It wasn’t pretty, but the Ducks will certainly take it.
In a somewhat choppy game that saw a combined 41 turnovers, Oregon was able to defeat Stephen F. Austin 79-61 inside Matthew Knight Arena.
For the first time this season, the Ducks were coming off of a loss and Oregon didn’t play up to its standards, but its depth and talent won over what was an inferior Lumberjack team that fell to 5-6 on the season. SFA shot just 15 percent from the three-point line, going 3-of-20 from long range.
The No. 12-ranked Ducks moved to 10-1 overall on the season and won’t see action for another six days as they are scheduled to go to San Jose, Calif. next Saturday to face former Pac-12 foe Stanford.
Beyond the win, Oregon’s focus is going to be on the health of forward Kwame Evans, Jr., who went down with an apparent knee injury in the second half.
Ducks vs. Lumberjacks Keys to the Game
- Oregon got off to a hot start, or, more accurately, Stephen F. Austin got off to an extremely slow start. The Ducks were up 18-4 in the game’s first eight minutes.
- SFA wasn’t exactly on target with most of their shots. The Lumberjacks were just 10-of-39 shooting in the first half and just 3-of-16 from long range. Oregon was a little better as the Ducks 11-of-23 from the field and 4-of-10 from three-point range.
- Oregon had trouble rebounding the ball in the first half against the more physical Lumberjack team. The two teams were equal on the boards in the first 20 minutes, but SFA had a 14-6 advantage in the offensive rebound category.
- It was a little better in the second half offensively for the Ducks as they scored 42 points after halftime, but Dana Altman won’t be happy giving up 38 second-half points.
- Oregon shot the ball well for the night, at a 51 percent clip, but the 19 turnovers will keep the coaching staff up at night.
- Towards the end of the game with about five minutes remaining, Oregon forward Kwame Evans, Jr. went down with a knee injury, but it didn’t look good. The sophomore couldn’t put any pressure on his left knee. It’s not known yet how serious the injury was.
Ducks vs. Lumberjacks Players of the Game
- Brandon Angel: 15 points, 6 rebounds
- Supreme Cook: 14 points
- Jadrian Tracey: 14 points, 7 rebounds
- Nate Bittle: 13 points
- Matt Hayman (SFA): 17 points
Ducks vs. Lumberjacks Notable Stats
- Offensive Rebounds: SFA 19, Oregon 13
- Turnovers: SFA 22, Oregon 19
- Points Off Turnovers: Oregon 26, SFA 11
What’s Next for Oregon Ducks?
- Dec. 21 — at Stanford Cardinal (San Jose, Calif.)
- Dec. 29 — vs. Weber State Wildcats
- Jan. 2 — vs. No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini
- Jan. 5 — vs. Maryland Terrapins
- Jan. 9 — at Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ducks will now go into familiar territory as they go down to San Jose, Calif. to face an 8-2 Stanford team next weekend. After that, just one more non-conference game left with Weber State before the Big Ten season gets into full swing.
