Just five days ago, a despondent Washington team looked lost, like a team in search of a true leader following its 28-point loss to WSU. Last night against the No. 7 Ducks, though, the team had no shortage of players stepping up.

In another twist along the long road of the season, the Huskies (12-7 overall, 2-6 Pac-10) took it to their rivals at home in Hec Edmundson Pavilion, winning 89-77.

“I’m proud of the way our guys competed,” said coach Lorenzo Romar. “I think we put forth the kind of effort that wins ball games.”

After a three-game skid, it took a collective effort from the team, and one extraordinary effort from Justin Dentmon, to give Washington the win.

The sophomore guard stepped back into his starting role against Oregon (18-2 overall, 6-2 Pac-10) and had himself a career night. His 24 points were not only a game-high, but also a career-high, and he rounded out his night with seven assists, six rebounds and three steals.

“Tonight showed how much progress he has made,” Romar said. “Hopefully he can keep it up, and there is nothing to show that he won’t.”

Dentmon was just one cog in the machine last night, however. Romar thought his team played much better on defense against Oregon, and with much more intensity.

That intensity was also seen in the coach. With the game tied at 63-63 with 13:27 left in the game, Romar erupted after a loose-ball foul on Quincy Pondexter. The outburst earned him a technical foul but may have been the turning point in the game.

Oregon’s Bryce Taylor made both free throws to put his team ahead, but the Huskies forced a turnover on the next possession and proceeded to outscore their opponent 20-10 during the next 10 minutes.

Dentmon explained the team’s surge after the technical saying, “We came together and said, ‘He did that for us; let’s win this one for him.’”

Taylor’s free throws marked the last time the Ducks would take the lead, and Washington continued to expand the margin, eventually creating a 14-point gap with less than a minute to play.

Another factor that played into the Huskies’ win was the absence of Oregon guard Aaron Brooks, who sat out the game with a suspension. Romar realized the Ducks truly missed their most outstanding player, but Oregon coach Ernie Kent was not willing to place the loss solely on that.

“Well, you do miss him,” Kent said. “He is our leader, and we know that. But at the same time, he has nothing to do with blocking out [Jon] Brockman and blocking out Spencer [Hawes] on the boards. There are other things on the floor that have to do with the guys in the locker room. They didn’t do a good enough job in this ball game.”

Brockman and Hawes were both forces for Washington in the win. The freshman scored 11 of his 15 points in the second half, and Brockman contributed 14 points and eight rebounds and shot 6-of-6 down the stretch from the free-throw line.

“It was definitely a must-win for us,” Hawes said. “We knew this could do a lot for us coming down to the tournament, and the scene in our locker room after the game really erased a lot of the [frustration].”

Reach reporter Justin Chartrey at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.