Armstead, Jacob lead Ducks Past USC

Saturday, January 30

Eugene, Ore.

3:00 PM

University of Oregon

USC

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

01/31/10 | Men's Basketball

By: GoDucks.com

EUGENE, Ore. -- Sophomores Malcolm Armstead and Jeremy Jacob combined for 37 points in leading the University of Oregon men's basketball team to a 67-57 home win over USC Saturday afternoon at McArthur Court in Eugene. The victory improved the Ducks to 12-9 overall and 4-5 in Pac-10 Conference play. The Trojans fell to 12-9 on the year and 4-5 in league play.

Armstead and Jacob, both first-year players who transferred from Chipola College, led Oregon in points, rebounds, assists and steals. Jacob scored a game-high 19 points, making 9-of-11 from the free throw line. Armstead, who scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, led UO in rebounds (7), assists (4) and steals (3).

Senior guard Tajuan Porter added nine points and three rebounds for UO, who shot 50 percent from the field in the win (23-of-46). The Ducks made 6-of-12 on 3-pointers while hitting for 78.9 percent of their free throws (15-of-19).

The Trojans made 41.1 percent of their shots (23-of-56), including 6-of-18 on shots from behind the 3-point arc (33.3 percent). USC went just 5-of-11 from the charity stripe (45.5 percent). Dwight Lewis had a team-high 16 points for USC, while Mike Gerrity added 12 points and five assists. Nikola Vucevic had a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

Armstead helped the Ducks out to an early 5-2 lead by hitting a 15-foot jumper and on an ensuing possession a 3-pointer. Porter, on a dish from Armstead, converted a 3-pointer from the right side to put UO up 8-2 at the 16:25 mark.

Sophomore guard Teondre Williams hit a pull-up jumper with 12:30 on the clock to give the Ducks a 13-6 advantage. The Trojans countered with a 6-2 run over the next two minutes to narrow the lead to three points, 15-12.

After USC took a 17-16 edge on a 3-pointer by Lewis, the Ducks came right back to retake the lead on a 3-pointer by freshman forward E.J. Singler with seven minutes in the half.

Oregon out-scored USC, 13-11, to close the half with a 31-28 score. Oregon shot 50.0 percent from the field (13-of-26) over the first 20 minutes of action. The Ducks, who made 3-of-6 on 3-pointers, were led offensively by Jacob who had 12 points. Armstead added nine points and four assists in playing 18 first-half minutes.

USC shot 44.4 percent from the floor (12-of-27), led offensively by Lewis and Gerrity who both had eight points.

Sophomore forward Josh Crittle's jumper at the 11:10 mark put the Ducks up 45-36, their largest lead of the game to that point.

Sophomore guard Matt Humphrey came off the bench and buried a pair of 3-pointers to help Oregon out to a 43-35 edge with 12:13 remaining.

The Trojans stormed back on the back of a 9-0 run from 8:21 to 5:44 to tie the score at 47 apiece. Armstead scored seven of his 18 points over the final four and a half minutes to lead the Ducks to victory.

Oregon (12-9, 4-5 Pac-10) will return to action next Saturday with a road game against rival Oregon State.

POSTGAME NOTES

JC TRANSFER TAKEOVER: In the last 6:35 of the first half, former Chipola Junior College teammates Malcolm Armstead and Jeremy Jacob scored all 13 of Oregon's points. Jacob had the last nine points while Armstead had the first four during that stretch. Jacob had 12 at halftime and finished with a career-high 19 points while Armstead had nine at the break and finished with 18 points.

GOOD FROM DEEP: Oregon made 6-of-12 on 3-pointers against USC (50%). It was the squad's highest percentage from beyond the arc in conference play this season and their highest percentage on 3-point shots since they hit an identical number (6-of-12, 50%) in a win over Montana State on Nov. 28.

NOT SO FAST: After a 9-0 run by USC which tied the game 47-47 with 5:37 left in the game, Oregon went on a run of its own, 13-3, which pushed the score to 62-50 with 1:55 still to play.

STARTERS IN COMMAND: Head coach Ernie Kent appears to have found the Ducks' optimum starting line-up (Armstead, Porter, Wilson, Jacob, Dunigan) as those five players accounted for 97 of Oregon's 122 points in regulation in back-to-back wins (47 of 55 against UCLA and 50 of 67 against USC). Matt Humphrey and EJ Singler combined for 16 points off the bench in the overtime period against UCLA.

UP AT THE HALF: Oregon's three-point lead at halftime was the largest since the Ducks lead by 11 at Washington State. Oregon also had a one-point lead at Washington in that span.

CATRON SUITED UP: After being in street clothes for the past 16 games, senior forward Joevan Catron was in uniform against the Trojans but did not get any playing time.

IF IT'S NOT BROKE: Oregon not only used the same pink uniforms as in their win over UCLA on Thursday night, head coach Ernie Kent used the same starting lineup of Jamil Wilson, Jeremy Jacob, Michael Dunigan, Tajuan Porter and Malcolm Armstead.