Thursday, January 9
Eugene, OR
6:00 PM
University of Oregon
13-3,2-1Pac-12
74
vs
73
Arizona
11-4,1-1Pac-12
1
2
OT 1
F
Arizona
36
30
7
73
Oregon
34
32
8
74
Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto
Ducks Win Overtime Thriller
01/09/20 | Men's Basketball
Sophomore Will Richardson took command in overtime Thursday to help No. 9 Oregon win its fourth straight over Arizona, 74-73.
EUGENE, Ore. — Sophomore sixth man Will Richardson scored seven of Oregon's eight points in overtime Thursday, including the game-winning basket with 15 seconds left in the extra period as the No. 9 Ducks held off the No. 24 Wildcats, 74-73, before 10,113 fans in Matthew Knight Arena.
Richardson stepped through the post defense for a layin that tied overtime 68-68, and completed a three-point play on the next possession for a 71-68 lead. Arizona scored off a turnover to lead 73-72 with 21 seconds left, but Richardson scored again at the other end, and the Ducks got a stop on defense to win their fourth straight over the Wildcats.
"I've been in the gym a lot, but I give it to the coaches — they tell me every day I'm a big part of this team," said Richardson, Oregon's leading scorer off the bench this season. "They tell me to stay active and be ready, because I'm a big part of this team. That really gives me confidence."
How It Happened: Overtime followed a second-half full of runs, the last by the Ducks to force the extra five minutes. Arizona led 66-60 after a 9-0 run late in the game, but the UO men scored the final six points of regulation, with Payton Pritchard's fadeaway jumper forcing overtime.
The Ducks went into halftime down 36-34 and having never taken the lead, finally pulling in front for the first time on a Francis Okoro dunk that made it 38-36. Arizona answered with seven straight points, but the Ducks went back up on an 8-0 run bookended by baskets from freshman N'Faly Dante, whose presence in the post was a huge factor all night.
"We did a lot of good things, and we stayed in the fight," UO coach Dana Altman said. "The exciting thing Jan. 9 is, we've got so many things to work on and improve upon. We can get so much better."
The 8-0 run put Oregon up 46-43, but the Wildcats fought back into the front, 57-52. The Ducks then scored another eight straight, getting threes by Pritchard and Chris Duarte to electrify the crowd. Arizona answered with the 9-0 run to lead 66-60, but two free throws each from Pritchard and Richardson and then the fadeway by Pritchard extended the game into overtime.
The first half began with Arizona dominating the post. The Wildcats were 7-of-8 on two-point attempts to open the game, while Oregon missed its first nine attempts from inside the three-point arc. Arizona made seven straight field-goal attempts to lead 26-16 midway through the half, but fueled by Richardson driving the ball and Dante getting to the rim, the Ducks began to score inside and closed within 36-34 at halftime.
"I actually like it better when it's close," Richardson said. "It's do-or-die, so you really can't miss."
Who Stood Out: Richardson finished with a career-high 21 points, and added five rebounds with four assists. He hit 7-of-16 field-goal attempts, and was perfect on five free throws. Pritchard added 18 points with seven rebounds and six assists, making big plays down the stretch on a night when he struggled to score early on. Dante was an X-factor; his 10 points and five rebounds didn't tell the full story, as the Ducks were plus-12 with him on the court, the best plus-minus for any player on both teams. Duarte added 17 points and eight rebounds.
What It Means: The Ducks got the big shot from Pritchard to force overtime, but didn't need to completely lean on their all-America candidate in the extra period, an encouraging development.
Up Next: The Ducks host Arizona State on Saturday (7:30m p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Richardson stepped through the post defense for a layin that tied overtime 68-68, and completed a three-point play on the next possession for a 71-68 lead. Arizona scored off a turnover to lead 73-72 with 21 seconds left, but Richardson scored again at the other end, and the Ducks got a stop on defense to win their fourth straight over the Wildcats.
"I've been in the gym a lot, but I give it to the coaches — they tell me every day I'm a big part of this team," said Richardson, Oregon's leading scorer off the bench this season. "They tell me to stay active and be ready, because I'm a big part of this team. That really gives me confidence."
How It Happened: Overtime followed a second-half full of runs, the last by the Ducks to force the extra five minutes. Arizona led 66-60 after a 9-0 run late in the game, but the UO men scored the final six points of regulation, with Payton Pritchard's fadeaway jumper forcing overtime.
The Ducks went into halftime down 36-34 and having never taken the lead, finally pulling in front for the first time on a Francis Okoro dunk that made it 38-36. Arizona answered with seven straight points, but the Ducks went back up on an 8-0 run bookended by baskets from freshman N'Faly Dante, whose presence in the post was a huge factor all night.
"We did a lot of good things, and we stayed in the fight," UO coach Dana Altman said. "The exciting thing Jan. 9 is, we've got so many things to work on and improve upon. We can get so much better."
The 8-0 run put Oregon up 46-43, but the Wildcats fought back into the front, 57-52. The Ducks then scored another eight straight, getting threes by Pritchard and Chris Duarte to electrify the crowd. Arizona answered with the 9-0 run to lead 66-60, but two free throws each from Pritchard and Richardson and then the fadeway by Pritchard extended the game into overtime.
The first half began with Arizona dominating the post. The Wildcats were 7-of-8 on two-point attempts to open the game, while Oregon missed its first nine attempts from inside the three-point arc. Arizona made seven straight field-goal attempts to lead 26-16 midway through the half, but fueled by Richardson driving the ball and Dante getting to the rim, the Ducks began to score inside and closed within 36-34 at halftime.
"I actually like it better when it's close," Richardson said. "It's do-or-die, so you really can't miss."
Who Stood Out: Richardson finished with a career-high 21 points, and added five rebounds with four assists. He hit 7-of-16 field-goal attempts, and was perfect on five free throws. Pritchard added 18 points with seven rebounds and six assists, making big plays down the stretch on a night when he struggled to score early on. Dante was an X-factor; his 10 points and five rebounds didn't tell the full story, as the Ducks were plus-12 with him on the court, the best plus-minus for any player on both teams. Duarte added 17 points and eight rebounds.
What It Means: The Ducks got the big shot from Pritchard to force overtime, but didn't need to completely lean on their all-America candidate in the extra period, an encouraging development.
Up Next: The Ducks host Arizona State on Saturday (7:30m p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Team Stats
UA
Oregon
FG%
.452
.400
3FG%
.400
.304
FT%
.643
.882
RB
38
38
TO
12
10
STL
4
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
21
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
18
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
3
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
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