University of Oregon
Saint Mary's
Ducks' comeback falls short in home game with Gaels
12/18/08 | Men's Basketball
Oregon guards Tajuan Porter and Kamyron Brown paced the Ducks with 16 and 15 points, respectively, while junior forward Joevan Catron netted his first double-double since the Alabama contest on Nov. 24, with 11 points and 10 boards against Saint Mary's. Catron's strong performance was a good sign for the Ducks, after the Phoenix, Ill. native went down with a foot injury against Utah and missed the Ducks' game against Kansas State.
Forward Churchill Odia was second to Catron in rebounds with nine, a new career-high for the senior. His previous career-best was five rebounds on four different occasions. LeKendric Longmire also scored in double-figures for the Ducks, with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
Saint Mary's point guard Patrick Mills netted 37 points last season in the Gaels' victory in Moraga, Calif., and the sophomore sensation was equally strong in his repeat performance, leading the Gaels with 22 points and six assists.
But it was the play of Saint Mary's two starting big men that was the different in the game. Power forward Diamon Simpson grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds (six offensive) and scored 16 points while center Omar Samham also registered a double-double, with 15 points and 12 boards.
Oregon shot 41-percent in the game (25-of-61) while Saint Mary's shot 39-percent from the field (26-of-66). Both teams were ice-cold from beyond the three-point line with the Ducks connecting on just 4-of-16 shots from long range and the Gaels sinking only 4-of-19 attempts from downtown.
Oregon will battle in-state rival Portland at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20 in Eugene, in another OSN televised game (Comcast 37). The Ducks will look to win their 700th game in McArthur Court against the Pilots.
