Ducks Clinch Pac-12 Bye in 90-56 Rout of Cal

Thursday, March 5

Eugene, OR

8:00 PM

University of Oregon

23-7,12-5Pac-12

California

13-17,7-10Pac-12

California

Oregon

Photo by: Samuel Marshall

03/05/20 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score - Oregon 90, California 56

EUGENE, Ore. – No. 13 Oregon used a 21-0 first half burst to run away from California, defeating the Golden Bears 90-56 Thursday night at Matthew Knight Arena. In the process, Oregon moved into a tie with UCLA atop the Pac-12 standings.

Thursday's win means that the Ducks (23-7, 12-5) will be playing for the Pac-12 regular season title and the No. 1 overall seed to next week's Pac-12 Tournament when Oregon hosts Stanford on senior night Saturday at 8 p.m. Regardless the outcome on Saturday, the Ducks have secured no worse than the No. 2 seed to the league's annual showcase in Las Vegas.

"A conference title still means quite a bit, and going to play in a conference tournament and playing well going into that tournament is important too," said Oregon head coach Dana Altman. "Saturday night is a big, big game."

Payton Pritchard scored 20 points and had nine assists to lead the Ducks. Anthony Mathis added 17 on 5-of-6 shooting from three-point range. Will Richardson and Addison Patterson each scored 13 points, while Shakur Juiston had 10.

Oregon shot a Matthew Knight Arena record 70.6 percent from the field (12-of-17), including Chandler Lawson's first career three-pointer.

The 36-point margin of victory was Oregon's largest in a series that dates to the 1918-19 season. The Ducks' previous biggest win over Cal was 26 points, 75-49, Feb. 5, 1977.

How it Happened: Leading 25-18 with 7:26 remaining in the first half, Oregon blew the game open with a 21-0 run. Juiston and Pritchard hit back-to-back three-pointers. Patterson added a pair of free throws followed by a Pritchard layin before Richardson scored five consecutive points. Mathis then hit a three-pointer before Patterson capped the run with a three-point play.

The Ducks led 46-20 at the half. It was the fewest points Oregon has allowed in the first half this season.

Pritchard had 13 points and five assists in the first half while Richardson added 10 as the Ducks hit 68 percent (17-of-25) from the field, and made five-of-six three-pointers.

In the second half, California (13-17, 7-10) got as close as 15, 58-43, with 11:52 to play, but Oregon answered with a 19-3 run that featured seven points from Pritchard, pushing the lead to 79-46 with 4:46 remaining.

"I thought we defensively played really hard," said Oregon coach Dana Altman. "I mean, there was that little stretch to start the second half where we gave up some easy baskets but other than that, I liked our defensive intensity.

"The first half I really thought we really flew around and made a lot of defensive plays. And our ball movement was good and we obviously shot well at three, which gives you a big boost offensively."

Who Stood Out: Richardson, playing on an ankle that he sprained a week ago against Oregon State, had 13 points and five rebounds. He made 5-of-7 field goal attempts. Patterson had his highest scoring output in a Pac-12 game. C.J. Walker led the Ducks with six rebounds.

Notable: Pritchard passed the 1,900 point threshold for his career. He joins Gary Payton of Oregon State and Jason Gardner of Arizona as the only players in Pac-12 history with 1,900 career points and 600 career assists. … This was Oregon's 21^st straight home win, the fourth-longest streak in program history. … Former Ducks Joe Young and E.J. Singler were in attendance Thursday night.

Quotable:
Senior guard Anthony Mathis on playing for the Pac-12 championship on senior night
"Couldn't write a better story than that, obviously being from here I'm gonna be able to brag a little bit with my friends."

Senior forward Shakur Juiston on the Ducks' hot shooting
"Tonight, when Chandler hit that three, he was smiling ear to ear. Tonight felt good, we just we're praising one another."

Up Next: Oregon wraps up conference play with Stanford on Saturday at 8 p.m. (FS1).

- GoDucks.com -