EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- The Oregon Ducks are rising again, and they

aren't putting limits on how far they can go.

And that includes the NCAA Tournament.

Chamberlain Oguchi had 18 points and Malik Hairston added 15 to

lead Oregon to a convincing 67-37 win over Washington State on

Saturday.

The Ducks, who picked up their 18th win in the last 19 meetings

with Washington State, improved to 12-15 and 6-9 in the Pac-10.

They recently lost six games in a row, and forward Ivan Johnson is

back in coach Ernie Kent's doghouse.

But Oregon has won two of its last three, a stretch that

included a 75-72 loss to No. 20 Washington. And the Ducks are as

optimistic as they've been in a long time.

"It's all about the Pac-10 Tournament," said center Matt

Short, who along with Brandon Lincoln was honored in Senior Day

festivities. "Our destiny lies there. We want to get that sixth

spot so we only play three games. We're playing pretty well right

now so we've got a chance to win and get into the NCAA

Tournament."

Robbie Cowgill led Washington State with 11 points. The Cougars

(11-12, 4-10), have lost nine of their last 11 games, and coach

Dick Bennett is clearly frustrated with the way the season's gone.

"I've had a lot of teams for 40 years now and they always look

smart and tough out there, but I just haven't been able to do it at

Washington State," said Bennett, who came out of retirement three

years ago to take the head coaching job.

Kyle Weaver and Josh Akognon each had 10 points for the Cougars,

who shot just 26 percent for the game, their lowest in Pac-10 game

this season. They were outrebounded 45-28.

"This was a very embarassing performance for us," Bennett

said.

Both teams started off the game ice-cold -- the score was 1-1

until the 12:27 mark of the first half. The Ducks warmed up quickly

from there, activating a fast-break that yielded an 11-2 run.

Oregon extended its lead to 21-8 after Oguchi and Aaron Brooks

knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers.

The Cougars never found their bearings in the first half, making

just three of their 23 field goal attempts, and trailed 30-10 at

halftime.

Oregon went ahead 44-22 after Brooks found Hairston for a layup

at 11:49 in the second half. Washington State put together an 11-2

run, but the Ducks countered with their own 10-0 run to end any

threat.

"I told them at halftime that as a player and as a coach, that

was the best defensive performance I've seen by a team in this

building," Kent said.

Brooks added 12 points, five rebounds and five assists for

Oregon. Johnson, who has been held out of two whole games and parts

of two others already this season, didn't play at all against

Washington State. Kent called it a "coach's decision," and said

it related to an incident against Washington, a game where the

junior transfer received a technical foul.

Washington State's point total was its lowest since a 50-30 loss

to UCLA on Feb. 11. It was the Cougars' worst road loss under

Bennett.

"I guess the game belongs to the younger people, and well it

should," said the 62-year-old Bennett, who has hinted in the past

about stepping down in favor of son Tony, a Washington State

assistant.

Oregon last held a Pac-10 team to 37 points or less in a 29-23

loss to Oregon State in 1984.