University of Oregon
UCLA
Oregon Wraps Up 2023 With a Win Over UCLA
12/30/23 | Men's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. — A second-straight 20-point performance from Oregon freshman Jackson Shelstad helped the Ducks hold off numerous comeback attempts by UCLA, beating the Bruins 64-59 on Saturday afternoon.
Shelstad became the first UO freshman with consecutive 20-point games since Bol Bol in 2018-19. With the team struggling to find a rhythm on offense, success on the defensive end proved to be vital. The Oregon perimeter defense put on an impressive display, holding UCLA to just 15.8 (3-for-19) shooting from behind the arc and racking up 12 steals on the night.
How It Happened: After Kwame Evans Jr. scored the first bucket of the afternoon thanks to a slick assist from Jermaine Couisnard, UCLA gained control of the game and built an 11-7 lead as the game approached the second media timeout. Oregon fought back to regain the lead with a 9-2 scoring run across the next two minutes thanks to balanced scoring and good efforts on the defensive glass.
The Bruins used their presence inside to prevent the lead from growing, keeping the Ducks within four in a tightly-contested half. A pull-up jumper from UCLA's Sebastian Mack as the clock expired cut the Oregon lead down to 33-31 as the teams broke for halftime.
The Bruins came out of the gates hot in the second half, scoring 11 of the first 15 points of the period to reclaim the lead and go in front by five. It was then that Oregon caught fire from behind the arc as the Ducks used the deep ball to score their next 12 points, including three-straight triples from Shelstad, generating a 14-2 run to take back the lead bring Matthew Knight Arena alive. Jadrian Tracey capped the run with a tough layup at the rim as the Ducks jumped out to a 51-44 with just over nine minutes to play.
UCLA refused to go away once again, scoring the next two buckets out of a timeout that brought it back to a one-possession affair as the under-eight media timeout approached. The teams traded baskets before Oregon took another swing as Shelstad drilled his fourth triple of the night followed immediately by a steal-and-score from Couisnard that pushed the lead to seven in a matter of 15 seconds.
With 3:30 remaining, UCLA attempted to control the tempo by stringing together a few stops while feeding the ball inside for tough buckets in the paint, cutting the lead down to one with 32 seconds remaining.
Facing a full court press, the Ducks got the ball to Shelstad in open space who connected with fellow freshman Evans Jr. to hammer the nail in the coffin with a posterizing dunk, energizing MKA once again. A stop and a rebound led to two free throws for Shelstad, who sank them both to secure the 64-59 victory for Oregon.
Up Next: Oregon kicks off the new year in Seattle as the Ducks travel to play Washington on Thursday, Jan. 4. The game tips off at 6 p.m. PT with broadcast coverage provided by Pac-12 Networks.
