Freshmen Help Ducks Stifle UW

Thursday, February 8

Eugene, OR

7:15 PM

University of Oregon

16-8, 6-5

Washington

17-7, 7-4

Washington

Oregon

Photo by: Samuel Marshall/Eric Evans Photography

02/08/18 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score: Oregon-Washington 2017-18 Season Stats

Kenny Wooten blocked seven shots and Troy Brown Jr. led Oregon with 21 points in a 65-40 win over Washington on Thursday.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon men's basketball team rebounded from its distressing loss at Stanford in emphatic fashion Thursday, with freshmen Troy Brown Jr. and Kenny Wooten leading the way in a 65-40 defeat of Washington before 9,938 fans in Matthew Knight Arena.

Coming off a 35-point loss at Stanford, the Ducks held the Huskies to their fewest points in the rivalry since 1945, as Brown matched his career high with 21 points and Wooten set a career best with seven blocked shots. "We took charges, we dove on the floor for loose balls — we were just a different team," UO coach Dana Altman said. "Now the challenge is, who are we? Are we the team that played Saturday, or the team that played tonight?"

How It Happened: Oregon (16-8, 6-5 Pac-12) attacked the Huskies' conference-leading three-point defense from the start, with Brown hitting a three and Payton Pritchard adding two more for an early 9-7 lead. After Elijah Brown scored to put the Ducks up 11-10, Troy Brown put the team on his shoulders. The freshman scored Oregon's next 13 points, including eight straight after the Ducks endured a scoreless stretch of 5:35 that allowed Washington (17-7, 7-4) to take a 19-16 lead.

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Brown broke the funk with a jumper, banked a short shot off the glass, slammed home a dunk off a steal and finished his run with reverse layin for a 24-19 lead. That helped the Ducks finished the half on a 12-2 run, and lead 28-21 at halftime. "The Stanford loss was something that really gave us an awakening," Brown said. "We needed that win, a significant win, and we've just got to come out Sunday and keep on building from there."

At halftime, Wooten had three blocked shots, and he more than doubled that in the second half. His signature sequence of the game came with Oregon up 52-38, as Wooten scored on a reverse layin, blocked a shot at the other end and then flushed home an alley oop from Pritchard for a 56-38 lead. "Kenny was special, defensively," Altman said. "Not only the blocks, but he had 'em thinking the whole time. His activity was a big difference."

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Who Stood Out: Wooten blocked five or more shots for the fifth time this season, but the first since Dec. 29. He contributed to Oregon's total of 42 deflections that were a season-high, reflecting their activity on defense as a team. That helped Oregon hold UW to its fewest points in the rivalry since a 59-36 win on Jan. 26, 1945. It was the Ducks' best defensive performance since holding Nebraska to 38 on Dec. 15, 2012, and the best by Oregon in Matthew Knight Arena since Idaho State managed just 35 on Dec. 8, 2012.

What It Means: The Ducks avoided suffering back-to-back losses for the third time this season, winning for the fourth time in five games to remain in the top half of the Pac-12 standings, and thus in the hunt for a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

Up Next: The Ducks remain at home to host Washington State on Sunday (5 p.m., ESPNU).