MBB Recap: Oregon drops first home game of the year to Arizona Wildcats
The Oregon Ducks lost their first home game of the season to the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats came into Saturday the No. 9 ranked team in the AP Poll, and they gave the Ducks problems on both ends of the floor.
At the end of the first half, Oregon went on a small run, capped off by a 50-foot buzzer-beater by Jermaine Couisnard, to cut Arizona’s lead to seven points. But in the second half, the Ducks were no match for the Wildcats defense and Arizona began to pull away.
A few minutes into the second half, Oregon guard Keeshawn Barthelemy went up for a lay-in, was fouled, and landed on his defender’s foot. Immediately, Barthelemy was clearly in immense pain, and he was unable to walk off the court on his own and was carried.
Next week, Oregon heads to Los Angeles to face off with USC and UCLA, as they try to regain first place in the Pac-12.
Final Score - Oregon Ducks 78 - Arizona Wildcats 87
Oregon was no match for Arizona on Saturday afternoon.
Keys to the Game
As they seem to in every game, the Ducks got off to a slow start, allowing the Wildcats to build a substantial lead. Oregon chipped away at that lead to go into the break, down by 7.
Leading up to Saturday’s game, Oregon coach Dana Altman highlighted the importance of team defense, and how Oregon will not be a successful team when they give up 80 or more points. On Saturday, they gave up 87.
Arizona’s defense was superb in half No. 2. The Ducks FG% fell from 52% in the first half to 39% in the second. N’Faly Dante was held to only 7 points in the second half.
Oregon conceded a lot of offensive rebounds and second-chance points to the Wildcats. Arizona finished with 10 ORBs and 12 points off of them.
Top Performers
Key Stats
What's Next?
Oregon goes on the road next week to Los Angeles. First, they’ll play the USC Trojans on Thursday and then the UCLA Bruins on Saturday. The Ducks beat both LA teams at home earlier this season, so hopefully, they can beat them on the road.
