Ducks fall to Spartans, exit Big Ten Tournament

After eight wins in a row the Ducks ran out of magic against a hustling and aggressive Michigan State team in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, unable to run with the Spartans in Indianapolis. The No. 23 Ducks trailed by 10 at halftime and lost by ten, 74-64.

Now they have a long plane ride and four days of practice to figure out what works best for them before the start of the NCAA Tournament. At 24-9 they're likely to be seeded in the five to six range, awaiting selection Sunday on CBS at 3 p.m. PDT March 16.

Tom Izzo's squad used tight, physical defense and tenacious rebounding to send the Ducks home. They went on a 6-0 run to start the game, an 11-2 run at the end of the first half, and led 42-32 at the break.

The Ducks surged to start the second half but couldn't sustain it. They closed within one at 44-43 when Keeshawn Barthelemy hit a three on the wing after a nice kickout pass from TJ Bamba.

That was as good as it got for the White, Green and Yellow. The Spartans asserted themselves with a persistent attack on the boards, outrebounding Oregon 36-29, a figure that include 10 offensive rebounds and a 16-4 advantage in second-chance points. Izzo got 27 points from his bench, including several effort plays by 6-5 forward Coen Carr, who had 10 points and 8 rebounds in 25 productive minutes.

The Ducks couldn't hit open looks and struggled to get good shots when contested. They shot a dismal 4-19 from three-point range (21 percent), while No. 1 seed MSU drained 7-15 from beyond the arc, 47 percent.

Nate Bittle turned in another stellar game with 22 points and 11 boards, but the rest of Oregon's starters struggled to find rhythm, particularly Jackson Shelstad, who was throttled by the Spartan guards. The Ducks' second-leading scorer shot blanks from distance, 0-5 on three-point attempts. He seemed to find his touch again on two late drives to the basket, both times finishing at the rim. That might be the key to getting him going in the tournament: Attack the basket to get in the flow, creating opportunities for an offense that stagnates at times.

It nearly collapsed completely after Barthelemy's three. At 15:33 of the second half the Ducks were within one, but over the next five minutes Michigan State clamped down, producing a 15-0 run that finally ended when Kwame Evans hit two free throws with 10:17 to play.

In the press room Dana Altman said, "We made too many mistakes to beat a good team." While it's no disgrace to lose to a physical and well-coached Spartan squad that ranks No. 7 in the country, making a run at the tournament will depend on making some adjustments and playing a more consistent and controlled game.

Senior guard TJ Bamba showed good effort in the loss, supporting Bittle with 11 points, five assists and four rebounds. Overall, though, the Ducks need more composure and to better match the intensity of tournament play to be competitive in the Madness.