University of Oregon
9-4
Boise State
5-8
Ducks' 14 Steals Seal Sweep of BSU
12/29/18 | Men's Basketball
The Oregon men’s basketball team recorded a season-high 14 steals to defeat the Broncos for the second time this season, 62-50.
BOISE, Idaho – The Oregon men's basketball team recorded a season-high 14 steals to notch its second win against Boise State this season, taking down the Broncos, 62-50, at Taco Bell Arena on Saturday.
Oregon came into their own in the second half, turning Boise State missteps into offensive productivity to pick up their first true road win of the season. Redshirt senior transfer Ehab Amin led the way for the Ducks, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds and three steals.
How It Happened: Despite both sides getting off to a slow start, Oregon proved to be the more dominant team after making some key adjustments at the half.
Oregon (9-4) and Boise State struggled offensively to begin the game, with neither team putting up points until the 17:28 mark when the Broncos sunk a pair of free throws. But the Ducks were quick to strike next as they went on a 6-0 run after the first media timeout to take a 6-2 with 14:03 left in the half.
However, Boise State (5-8) began to get comfortable as the Ducks battled some foul trouble midway through the first half, going on an 11-0 run to take a 16-9 lead, with 5:45 left. Ehab Amin provided a spark off the bench, scoring six points in the final three minutes of the half to limit the Broncos' damage and send Oregon into the locker room trailing by just five points, 26-21.
Oregon came back out in the second half with a sense of urgency. The Ducks began the half with a full-court press which provided a snapshot into what this Oregon team is capable of both offensively and defensively. At the top of the press was Victor Bailey Jr. who led the charge for UO as he got three straight steals, leading a 6-0 Oregon run to give the Ducks a one point edge, 27-26 with 18:05 remaining.
The Broncos continued to hang around, until Paul White hit a three at 13:05 putting the Ducks up two points, 37-35, and giving them the lead for good. Boise attempted to come back, cutting Oregon's lead down to six points, 54-48 with 4:48 left in the game, but Amin continued to dominate on both ends of the court, notching four points and getting a couple of steals in the final minutes to ensure that Oregon would come out with the victory.
Who Stood Out: Amin finished the game with 23 points and tied his season high in rebounds with six … Paul White finished in double digits as well with 13 points … Victor Bailey Jr. and Louis King each had nine points … Victory Bailey Jr. and Paul White both recorded a new career high in steals with three each.
Notable: Payton Pritchard passed Fred Jones for seventh in UO career assists, finishing the game with 371, Jones had 367 assists from 1998-02 … Francis Okoro made his first appearance in the starting lineup … Oregon had a season-high 14 steals … The Ducks had 12 points off of Boise State turnovers in the second half after having no points off of turnovers in the first half.
Quotable:
Francis Okoro, Freshman
"It was good, I was excited to play. It was a big test for me. I was focused on defense, having to defend different people every night. I just tried to be in the right place at the right time. We just needed to win."
Up Next: The Ducks open Pac-12 play with the 351st Civil War matchup against the Beavers on Saturday (5 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Networks)
