University of Oregon
SE Missouri State
Oregon Puts Down SE Missouri State, 86-61
11/21/11 | Men's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - E.J. Singler scored 21 points to lead Oregon past Southeast Missouri State, 86-61 Sunday.
Garrett Sim also scored 14 and Jeremy Jacob added 10 points for the Ducks (2-1), who put the game away with a 32-1 run that spanned the first and second halves.
Tyler Stone led the Redhawks (1-3) with 20 points. Marland Smith also had 12 points.
"I thought we played some really good basketball this afternoon," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "I thought we played hard I thought we moved the ball well. I think we took a big step today."
Oregon led 24-21 with 4:36 to play in the first half when Jacob made a pair of free throws to start a 14-0 run that ended with Oregon up 38-21 at halftime.
That run grew to 21-0 in the opening minutes of the second half, and then eventually 32-1, making it 56-22 with 14:15 to play, and the Ducks lead hovered around 30 points for the rest of the game.
Singler finished 8-for-10 from the field and was perfect on his two 3-point attempts and three free-throw tries. He also was tied for the game-high with seven rebounds.
"I definitely felt I was in a rhythm," Singler said. "The last couple of games I felt like I wasn't getting open."
The Ducks improved measurably from the free-throw line and dramatically decreased their turnovers from the first two games.
They came in shooting 56 percent (34-for-61) from the foul line but made 20-of-25 free throws against the Redhawks. They also had just eight turnovers after committing 41 in their first two games.
"I think we just slowed down," Singler said. "We really made up our minds that we're going to take care of the ball."
Oregon center Tony Woods injured his right ankle early in the second half and was taken to the locker room for the rest of the game. Afterwards, Altman said Woods would get the ankle x-rayed and that he probably won't play Wednesday at Nebraska.
Before the game, Oregon announced freshman Jabari Brown had left the team.
"He just came in yesterday and said he had decided to leave," Altman said. "I will say right up front, I don't want him to leave. I did try to talk him out of it. I wanted him to reconsider. I hope he does reconsider. The door is still open. He is a good young man."
Brown, a five-star guard from Oakland and the centerpiece of the Altman's 2011 recruiting class, started his first two games for Oregon and averaged six points and two rebounds in just over 25 minutes per game.
"He hasn't gotten off to the start he wanted," Altman said. "It's his decision and I want what's best for him, first of all, but I do want him in the program."
