Rivalry Win Goes To Ducks

Saturday, December 31

Eugene, OR

5:00 PM

University of Oregon

8-6,2-1Pac-12

Oregon State

7-7,1-2Pac-12

Oregon St.

Oregon

Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto

12/31/22 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Oregon finished strong Saturday to beat Oregon State in Matthew Knight Arena, 77-68.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — Senior guard Will Richardson capped 2022 in style Saturday, scoring 22 points and helping the UO men's basketball team seal a 77-68 victory before 7,001 fans in Matthew Knight Arena.

After leading by as many as 14 early in the second half, the Ducks (8-6, 2-1 Pac-12) saw OSU rally into the lead as late as 60-57. But Richardson scored six points during a 9-3 run that got Oregon back in front, and he made a game-sealing three-pointer from the top of the key with 1:40 to go. Richardson scored 12 of the Ducks' last 20 points and finished the night with 22.

"There's no doubt he was the difference in the game," UO coach Dana Altman said. "He just made big play after big play."

N'Faly Dante fought through foul trouble to finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Quincy Guerrier and Kel'el Ware scored 13 apiece. But Richardson set the tone, as he has for the last month while the Ducks fought to stay competitive through a series of injuries. Since losing to UConn and Michigan State at the Phil Knight Invitational and falling to 2-4 in late November, the UO men have gone 6-2 since.

"We'd be in big trouble without his leadership, without us production," Altman said. "He's keeping the team together, he's trying to get guys to play harder. We've had really good leaders over the past but the job he's done since the Michigan State game, since the Connecticut game, is as good as we've had. He's really engaged, he's really taken ownership of the team — he's done a tremendous job."

How It Happened: Oregon State came into the night averaging less than six three-pointers per game, but the Beavers made four in their first six possessions Saturday to take an early 15-10 lead. The Ducks scored the next 11 points, however, including two threes from Guerrier and one by Richardson. OSU ended up hitting just one basket during a stretch of 7:02 in the first half, which Richardson capped with a three-pointer for a 28-17 lead. An acrobatic put back by Lök Wur capped the first half as Oregon took a 44-31 lead into the break.

The tables turned early in the second half, however. Oregon State opened the half on a 10-3 run to get within 47-41, and finally regained the lead at 53-51.

"We set the wrong tone coming out of the second half," Richardson said. "The first half, we were on a lot of loose balls, a lot of deflections, we were in the passing lanes. We gave up some easy threes to start ... but once we turned it around, we were doing all the little things. And then coming out of halftime, we were just a little flat."

With Dante on the bench after picking up his fourth foul, the Ducks needed a spark, and Brennan Rigsby provided it with back-to-back baskets for a 57-55 lead. OSU fought back in front but Richardson took over from there. When he made the three-pointer for a 76-68 lead, he held his follow-through for a moment, soaking up the moment.

"That was kind of the reason why you come back for an extra year, to work on your game, to hit a different level, get a different gear, get in better shape," Richardson said. "Those are the shots I gotta make. Those are the shots, not even make, but those are shots I've gotta take, being a team leader, and just being that guy."

Notable: Altman said the Ducks' injured players — including guards Keeshawn Barthelemy and Jermaine Couisnard, and forward Nate Bittle — have not yet resumed practicing. … Altman spent part of his week in the Portland area watching the Les Schwab Invitational, where UO signee Jackson Shelstad averaged 33 points to lead West Linn High to the tournament title over a field packed with elite teams from around the nation. "I don't know what it is about the water in West Linn, but him and Payton (Pritchard) are two guys who really compete," Altman said.

Quotable:
UO coach Dana Altman on bouncing back from a loss to Utah Valley
"We had our high for deflections which, after Utah Valley, we did a poor job of tracking ball and didn't get any deflections, didn't get any steals. And tonight we had 32 deflections, which is a good number for us. So we made some improvements in some areas."

Altman on the impact of freshman Kel'el Ware in Saturday's game.
"Real important. He went 0-for-7 against Utah Valley; he didn't finish anything. And he finished 4-of-8 tonight, hit 5-of-7 free throws, got six boards. So, much better performance than we had against Utah Valley."

Up Next: The Ducks play at Colorado on Thursday (6 p.m., ESPN2).