Oregon MBB recap: Ducks downed by UConn Huskies in PK85 opener
It was forgivable – understandable even – that the Oregon Ducks dropped a game to the Houston Cougars last week to move to 2-2 on the season. Houston looks like perhaps the best team in all of college basketball, and Oregon held them to 66 points and hung tough throughout.
However – Thursday’s performance against the UConn Huskies in the Phil Knight Invitational didn’t give Duck fans anything to be thankful for.
Dana Altman’s squad shot an abysmal 20-for-47 from the field, good for just 42.6%, while turning the ball over a whopping 17 times. Factor in a horrific 14-25 showing at the free throw line and you have all the makings of a world class beatdown, suffered on Nike founder Phil Knight’s birthday in Portland, just a few hours north of Matthew Knight Arena. Yikes.
Here is some more info on Thursday’s tough outing for the Ducks, and what is coming up for Altman’s team this weekend:
Final Score: UConn 83, Oregon 59
Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Keys to the Game
Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Oregon shot just 42.6% from the field and 5-15 (33%) from deep. Not having Keeshawn Barthelemy or Jermaine Couisnard forced Rivaldo Soares and Will Richardson to shoulder the load in the backcourt, and they combined to go 5-19 from the field with four turnovers and three assists. That’s not going to get it done.
Speaking of turnovers, Oregon had a whopping 17 of them, leading to plenty of easy scoring opportunities for the Huskies.
UConn was led by dynamic transfer guard Tristen Newton, who had 23 points and six assists while shooting an excellent 5-6 from deep. The same number of made threes as the Ducks combined.
Kel’el Ware was fantastic off the bench, but all other Oregon non-starters scored just four points.
Stats to Know
Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
N’Faly Dante had 15 points to lead Oregon’s starters, but he managed just one rebound and turned the ball over four times.
Kel’el Ware led the Ducks with 18 points off the bench, while tacking on nine rebounds and two assists. He was 6-8 from the field and 2-3 from deep. A much needed performance from him.
Will Richardson’s quiet start to the season continued, as he had just nine points while shooting 3-9 from beyond the arc, and adding just two assists. Oregon only had 11 assists on the day.
What's Next
Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Oregon will play the loser between the No. 12 Michigan State Spartans and No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide, taking place on Thursday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 PM PT.
The game will take place on Friday, 11/25 at 9:00 PM PT.
