Oregon 69, UC Irvine 67 (OT)

[December 30, 2014]  Oregon 69, UC Irvine 67 (OT): Dwayne Benjamin scored 18 points as the host Ducks erased an 11-point deficit in the second half to turn back the Anteaters and win their eighth straight overtime game.

Elgin Cook recorded 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals for Oregon (9-4), which avoided becoming the third Pac-12 team in two days to succumb to a big underdog. Dillon Brooks scored 15 points and Joseph Young added 11, including a key 3-pointer in overtime, as the Ducks won their fifth consecutive game - and second over a Big West Conference foe after they defeated UC Santa Barbara 82-78 in overtime on Dec. 22.

Alex Young scored 12 points while Travis Souza and Jaron Martin added 11 apiece for UC Irvine (6-6), which erased a five-point deficit in overtime. Will Davis II registered 10 points, three steals and three blocks while Aaron Wright added nine points and four of the Anteaters' 10 steals.

Oregon trailed 33-26 at the break - its lowest point total in a half this season - as UC Irvine closed the period with a 31-17 run and converted 13 of its final 18 shots from the field. After Davis' jumper put the Anteaters on top 37-26 with 19:10 remaining, the Ducks took a 50-49 lead with 4:55 left before Souza's jumper with 26.1 seconds left gave UC Irvine a 57-54 advantage and Benjamin drilled a 3-pointer from the corner with 7.6 seconds left to force overtime.

Brooks' three-point play and a pair of free throws by Cook gave Oregon a 64-59 lead before Alex Young scored five straight points and Cook's free throw with 1:15 remaining put the Ducks back on top 65-64. Joseph Young drilled a 3-pointer with 23 seconds left to make it 68-64 and Souza answered with a 3 with six seconds to play and, after Brooks split two free throws, Alex Young's desperation 3-pointer caught the backboard and the rim.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Pac-12 suffered a pair of major upsets Sunday when No. 19 Washington lost to Stony Brook 62-57 and California fell to Cal State Bakersfield 55-52. ... UC Irvine was without 7-6 C Mamadou Ndiaye, who missed his seventh straight game with a foot injury. ... Souza, a senior, has recorded 112 career field goals - 97 from 3-point range and 15 from inside the arc - after making two of each against Oregon.

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