 minutes to go in the half.

Shooting just 1-for-6 from three, the Ducks struggled to keep stride with Oregon State as the Beavers built a 16-9 lead just before the under-12 timeout. A layup from Warith Alatishe gave the Beavers a nine-point lead.

The Ducks answered with a 10-0 run. Richardson found Chris Duarte for a dunk, then Omoruyi — who led the Ducks with four first-half assists — dumped it off to Chandler Lawson for a layup. Seconds later, Omoruyi again found a teammate, throwing it ahead to Duarte for a second dunk. An Eric Williams Jr. three tied the game at 18 apiece, before an Omoruyi free throw gave Oregon their first lead, 19-18 with just over six minutes to go.

The Ducks held the lead for all of 25 seconds, their only of the game.

Oregon State’s Jarod Lucas drilled an off-balance three in the corner.

Dearon Tucker pulled off a personal 4-0 run.

Oregon battled back, but looked disjointed. Sloppy passes and

failures to box-out under the rim, compounded by frenetic defensive rotations from the Beavers, ensured a 38-28 lead for Oregon State as the buzzer sounded.

Oregon State hit five of their 10 threes in the first half. The Ducks meanwhile hit just 2-of-10.

The Beavers didn’t cool off.

Oregon State opened the second half with a 5-0 run. After Oregon scored on back-to-back possessions, Thompson hit a three as the Beavers broke Oregon’s full-court press. A minute later, Oregon State exploited the Ducks’ slow rotations as Thompson nailed his fifth three of the game. Oregon state finished the night 10-for-19 from deep.

The Beavers, who finished with a plus-14 rebound differential over the Ducks, bludgeoned Oregon’s small lineup, resulting in ample secondchance opportunities. After four points from Rodrigue Andela and a layup by Alatishe, who finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, Oregon State built a 19-point lead with 13 minutes to go.

The Ducks responded resoundingly.

Over a nine-minute stretch, Oregon rattled off a 15-3 run to pull within five with four minutes to go. The Ducks, who shot an abysmal 6-for-25 from deep, hit a trio of threes during the stretch.

Looking to slide into the driver’s seat, Oregon played 29 seconds of flawless perimeter defense. Then came the back-breaker. Lucas sank a stepback three with two defenders in his face as the shot clock hit zero. A wide open midrange jumper from Andela moments later all but sealed the win, pushing the Beavers ahead by 10 with two and a half minutes to go.

Duarte and Figueroa struggled from the field, going 5-for-15 and 4-for-13 respectively. Richardson took just six shots. Omoruyi and his relentless energy were a bright spot for the Ducks. The forward stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 14 points, three rebounds, four assists, five steals and two blocks.

With the loss, head coach Dana Altman and his Ducks team look ahead to Selection Sunday as they await their NCAA Tournament seeding.

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