Pac-12 tournament 2015: Oregon hopes third time is a charm against Arizona in championship game

After what was without a doubt the most exciting finish to a game all season, the Ducks are hoping that, when in comes to trying to beat the Arizona Wildcats, the third time is the charm.

In both of the previous two meetings this year between Arizona and Oregon, the Wildcats put the hammer down, winning by an average margin of 26 points. On January 8 in Eugene, the Wildcats came out on top in an 80-62 win. Then, on January 28 in Tucson, Oregon was dealt perhaps their worst loss of the season in a 90-56 thumping by Arizona.

But that was before the Ducks finished the regular season by winning nine of their final ten games after getting blown out by Arizona. Since that 34-point loss to the Wildcats on January 28, the Ducks have gone 11-1, with their only loss coming to UCLA on the road back on February 14.

Obviously, Stanley Johnson is the player you always need to look out for when facing Arizona. But if the Ducks hope to finally take down the Wildcats, they'll also need to shut down Gabe York and T.J. McConnell, both who have given Oregon major headaches this year. Back on January 8 in Eugene, McConnell led Arizona with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Then, in Tucson, York came off the bench to score 16 points, including shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Oregon will also need to find a way to shut down Brandon Ashley, who dropped 24 against UCLA last night in their semifinal.

Arizona has plenty of weapons and even more ways to beat you, but the Ducks are one of the hottest teams in the nation right now. Does Joseph Young have any magic leftover from last night, or will the Wildcats win their first conference tournament since 2002?

Tale of the Tape