MBB Recap: Ducks fall to Badgers in NIT quarterfinals, 61-58
The season had to end at some point. Unfortunately for the Oregon Ducks, it ended in a fashion where it feels like they left a lot on the table.
The Wisconsin Badgers came into Matthew Knight Arena and found a way to hold on and beat the Ducks, advancing to the semifinal round of the National Invitation Tournament, where they will play North Texas in Las Vegas.
It was a game that was back and forth from start to finish, and one where Oregon was unable to overcome some poor free-throw shooting in the end.
The Ducks shot just 4-for-12 from the charity stripe, and got out-rebounded 44-35.
Oregon’s season is now over, and we will look toward the offseason and try to parse out what this team will look like next year.
Before we do all of that, here’s a closer look at how things went down on Tuesday.
Final Score: Wisconsin 61, Oregon 58
Oregon head coach Dana Altman talks to his players as the Oregon Ducks host Wisconsin in the quarterfinal round of the NIT Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore.
Ncaa Basketball Wisconsin At Oregon Mbb Nit Wisconsin At Oregon
How it Happened
Oregon’s defense had some really good intensity early on in the game, forcing a trio of turnovers on Wisconsin’s first handful of possessions. The Badgers quickly found a rhythm and took a 10-9 lead about 5 minutes into the game. Wisconsin eventually extended that lead to 17-11 as the Ducks went cold offensively.
The Ducks got a couple of buckets to drop with both Keeshawn Barthelemy and Quincy Guerrier doing some nice work in the paint, floating shots over Wisconsin’s big men. The Ducks eventually took a 24-23 lead with just under 4 minutes to play in the half after going on an 8-2 run.
Nate Bittle, Kel’el Ware, and Lök Wur picked up two fouls each in the first half, which impacted the physicality that the Ducks could play with on defense, especially with the size of Wisconsin. Oregon went into the break trailing 27-26.
The back-and-forth nature of the game continued throughout the start of the second half, with the Ducks briefly taking a lead twice, but Wisconsin battling back both times to even it and take the lead back again.
Back-to-back threes from Tyrone Williams and Nate Bittle gave Oregon a 41-37 lead, forcing a Wisconsin timeout with 12:23 remaining. Rivaldo Soares added another three for the Ducks, who went up 45-37 with 10 minutes remaining after a 10-0 run. Wisconsin put together a quick 7-2 run to get the Oregon lead down to 3, but a deep ball from Quincy Guerrier stretched it to 50-44 and forced a timeout.
Wisconsin hit a 3 with 1:37 left to take a 56-55 lead, but Guerrier got a layup to fall at the other end to retake the lead. At the other end, Wisconsin knocked down another 3, followed by an Oregon miss. However, the Ducks forced a turnover and got the ball with 30 seconds remaining, down 2.
Bittle went to the FT line with 11 seconds to play, Ducks down 2. He missed the first, and made the second. At the other end, Wisconsin missed a layup, but Oregon was unable to secure the rebound and instead knocked it out of bounds, leading to a foul and 2 made FT from the Badgers with 2.2 seconds remaining.
Oregon was able to get a good look for Quincy Guerrier on a game-tying three, but it was off the back-iron, ending the game.
Players of the Game
Keeshawn Barthelemy: 15 points, 4 rebounds
Quincy Guerrier: 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks
Nate Bittle: 7 points, 7 rebounds
Key Stats to Know
To nobody’s surprise, the Ducks were 1-for-10 from deep in the first half of the game.
Wisconsin out-rebounded Oregon 21-16 in the first half, with a 7-3 offensive rebounding battle, and a 7-2 second-chance-points edge.
The Ducks really struggled from the free throw line, making just 1 of their first 6 from the line. Oregon finished 4-for-12 from the FT line.
The Badgers out-rebounded the Ducks 44-35 in the game, including 14 offensive rebounds that led to 9 second-chance points.
Oregon held Wisconsin to just 33% shooting from the field, but couldn’t overcome the fact that the Ducks themselves were just 33% from FT.
What's Next?
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
That puts a wrap on the 2022-23 season for the Oregon Ducks. Now we turn our heads to what the roster will look like in the coming months, which players choose to stick around for another year, and who comes to Eugene from the transfer portal.
