The Oregon Ducks flew to East Lansing and got exactly what they were looking for: another Big Ten win, this time on the road. Led by guard Peyton Scott, the Ducks dominated the Spartans for the entirety of the game after building a 13-point lead in the first quarter. By the end of regulation, Oregon had won its fourth consecutive Big Ten matchup.
Despite a fourth-quarter surge by the Spartans, Oregon held onto its lead and defeated No. 16 Michigan State 63-59 to improve to 16-5 overall.
DUCKS FLY TOGETHER 🦆🦆@oregonwbb downs No. 16 Michigan State, 63-59! #B1G pic.twitter.com/vc6UG73L9n
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) January 31, 2025
Scott, who led the team with 14 points, was joined by transfer guard Deja Kelly and junior guard Nani Falatea in double-digit scoring, both Kelly and Falatea scored 10 points a piece. Senior center Phillipine Kyei recorded a dominant 10 rebounds and 3 blocks as the Ducks locked down the Spartans' offensive attempts.
After the game, Oregon head coach Kelly Graves had nothing but great things to say about his team and their incredible road win over a ranked opponent.
"I’m just so proud of the team," Graves said. “When we really needed a stop the last three, four minutes, the defense stepped up. … This is a huge win. This is a quad-one win, a highly ranked team. They were undefeated at home and they’ve made some teams look bad.”
Earlier in the season, Oregon upset the then-No. 12 Baylor Bears and was temporarily ranked within the top 25. However, after a few losses to unranked opponents and a difficult start to conference play, the Ducks dropped out of the rankings.
With the Ducks' four consecutive Big Ten wins, especially with their dominant performance against the Spartans, Oregon might once again find itself in the top 25 once again. On Feb. 2, the Ducks will continue Big Ten play against the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor.