With a confident win over the Maryland Terrapins, the No. 9 Oregon men's basketball team is back on track after suffering a loss to No. 22 Illinois. After the Big Ten win, the Ducks improved to 13-2 on the season and look to remain in the top ten of the AP Top 25 Poll.
None other than sophomore point guard Jackson Shelstad led the charge against the Terrapins. After struggling to find his shot throughout the start of the season, Shelstad was on fire against Maryland, scoring 23 points, bringing down 5 rebounds, and producing 2 assists throughout the game.
Jackson Shelstad led @OregonMBB to a win over Maryland 💥#B1GMBBall pic.twitter.com/DzQAASCmHC
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 6, 2025
Throughout the matchup, Shelstad shot 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, earning nearly half of Oregon's three-point shots. Center Nate Bittle wowed the crowd with two made three pointers of his own as Jadrian Tracey, Kwame Evans Jr., and Keeshawn Barthelemy combined for five more.
Despite Oregon's high-powered offense executing almost flawlessly during the game, the Ducks remained close to the Terrapins until the final few minutes as they struggled to slow down Maryland's offensive efforts.
With just over three and a half minutes remaining, the game was tied at 74 points apiece until Barthelemy knocked down a clutch three-point shot to put the Ducks ahead.
Oregon shot 51.8 percent from the field and a resounding 42.9 percent from beyond the arc to push the Ducks past the Terrapins with an 83-79 victory. With the win, Oregon improved to 2-2 in conference play and Maryland dropped to 1-3 in Big Ten games.
Ducks Win!
— Oregon Men's Basketball (@OregonMBB) January 5, 2025
The Oregonians Shelstad (23 points) and Bittle (16 points) led the way. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/PIHDlwmCs6
Shelstad and the Ducks are set to visit the Ohio State Buckeyes on Jan. 9 – the two conference opponents, who have quickly become rivals, are scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. PT on the Big Ten Network.