With head coach Mike Hopkins sidelined due to Covid-19 Protocols assistant coach Will Conroy stepped in and kept the Huskies winning streak intact Thursday night in Corvallis.
After a slow start on offense and a 2-point halftime deficit, the Huskies rallied in the second half to walk away with an 82-72 victory over the Oregon Beavers.
Emmitt Matthews Jr. got the team started early with a three-pointer on their first possession of the game. It was a sign of things to come for Matthews, who would score a team-high 10 points in the first half, including a perfect 5-5 mark from the free-throw line.
A defensive battle early, UW and OSU combined for just 25 total points after 10 minutes of action, with the Beavers holding a slim 13-12 lead.
Things would open up on the offensive end for both teams after that, with the Huskies kick-started by a Daejon Davis three-pointer.
Nate Roberts would get in on the fun, shaking the backboard with a ferocious alley-oop off a feed from Jamal Bey. It was one of two first-half buckets for Roberts, who eclipsed his season average of 3.9 points in 10 minutes of first-half action.
Facing a 38-36 hole after the first 20 minutes, UW settled in for a meat grinder of a finish. Both teams traded blows, with the lead changing sides 19 times over the course of the game.
The defense of Daejon Davis gave the Huskies their first lead of the second half when he picked off a pass and found a cutting Emmitt Matthews Jr. for a big-time slam.
Later in the half, Davis would collect another steal and finish the fast-break with his own dunk to give Washington a 57-50 lead.
With the Huskies looking to seize control of the game, Terrell Brown Jr. began cooking on offense. After 9 points in the first half, Brown Jr. established himself as the alpha on the court.
He scored 18 points in the second half on an efficient 8-12 mark from the field, making both of his free throws while not turning the ball over once.
Any time Oregon State seemed to want to chip away, Brown Jr. and the visitors were able to answer.
The Beavers would whittle the UW lead down to 5, but with 1:20 left in the game, Daejon Davis probed his way into the paint and found PJ Fuller in the corner for a dagger three to put the game away.
Washington stretched the lead to as many as 12 points and would settle with the 82-72 win. It marked the third straight Pac-12 win for UW and its fourth in its last five games.
Brown finished with 27 points, his 10th 20-point effort of the season, adding six rebounds and five assists. Emmitt Matthews Jr. had a big game for the Huskies, scoring 17 points and making all seven of his free throws. PJ Fuller (11) and Jamal Bey (10) rounded out the UW players in double figures.
Despite being in foul trouble most of the night, Daejon Davis had a tremendous night as a distributor, dishing out seven assists with zero turnovers. It was a complete effort by Washington.
UW is back in action on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. when it visits Oregon looking for its fourth straight win.
