Oregon Ducks Led By Young and Abdul-Bassit in Win Over Detroit
The Oregon Ducks Basketball team took to the court at home in the first round of the Progressive Legends Classic to take on Detroit and the team that beat Coppin State with a one-hundred point performance from Friday was no where to be found.
The first half was filled with missed opportunities and a rough start shooting. Detroit hit close to fifty percent from the three point line. Oregon had nine turnovers in the first half and Joseph Young was held to just four points in the first half. Jordan Bell had a steal and score as the first half came to a close to tie the game, but Detroit came right back to take the lead with a three point shot by Anton Wilson.
Jalil Abdul-Bassit again tied the game with just under a minute left at 32. Entering halftime it was tied at 35.
The game remained close to start the second half. Joseph Young hit the double digit mark in scoring with 10 points. Defenses on both sides of the ball clamped down in the second half and Oregon started to separate a bit with an Abdul-Bassit three pointer and a Joseph Young kiss of the glass with a foul for a three point play giving the Oregon Ducks a 51-45 lead with just over fourteen minutes to go. The Oregon Senior was able to find his groove to get to sixteen points for the game, but at the nine minute mark Dana Altman found his team starting to get into foul trouble.
Detroit made several free throws to keep themselves in the game. Oregon led by eight points with 8:41 to go. Abdul-Bassit extended the Oregon lead with another three pointer, his third of the game. Young and Adbul-Bassit helped extend the lead for the Ducks to 11 points with 5:21 left.
Oregon looked to be on their way to the second win of the season with a twelve point lead with three minutes to go. It would mark the first time this year Oregon was held under one-hundred points(of you count two exhibition games). Dana Altman’s team shot just forty-three percent from the floor, in the 83 to 66 win over Detroit. At times Oregon did not seem to know what to do without Joseph Young scoring, but they figured it out enough to pick up a win.
On Friday night Oregon welcomes in Toledo, a twenty-seven game winner from last season, to Matthew Knight Arena for another game in the Progressive Legends Classic. Gametime on Friday is set for 4pm Pacific Time.