First Half Shooting Propels Oregon Ducks To Win Over UCLA

Oregon and UCLA met at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene on a beautiful day. Outside it was near sixty-five degrees. When it came to the game no one really know what team would show up for the Ducks or the Bruins. UCLA lost on Thursday at Oregon State and the Ducks beat USC, but the Trojans gave Oregon all they could handle scoring thirty points inside the paint.

Oregon would start the game with the ball. Five minutes into the game the Ducks were ahead 11-7 thanks to  plays from Ahmaad Rorie and Joseph Young. Bryce Alford would have five key points for the Bruins early in the game. At the 11:30 mark there was a flagrant foul on UCLA giving Oregon two foul shots and the ball allowing the Ducks to extend their lead to 18-10.  Oregon was finding their rhythm early and finding guys both inside and out.

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At the under ten minute timeout the Ducks extended their lead to 25-12. Oregon was off to a hot start hitting seventy-five percent from the field. Oregon was six for six from beyond the arc with 3:19 left in the first half and were distributing the ball. Entering the half the Ducks lead was 46-31. No Oregon player was in double figures, but there was plenty of scoring led by Jalil Abdul-Bassit and Elgin Cook with eight, Joseph Young and Ahmaad Rorie with seven. The Ducks led with rebounds fifteen to ten and shot the lights out of Mathew Knight Arena hitting seventy-five percent of their shots and six of seven from beyond the arc.

The bigger question was what team would show up for the second half? The team that allowed USC to get back into the game or would the Oregon Ducks finish the game against the Bruins?

Elgin Cook and Ahmaad Rorie would start the scoring for Oregon with a three and two respectively. Adbul Bassit would add two. UCLA would counter with three shots inside. One area that has plagued Oregon all season is shots inside the paint. In the first half Oregon gave up just ten points inside. Five minutes into the second half four Oregon Ducks were in double figures in scoring.

Oregon would take a fourteen point lead into the final thirteen minutes of the game against UCLA. Young, Bell and the Ducks kept the Offensive gas pedal down. Bell for the game would add a block and his fifth assist of the game. as Oregon built their lead to 68-49. After a dunk by Dwayne Benjamin and a rebound basket by Jordan Bell the Ducks found themselves closer to a win and led 78-59.

It was by far the Oregon Ducks most complete win of the season. Five players ended up in double figures. Joseph Young had sixteen, Dwayne Benjamin added fifteen, Elgin Cook had eleven with Ahmaad Rorie and Jalil Abdul-Bassit with ten each. Oregon won 82-64 hitting sixty-two percent from the floor.

Oregon now takes a two game winning streak on the road to take on Arizona and Arizona State next week.