MBB Recap: Oregon survives to beat Washington at home
The Oregon Ducks beat the Washington Huskies 85-80 on Thursday night at Matthew Knight Arena, despite the Huskies’ best efforts to come back. With 10 minutes left in the game things looked smooth for the Ducks. They were hitting shots and Washington wasn’t. And then they tried to give it away.
From 9:25 to 1:20 in the second half, the Ducks missed 10 straight field-goal attempts, scored just 3 points, and allowed Washington to score 22 points. A 20-point lead suddenly had dwindled to 1.
Jermaine Couisnard played well in Thursday’s game. He finished with 27 points, 4 steals, and 5 assists, and he also made several free throws with seconds to go to seal the game for the Ducks.
Like most of the games left on Oregon’s schedule, this was a must-win game. And while it looked at points like the Ducks were going to lose after being up 20, a win is a win, and Oregon’s March Madness at-large bid hopes are alive.
Final Score - Oregon Ducks 85 - Washington Huskies 80
The Oregon Ducks outlasted the Washington Huskies at home.
Keys to the Game
Oregon lacked strong defense throughout the game. If not for Washington’s abysmal three-point shooting (4/21 in the game), the Ducks could’ve lost this game.
After shooting well to start the second half, Oregon couldn’t buy a bucket down the stretch, from 9:25 to 1:20 in the second half, the Ducks did not make a field goal and scored just 3 points.
Until the last 10 minutes of the game, the Ducks did a good job protecting the ball. They limited their turnovers and boxed out well to prevent offensive rebounds. But in the final quarter of the game, the Ducks became more careless with the ball which allowed the Huskies to come back.
KJ Evans was a massive boost for the Ducks off the bench. His 15 points accounted for most of Oregon’s 22 bench points. He also played strong transition defense throughout the game and finished with 2 steals.
Late in the second half, Washington ramped up their full-court press, which created several turnovers and brought them back into the game. At one point the Ducks led by 20, but they allowed Washington to cut it to 1.
Top Performers
Key Stats
Washington didn’t make things easy on themselves and committed many unforced errors. They finished the game 4/21 (19%) from three and committed 15 turnovers, which Oregon scored 21 points off of.
Washington shot 46% from the field, while Oregon shot just 40%. The Ducks were more efficient from three, making 33% of shots beyond the arc compared to the Huskies’ 19%.
Washington outrebounded Oregon 39 to 38.
Oregon shot 4/8 from the free-throw line in the last five minutes, excluding shots following intentional fouls.
What's Next?
On Saturday, Oregon will take on the Washington State Cougars at Matthew Knight Arena. Earlier this season, the Ducks beat the Cougars 89-84 in Pullman, but since that game, Washington State has become one of the top teams in the conference. As of Tuesday, the Cougars are one of three Pac-12 teams who would qualify for March Madness if the season ended today, according to ESPN Bracketology.
