EUGENE, Oregon (Ticker) -- With Luke Jackson out, Luke Ridnour turned it up for Oregon.
Ridnour scored 24 of his career-high 28 points in the second half and freshman Ian Crosswhite added 14 as the 21st-ranked Ducks posted a 76-66 triumph over Pac-10 Conference rival Washington State.
James Davis chipped in 13 points and Andre Joseph 11 as Oregon (14-4, 4-3) improved to 27-1 in the last 28 games at McArthur Court. The Ducks used a strong effort from the free-throw line - they made all 19 of their attempts - to post their fourth straight win overall.
Oregon trailed 32-31 at the break but opened the second half with an 18-6 burst. Joseph had five points before Ridnour scored the final seven in the spurt.
The game was tied, 51-51, with just over seven minutes left when Ridnour took over. His layup sparked an 11-0 run in which he scored nine points, and the Cougars got no closer than seven thereafter.
Ridnour said a halftime talk by Oregon coach Ernie Kent was a factor.
"He told me to step up and take over," Ridnour said. "My teammates found me and I was able to make that shot."
Oregon was without Jackson, its second-leading scorer and top rebounder who suffered a severe laceration on his right ring finger Thursday. He is expected to remained sidelined a week.
"We certainly missed him in a lot of areas," Kent said. "It was a plus to see some guys step up and get more minutes and experience. ... People are going to have to step up and fill the different spots that he filled."
Thomas Kelati had 18 points to lead Washington State (5-12, 0-8) but committed seven of the Cougars' 19 turnovers.
"I thought our kids competed really well," Washington State coach Paul Graham said. "I am proud of our team because they came out and played hard."
Ridnour made 8-of-15 shots from the field and was 11-of-11 from the line. He added seven assists and three steals.
"He's a really good player," Graham said. "He plays a smart game."