Oregon has made a habit of beating top-10 teams this season. The 23rd-ranked Ducks latest victory over a highly-ranked opponent couldn't have come at a better time, with losses in six of their last eight games and their NCAA tournament hopes fading.

Oregon gaurd Tajuan Porter, left, controls the ball as Washington State guard Derrick Low reaches in during second thalf college basketball action in Eugene, Ore., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007. Porter scored 21 points as No. 23 Oregon beat No. 9 Washington State, 64-59. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Oregon beat No. 9 Washington 64-59 on Thursday night for its 13th straight victory over the Cougars.

"Our locker room is on fire down there and maybe this is the win we need to kind of energize us coming down the stretch," said Oregon coach Ernie Kent, whose team hasn't lost at home to Washington State since 1995.

With the victory, Oregon has now has defeated UCLA (No. 1), Arizona (No. 10) and Washington State this season, making the Ducks the only team in the country to defeat three top-10 teams.

"This is a top-10 team. We had to show the committee we're a tournament team," said Ducks freshman Tajuan Porter, who scored 21 points.

The Ducks (21-7, 9-7 Pac-10) had lost three consecutive games.

Washington State (22-5, 11-4) had won five straight since a 77-74 overtime loss to Oregon in Pullman.

After trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half, Oregon went up 46-43 midway through the second on Bryce Taylor's 3-pointer.

Washington State responded with a 9-0 run, and went ahead 52-46 on Daven Harmeling's 3-pointer.

Oregon closed to 55-53 on Porter's 3-pointer, then went ahead on another 3 by Porter with 3:36 left. Harmeling quickly put the Cougars back up with a dunk.

After Porter made a pair of free throws, Maarty Luenen's tip-in with under a minute left made it 60-57 for Oregon. After Taylor Rochestie scored for Washington State, Aaron Brooks' key layup put the Ducks up 62-59 with 12.9 seconds left.

Chamberlain Oguchi made a pair of free throws for Oregon for the final margin.

"It wouldn't have been like that if Tajuan hadn't stepped up and hit those big shots," Brooks said of his key layup.