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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 8:17 p.m., Saturday, February 16, 2008

CBKB: Iolani alum Low scores 16 in Washington St. win

Associated Press

EUGENE, Ore. — Taylor Rochestie scored 21 points and No. 21 Washington State ended a 12-game losing streak at McArthur Court with a 62-53 win against Oregon.

Rochestie scored 16 points in the second half, while 'Iolani alum Derrick Low added 16 points and Aron Baynes scored 12 for the Cougars (20-5, 8-5), who last won in Eugene in 1995.

Earlier this season, Washington State ended a 13-game losing streak to the Ducks (15-10, 6-7) with a win in Pullman.

Maarty Leunen scored 20 points to lead Oregon.

The Washington State defense, ranked third in the nation, was able to dictate the offensive flow from the start against the top-scoring team in the Pac-10.

Oregon, which made 32 3-pointers and averaged 81.5 points in its two previous games, was held to four 3-pointers on 17 attempts and 25.9 points below its season scoring average despite shooting 49 percent from the field.

Low shot the Cougars to an early lead with 11 points in the opening 6:39 to help the Washington State build a 17-11 lead.

Low made three of his four 3-pointers during that stretch.

After Leunen made Oregon's only 3-pointer of the first half to cut the Cougars lead to 20-16, little-used Duck big man Mitch Platt come off the bench to score six straight points, giving Oregon a 22-20 with 6:16 left in the half. Washington State answered with a 10-2 run to go into the break up 30-24.

The Cougars stayed hot to start the second half, getting 3-pointers on three straight possessions two by Rochestie and another by Low to go up 41-29 with 16:10 to play.

The Ducks followed with a 10-1 run and cut Washington State's lead to 42-39 after a 3-pointer by Leunen at the 12:21 mark. But Rochestie answered with his fourth 3-pointer of the game and Baynes added a dunk off a rebound to put the Cougars back up 47-39 with 10:59 to play.

The Ducks took advantage of a Washington State cold streak that lasted more than seven minutes to pull within one, 47-46, with 4:44 to play.

Rochestie went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line in the final minute to seal the win.