Ducks defeat No. 9 Arizona stunned by shocking 87 -68 defeat
With that much talent, and one of the best coaches in the college basketball world, it makes sense that the Oregon Ducks were able to turn things around at some point in the 2022-23 season, doesn’t it?
I can’t say I expected them to turn things around against the No. But, it is the 9th best team in the nation. I’ll be honest.
Dana Altman’s Ducks shocked the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday afternoon in front of what turned out to be a raucous and rambunctious Matthew Knight Arena crowd. It featured the energy and effort that has been lacking in so many lackluster performances this season and gave Oregon it’s defining win of the season thus far.
Now, a new outlook has emerged that includes missed tournament bubbles as well as another trip to National Invitational Tournament. Oregon can feel confident about playing in March with a record-setting win like this. If they play as well as they did on Saturday afternoon, then the Ducks shouldn’t feel crazy about entertaining the notion that a couple of weekends may be possible in the tournament.
The Oregon program, which had suffered so many setbacks in the last month, celebrated this day. Here’s how everything went down:
Final Score: Oregon 87, Arizona 68
The Oregon bench celebrates an Oregon Ducks three-pointer Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023 when the Oregon Ducks host Arizona Wildcats at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.
Ncaa Basketball Arizona at Oregon Men’s Basketball
Keys to the game
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Dana Altman was able to shake things up before Arizona’s game and made a change in the starting lineup. Quincy Guerrier was moved to the bench and Brennan Rigsby was moved to the bench. Nate Bittle, Jermaine Courisnard, took their place.
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It was evident that the lineup change worked because the Ducks played their best basketball this season in the first period. Whether it was earth-shattering dunks from N’Faly Dante or steals in the full-court press, the Ducks were enthused and energetic, hanging with the Wildcats throughout the first 10 minutes.
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Oregon eventually took the lead. The Ducks took a 7-point lead, 40-33, with 2:39 of the second half’s top play.
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The Ducks led Arizona by 43 to 37 at halftime. 27 of those points were scored by Jermaine Couisnard, Dante and Dante.
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Arizona struck a pair on threes straight out of the gate in the second period to tie the match. Oregon, however, responded with a 10-0 run that gave them an impressive 53-43 lead.
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The Ducks remained focused throughout the second half and were able to increase their lead to 20 points. Arizona was often unable to get shots to fall but Oregon pushed hard and their energy on defense was sufficient to win a dominant victory at home over a top-10 national team.
The Game’s Players
(Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images
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Jermaine Couisnard: 27 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
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N’Faly Dante: 22 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3 steals
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Will Richardson: Will Richardson scored 14 points, grabbed 3 rebounds and had 5 assists. He also stole 4 shots.
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Nate Bittle: Nate Bittle scored 10 points and grabbed 4 rebounds
The Key Stats You Need to Know
(Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images).
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The Ducks ended the game with 13 steals and turned 16 Arizona turnovers into 19 points.
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Oregon won the total rebounding match 42-32 and beat Arizona 40-30.
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N’Faly Dante had a game-leading plus/minus of +21, with Couisnard and Richardson right behind him at +17.
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Dante, Richardson and Couisnard combined went 24-for-40 from field.
What’s next?
Soobum Im – USA TODAY Sports
The Ducks return to the road for a weekend getaway down to the Bay Area. This will include a game against California Golden Bears Thursday evening. The Golden Bears had a tough start to the season with a record of 3-14 in 17 games. Oregon must win this game if they are to keep their hopes alive for the postseason.