LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Virginia can breathe. Pretty soon, the Cavaliers actually may be able to celebrate.

The top-seeded Cavaliers narrowly avoided suffering their latest program-staining NCAA Tournament defeat, and advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time since 1995 with Thursday’s 53-49 South Regional semifinal win over 12th-seeded Oregon at KFC Yum! Center.

“It was just kind of a slugfest. It felt like it,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “And it was sort of last man standing.”

Virginia (32-3), which broke the school-record for wins for a second straight year, is now light years past last year’s first round upset to 16th-seeded UMBC, and just one win from reaching the Final Four for the first time since 1984. The Cavaliers next face third-seeded Purdue on Saturday night.

In Bennett’s only trip to the Elite Eight (2016), the top-seeded Cavaliers lost to Syracuse after blowing a 15-point lead in the final 10 minutes. To get another chance, the Cavaliers put forth an underwhelming and unattractive effort against the Ducks that only Bennett could want to stuff in a time capsule.

Virginia shot less than 36 percent from the field, and hit just 9-of-33 from 3-point range, while producing no bench points, no fast-break points and just five free throw attempts.

“Ugly is in the eye of the beholder,” Bennett said. “Maybe it wasn’t great, but I thought it was pretty good-looking for us defensively. … You just hang on, hang your hat on defense, and hopefully you get enough offense.

“It was what was required.”

It was what was needed to hand Oregon (25-13) its first loss since Feb. 23, and end the Ducks’ 10-game win streak, which featured four wins in four days in the Pac-12 Tournament. The Ducks’ streak peaked with them becoming the only team seeded lower than fifth in the Sweet 16.

Entering with one of the most fearsome defenses in the field, the Ducks were bested by the group which has spent the past few years turning defensive stops into performance art. Oregon shot 38 percent from the field, with 11 turnovers and eight assists.

“Virginia does a real good job of just making things difficult,” Oregon’s Paul White said.

Just as in tournaments past, Virginia’s offense put the season in peril.

The Cavaliers trailed by six after scoring just 10 points through the first 13 minutes, but managed to take a 30-22 halftime lead by grabbing the half’s only seven offensive rebounds, and committing only three turnovers. The Cavaliers’ shooting struggles — second-leading scorer Kyle Guy hit 2-of-11 from 3-point range — allowed the Ducks to keep the deficit in single-digits, while using the athleticism and length which has notoriously caused problems for Virginia.

New Jersey native Louis King, who finished with 16 points, put Oregon ahead with a tie-breaking 3-pointer with 5:43 remaining, but Ty Jerome (13 points, six assists) wrested the lead back for good when he hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:34 to play. The Ducks endured a five-plus minute scoring drought, and failed to make a field goal in the final 5:43.

“We were communicating, scrambling, keeping guys in front, rebounding. We were doing all the things we practice every day,” said De’Andre Hunter, who pushed a three-point Virginia lead to five twice in the final 30 seconds. “I think those last five minutes just shows how great we can be.”

Virginia now has its best chance to show it actually is great.