Friday, October 24
Eugene, OR
7 p.m.
University of Oregon
73
vs
53
Utah
Photo by: Mia Jacobs
Exhibition Season Opens With Win For UO Men
10/24/25 | Men's Basketball
The Oregon men's basketball team beat Utah at Matthew Knight Arena on Friday, 73-53.
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon men's basketball made its return to action in Matthew Knight Arena on Friday with a 73-53 exhibition victory over Utah.
The Ducks, who open the regular season Nov. 4 against Hawai'i, scored the first 17 points of the night on the way to the victory. With junior point guard Jackson Shelstad sidelined by injury to open the season, the UO men leaned on their size inside, as senior post Nate Bittle led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
"I think we came out strong defensively there in the first half, and then second half kind of slowed down," Bittle said. "It's a lot to do with our conditioning, you know, getting the rust off the wheels. I thought everybody did a good job of competing and trying to play defense, guarding their man. It's just a good first win for us as a team."
Newcomers Ege Demir and Sean Stewart combined for another 20 points and 14 rebounds in the frontcourt. In the absence of Shelstad, another new face, Wei Lin, had 10 points and four assists as the starter at the point. He didn't have a turnover, and provided a razzle-dazzle moment in the first half with a behind-the-head pass to Demir.
"It's a fine line — you don't want to take his aggressiveness, because he can score buckets, but his best quality is just getting that ball moving and making plays and finding guys," UO coach Dana Altman said. "And then I think the shots will be a lot more open."
How it Happened: Lin got the night going with a short jumper to open the scoring, and spark a 17-0 run by the Ducks out of the gates. Bittle scored the next seven, including two buckets assisted on by Lin, and Stewart had a rebound-basket to cap the 17-0 run.
The Ducks didn't commit a turnover until the 12:35 mark of the first half, and didn't allow a point until 11:52 prior to halftime.
"I thought our defensive intensity was really good," Altman said." Our activity was good. Got the ball inside. We thought we had a big advantage going in, and we did inside."
Bittle had 16 points with seven rebounds at halftime, and Demir and Stewart had combined with eight points with eight rebounds by then.
Lin and Demir each had eight points to lead the UO men in the second half. The Ducks didn't hit a three-pointer in the first half but were 4-of-8 in the second. They led by as many as 24 in the half.
Notable: Along with Shelstad, freshman forward Efe Vatan also did not suit up. He sported a walking boot on the bench. … Actor Ty Burrell, who attended Oregon, sat court-side for the game. … Also in attendance was his "Modern Family" co-star Julie Bowen, whose son attends the university.
Up Next: The Ducks play another exhibition at Stanford on Oct. 30 before opening the regular season by hosting Hawai'i on Nov. 4 (7:30 p.m., BTN).
The Ducks, who open the regular season Nov. 4 against Hawai'i, scored the first 17 points of the night on the way to the victory. With junior point guard Jackson Shelstad sidelined by injury to open the season, the UO men leaned on their size inside, as senior post Nate Bittle led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
"I think we came out strong defensively there in the first half, and then second half kind of slowed down," Bittle said. "It's a lot to do with our conditioning, you know, getting the rust off the wheels. I thought everybody did a good job of competing and trying to play defense, guarding their man. It's just a good first win for us as a team."
Newcomers Ege Demir and Sean Stewart combined for another 20 points and 14 rebounds in the frontcourt. In the absence of Shelstad, another new face, Wei Lin, had 10 points and four assists as the starter at the point. He didn't have a turnover, and provided a razzle-dazzle moment in the first half with a behind-the-head pass to Demir.
"It's a fine line — you don't want to take his aggressiveness, because he can score buckets, but his best quality is just getting that ball moving and making plays and finding guys," UO coach Dana Altman said. "And then I think the shots will be a lot more open."
How it Happened: Lin got the night going with a short jumper to open the scoring, and spark a 17-0 run by the Ducks out of the gates. Bittle scored the next seven, including two buckets assisted on by Lin, and Stewart had a rebound-basket to cap the 17-0 run.
The Ducks didn't commit a turnover until the 12:35 mark of the first half, and didn't allow a point until 11:52 prior to halftime.
"I thought our defensive intensity was really good," Altman said." Our activity was good. Got the ball inside. We thought we had a big advantage going in, and we did inside."
Bittle had 16 points with seven rebounds at halftime, and Demir and Stewart had combined with eight points with eight rebounds by then.
Lin and Demir each had eight points to lead the UO men in the second half. The Ducks didn't hit a three-pointer in the first half but were 4-of-8 in the second. They led by as many as 24 in the half.
Notable: Along with Shelstad, freshman forward Efe Vatan also did not suit up. He sported a walking boot on the bench. … Actor Ty Burrell, who attended Oregon, sat court-side for the game. … Also in attendance was his "Modern Family" co-star Julie Bowen, whose son attends the university.
Up Next: The Ducks play another exhibition at Stanford on Oct. 30 before opening the regular season by hosting Hawai'i on Nov. 4 (7:30 p.m., BTN).
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
Dana Altman | Postgame vs. Utah
Saturday, October 25
Nate Bittle | Postgame vs. Utah
Saturday, October 25
Dana Altman | Season Preview
Monday, October 20
Oregon Men's Basketball | Who Woulda Thought - Episode 3
Tuesday, September 30
