Frantic finish takes Oregon off the ropes

"We own this state," N'Faly Dante says after last-second dunk secures win over Oregon State.

CORVALLIS — Dana Altman didn’t move. 

He didn’t budge when Jermaine Couisnard missed. He didn’t pump his fists when Brennan Rigsby grabbed the offensive board, or fall in his chair when Rigsby’s jumper bricked, or start barking out instructions when the sophomore hauled in another rebound and dished a pass out to Couisnard with five seconds left. 

No, Altman stood right there at the edge of Oregon’s bench with his hands on his hips and watched.

It was out of his control now. 

For 39 minutes, the Oregon coach gripped this game as hard as he could. He raged after turnovers, screamed for movement and slapped the scorer’s table after Oregon State gobbled up a few offensive boards in the second half. A week after a loss that’s turned all of these games into must-wins, Altman coached with an iron fist as his Ducks built a 13-point lead with 6:19 to play. He also could have keeled over from stress as that lead evaporated over the next five minutes.

When a pair of Jordan Pope foul shots evened the game with 40 seconds to play, Altman called a timeout. He set up a play. The Ducks ran it.

Nothing else went to script.