Washington St. @ Oregon preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 7, 2018 ) Washington St. 62, Oregon 64

Oregon was picked to win the Pac-12 in the preseason poll but instead is struggling with star 7-2 freshman center Bol Bol lost for the season, but could get better when it hosts Washington State on Sunday. The Ducks had a chance to reach .500 in conference play Thursday against Washington but blew a five-point lead in the final 2 minutes, 33 seconds of a 61-56 loss that involved a questionable foul call.

With the score tied at 56, Oregon junior guard Payton Pritchard turned the ball over and then committed a foul on a 3-point shot with 1.6 seconds left, and two more made free throws followed after Ducks senior forward Paul White threw the ensuing inbound pass out of play. "Real tough call to end the game," Oregon coach Dana Altman told reporters. "It was a gut-wrencher and one we'll just have to fight through. A tough play for Payton. It's a tough moment for everybody." The Cougars' Pac-12 losses have come by an average of 18.6 points after Thursday's 90-77 setback at Oregon State despite 21 points from freshman forward CJ Elleby. Oregon has won 13 of the last 15 meetings - seven straight at home, including 64-62 in overtime March 7 behind 18 points from Pritchard after Washington State prevailed 78-76 six days earlier with senior forward Robert Franks contributing 19 points.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (8-11, 1-5 Pac-12): Franks, the 2018 Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year who missed five games earlier this season with a hip injury, averages team highs of 21.4 points and 7.8 rebounds after going for 20 and eight versus Oregon State. Elleby averages 16.1 points - second among Pac-12 freshmen to Arizona State's Luguentz Dort (16.4) - and 6.8 rebounds. Junior guard Ahmed Ali and senior guard Viont'e Daniels average 7.9 points apiece while sophomore forward Marvin Cannon (7.6 points) has reached double figures in every other game over the last 11 contests after scoring 11 on Thursday.

ABOUT OREGON (11-8, 2-4): Bol (21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, 13-of-25 from 3-point range) injured his foot in the ninth game and the Ducks are 5-5 without their five-star big man. White (10.5 points) has been battling an ankle injury and scored five points Thursday after playing only three minutes in the second half, snapping a string of six double-figure games during which he averaged 15.2 points. Pritchard leads the team in scoring (11.8) and assists (4.5) and paces the Pac-12 in free-throw shooting (91.5 percent) - good for seventh nationally through Friday's games - while freshman Louis King averages 11.1 points and 5.2 rebounds after scoring 19 on Thursday, raising his Pac-12 average to 17.2.

TIP-INS

1. Pritchard needs three assists to become the sixth player in school history with 1,000 points and 400 assists, joining Aaron Brooks, Luke Jackson, Ron Lee, Luke Ridnour and Kenya Wilkins.

2. The Cougars are 8-1 when scoring 80 or more points this season.

3. The Ducks fell to 151-18 when holding opponents to fewer than 70 points under Altman, falling to 10-3 in such contests this season with Thursday's loss.

PREDICTION: Oregon 74, Washington State 56