The Lockdown Ducks are here to stay.

Oregon women’s basketball put together a wire-to-wire defensive performance on Thursday, beating No. 16 Michigan State 63-59 on the road in East Lansing to further assert themselves in the Big Ten with a fourth consecutive win.

The Ducks (16-5, 7-3 Big Ten) held a typically high-scoring MSU team to just 34% shooting, and found their own three-point stroke on the other end by shooting 43% from beyond the arc. They held off a late surge by the Spartans (17-4, 7-3), who trailed by 15 through three but pulled it back close in the final few minutes. It was Michigan State’s first home loss of the season.

Oregon was led by Peyton Scott with 12 points, Deja Kelly and Nani Falatea with 10 points apiece, and Phillipina Kyei with nine points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals.

The Spartans got 14 points apiece from Grace VanSlooten — the Oregon transfer — and Julia Ayrault.

Michigan State came in with an average margin of victory of 34 points at home, scoring nearly 82 points per game this season, but Oregon would lock them down defensively from the opening tip.

The Ducks took a 11-2 lead early, forcing tough shots from the Spartans and getting easy buckets inside on the other end.

Sarah Rambus, the Michigan product with dozens of friends and family in attendance, scored back-to-back baskets for the Ducks. Led by her effort and the outside shooting of Sofia Bell, Oregon thrived in transition and kept the defensive squeeze on, taking a 21-8 lead through the first quarter.

Despite cooling off a bit offensively in the second, the Ducks’ stingy defense kept them up double digits throughout. VanSlooten was among the few offensive bright spots for the Spartans, working her way inside on multiple occasions, but the paint typically belonged to Kyei and company.

Oregon carried a 35-23 lead into halftime, holding Michigan State to just 27% shooting.

Scott and Kelly came out firing in the second half for the Ducks, with Kelly’s three-pointer extending the Oregon advantage to 43-27. A layup by Kyei made it 45-27.

With Michigan State trying to mount a comeback, coach Robyn Fralick picked up a technical foul. A pair of free throws from Scott made it 52-36 Ducks late in the third.

Oregon led, 55-40, through three.

Michigan State attacked the basket as the fourth began, pressuring the Ducks hard in the full-court as momentum began to grow for the home side. The Spartans’ 8-1 run forced a timeout by Oregon coach Kelly Graves with 7:06 remaining, with the Ducks leading 56-48.

MSU cut it down to 56-50, but Kelly nailed a midrange jumper for Oregon to stop the run.

Theryn Hallock’s and-one made it just 58-53 Ducks with 4:33 remaining. Another and-one by Ayrault, but with a missed free throw, made it 58-55 as Oregon’s lead teetered on the brink.

Kyei would return to the game and hit a free throw with just over three minutes to go, and Graves tried to settle his squad late on the road, leading by just four with 3:23 to go.

A series of offensive rebounds gave Oregon plenty of chances, leading 61-55, and while they didn’t score it took a significant chunk off the clock. The Ducks wound it down and eventually got a stop on the other end thanks to Kyei’s steal, taking a timeout with 1:17 left.

Oregon turned it over on the inbound, but it didn’t end up mattering as Ayrault was triple-teamed and missed one inside. The Ducks were able to dribble even more off the clock, but gave it back to Michigan State on the miss by Kyei with just over 30 seconds to go.

Playing the foul game late, Oregon finished it out as Kyei was clutch as the line. The Ducks will head to Ann Arbor with another ranked win on their ever-strengthening NCAA tournament résumé.

Next game: Oregon (16-5, 7-3 Big Ten) at Michigan (14-7, 5-5)

• When: Sunday, Feb. 2
• Time: 9 a.m. PT
• Where: Crisler Center — Ann Arbor, Mich.
• TV: B1G+
• Radio: Oregon Sports Network

— Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.