No. 3 Arizona squeaked by Oregon State 74-69 tonight.

The Wildcats (28-2, 15-2 Pac-12 Conference) avoided the upset with a late defense stand after one of its worst offensive showings on the season.

Arizona struggled to sustain a run and turn a five-point lead into a greater one.

Johnson led the Wildcats with 25 points, a career high.

After Johnson freshman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson followed up with 13 points.

As a team, Arizona shot 42 percent and made 63 percent of its free throws.

The Beavers (15-14, 7-10) were led all night by guard Roberto Nelson, who also finished with 25 points.

Despite a small crowd, the unintimidating Beaver student section seemed to rattle the Wildcats with its silence.

The Wildcats were out-shot as well as out-rebounded, ending the game with 34 rebounds.

Arizona freshman Aaron Gordon fouled out late and finished with just eight points on 3-for-9 shooting.

Oregon State nearly became the third school to score 70 or more points on the Wildcats but fell short, even though it was just six points away with three minutes remaining.

—Follow Luke Della @LukeDella