MBB Recap: Ducks blow out Cal, 84-51, in penultimate home game of season
History was made before the first point was even scored on Thursday night at Matthew Knight Arena.
As soon as the ball was tipped, Will Richardson entered the record books.
Oregon’s game against the California Golden Bears marked the 145th time that Richardson laced them up in his college career, giving him the most games of anyone in Ducks’ history. Both Jonathan Lloyd and Payton Pritchard previously held the record at 144 career games.
As far as the rest of the game went, it was largely uneventful. The Ducks managed to build a sizeable lead late in the first half and never looked back, which gave the starters and hobbled players a chance to rest through the waning minutes of the game.
Here’s how everything went down.
Final Score: Oregon 84, California 51
Oregon center N’Faly Dante and Oregon forward Quincy Guerrier leap to rebound a shot as the Oregon Ducks host the California Golden Bears Thursday, March 2, 2023 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore.
Ncaa Basketball Cal At Oregon Mbb California At Oregon
Keys to the game
It was a sloppy start for both sides, with a combined 4 turnovers in the first 5 possessions of the game. The two teams settled in, though, and went back-and-forth scoring for the opening 10 minutes.
The Ducks didn’t start to put some space between themselves and Cal until late in the first half. A couple of buckets drove the lead up to 25-17, forcing a Cal timeout with 6:46 left in the half. The lead continued to grown thanks to some great play from Jermaine Cousinard, who hit a pair of threes to make it a 36-22 lead with 2:20 remaining. The Ducks ultimately took a 42-26 lead into the break.
Nate Bittle got off to a hot start in the second half, scoring 5 quick points and forcing a Cal timeout with the Ducks up 49-32. The Oregon bigs continued to light up the scoreboard, stretching the lead to 62-36 with 12:52 remaining.
With the game well in hand, leading 80-49, Dana Altman emptied the bench with 3:22 remaining in the game.
Players of the Game
Jermaine Couisnard: 17 points, 3 rebounds
N’Faly Dante: 10 points, 6 rebounds
Nate Bittle: 10 points, 6 rebounds
Rivaldo Soares: 10 points, 5 rebounds
Tyrone Williams: 9 points, 4 rebounds
What's Next?
Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports
The Ducks host the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday afternoon for their final regular season game of the year before the Pac-12 Tournament starts next week. Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m. PT.
