University of Oregon
2-0
Detroit
1-1
Ducks Overcome Inconsistent Shooting to Grind Out Win
11/18/14 | Men's Basketball
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon survived an off-kilter night offensively by limiting Detroit to .358 shooting in an 83-66 victory before 5,051 in Matthew Knight Arena on Monday evening.
How It Happened: For the third time this season, going back to the second exhibition game, the Ducks started slow, falling behind 9-5 before going up 10-9 on an alley-oop for Jordan Bell from Joseph Young. Oregon led 17-16 before another cold stretch helped the Titans go ahead 24-17, but the Ducks answered with an 8-0 run to claw back ahead. Detroit scored the final basket of the first half to forge a 35-35 tie, a fitting score for a half in which neither team executed with much consistency.
Oregon's offensive struggles were illustrated best by Young's 0-of-7 performance from the field before halftime, three days after he scored 25 in the first half of the opener. He rallied by going 7-of-16 in the second half, but the Ducks fell back on other aspects of their game to grind out the victory. Oregon used 10 offensive rebounds to score 11 second-chance points after halftime, and held the Titans to 34.4 percent shooting in the half. The Ducks methodically pulled away down the stretch and ended the night in emphatic fashion, as Dwayne Benjamin blocked a shot and fed Elgin Cook for a dunk with a no-look pass, then hit a three-pointer to account for the final points of the game.
Who Stood Out: Young finished with 22 points, despite going 1-of-12 from three-point range. Fellow senior guard Jalil Abdul-Bassit added a career-high 17 points and six rebounds, scoring key baskets as the Ducks pushed their lead to double digits midway through the second half. Likewise, Dillon Brooks fought for some tough baskets in the first half as Oregon struggled to find its rhythm, finishing with 14 points. Bell had another encouraging game, leading the Ducks in rebounds for the second time in two games, with nine, and adding six points with four assists.
Quotable: "I knew from warmups I was feeling pretty good. I told a few of my teammates I was feeling pretty good. I just wanted to do whatever I could to win the game." — Abdul-Bassit
"We simply didn't execute much. We had some bad possessions, both in the first half and second half — fewer in the second half, but a couple of those possessions against the zone were not good. We've got a lot to work through to make sure we get the best shots available." — UO coach Dana Altman
"We're not going to make shots every single game. That's when it comes down to guarding and rebounding." — Abdul-Bassit
Odds and Ends: The Ducks tied the arena record with their 33 three-point attempts. … The Titans suited up nine players, while Oregon had eight scholarship players in uniform. Junior post Michael Chandler remains sidelined by a knee injury. … Detroit senior Juwan Howard Jr. is the son and namesake of the former Michigan and NBA star. … Titans starter Brandan Kearney is an Arizona State transfer who played two minutes against the Ducks last season.
What It Means: Oregon (2-0) proved it could win on a night when shots weren't falling offensively, and when its star — Young — isn't firing on all cylindars. Overall it was a quality win against a tough, veteran opponent, one in which the Ducks could take valuable lessons away and yet came through with the victory.
Up Next: The Ducks continue play in the Progressive Legends Classic when they host Toledo in Matthew Knight Arena on Friday (4 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Networks).
