Five Double-Digit Ducks Lead to Victory at Cal

Wednesday, January 18

Berkeley, CA

7:00 PM

University of Oregon

11-8,5-3Pac-12

California

3-16,2-6Pac-12

Oregon

California

01/18/23 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

BERKELEY, Calif. — Five players scored in double figures to help the Oregon men's basketball team follow up its biggest win of the season with a comfortable victory Wednesday at California, 87-58.

The Ducks won back-to-back games for the first time this season in conference play, following up their breakout win over Arizona at home on Saturday with Wednesday's win on the road. Oregon improved to 11-8 overall and 5-3 in Pac-12 play, a roller coaster start to the season that now has some positive momentum as the team has gotten healthy over the past two weeks.

"I just loved the energy the guys brought," UO coach Dana Altman said. "We've just got to do it 12 more times (over the remainder of the regular season). We've had our bad nights — and every team has them in a 31-game schedule — but we've used all ours up. We've got to find a way to bring focus, discipline and effort 12 more times. If we do that, I'll take our chances."

Will Richardson had a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists to lead the Ducks on Wednesday, and Rivaldo Soares was the team's top scorer with 13. N'Faly Dante had 12 points with seven rebounds, Nate Bittle had 11 points with six rebounds and Keeshawn Barthelemy scored 10 to give the Ducks five scorers in double figures for the first time since November. There were nearly a couple more, with Jermaine Couisnard scoring nine points and Quincy Guerrier adding eight.

How It Happened: Neither team started particularly well, and Cal led 10-5 about 5 minutes into the game. But the Ducks went on a 10-0 run to take the lead, holding the Golden Bears scoreless for nearly six minutes in the process. An 11-0 then got Oregon's lead to 30-17, with Soares, Dante, Barthelemy and Guerrier scoring during that surge. Couisnard scored just before halftime to give the UO men a 34-21 lead at the break.

The Ducks put together another 11-0 run just after halftime, with Soares hitting one of his three three-pointers on the night during that stretch. A three by Guerrier got the lead to 25 at 56-31, buckets by Richardson and Dante made it 60-34 and a Bittle basket pushed the lead to 27 at 67-40. Another three by Soares extended the lead to 28 at 77-49, Kel'el Ware got the lead to 29 on a three to make it 80-51, and the Ducks' biggest lead of the night came on their final basket, a three by walk-on Brady Parris that made it 87-56.

Notable: Richardson recorded his third double-double of the season, also the third of his career. … Richardson has now played in 134 career games for the Ducks, fifth all-time in program history. … The three-pointer by Parris was the second of his career.

Quotable:
Head coach Dana Altman on holding Cal to 40 percent shooting
"The guys really took the wind out of their sails, just not giving up easy baskets. (Allowing) 21 points at the half, I love that. Defensively we had a lot better energy, a lot better movement than what we've had."

Head coach Dana Altman on the team's depth going forward
"With Keeshawn back, Jermaine back, Brennan back, Nate back, it just gives us a lot of depth. We can play nine, 10, 11 guys and really be active. I do like our depth. We've just got to get everybody playing hard, playing together. Play hard, play together, and I think they'll like the results."

Up Next: The Ducks play at Stanford on Saturday (8 p.m., FS1).