By Levi Bergthold and Maddie Lang
Oregon Men’s Basketball (7-5) blew out the Portland Pilots (8-6) on Saturday, 78-56. The Ducks jumped out to a 18-7 lead due to a hot shooting start and held a 37-25 lead at halftime. A fast Pilots 2nd half start cut the lead to 4, but Oregon regained control and cruised to a 22-point victory.
The Ducks were led by Senior Guard Will Richardson who recorded a double-double with 12 points, a career high 12 assists, and 3 rebounds. Oregon was led in scoring by Senior Guard Rivaldo Soares (16), assists by Richardson (12), and rebounds by Junior Guard Tyrone Williams and Sophomore Guard Brennan Rigsby (6). Will Richardson became just the 8th Duck with 400 career assists. Overall, the Ducks shot the ball incredibly well, shooting 53% from the field and 55% from beyond the arc.
Head Coach Dana Altman acknowledged the good shooting, but pointed out the 18 turnovers his team committed, simply saying “we hit some shots […], obviously, the turnovers, we can’t do that. 16 the other night, 18 tonight. You’re not going to be successful with that many turnovers.” Despite the turnovers, the Ducks won both of those games and have won 5 of their last 6 as they slowly regain their roster from a rash of early season injuries. Senior Guard Rivaldo Soares talked about his team’s improvements, saying “I feel like that’s what we’ve been lacking, a lot of communication mistakes, or scouting report mistakes, yet the team’s really been locking in.” Soares’s 16 points represent a season best for the Senior.
Portland shot 41% from the floor, which is below their season average of 47%, but the Pilots were held to 22% on three pointers, well below their season average of 39%. The Pilots rely on three-point shooting to win, ranking 10th in the nation in three points made per game (10.7), but only hit 5 total three point shots versus Oregon. Their 12 assists were also below their season average of 18.2. The Pilots sluggish offense, combined with Oregon’s hot shooting, led to their defeat.
The Ducks have one remaining non-conference game versus Utah Valley on Tuesday, December 20th at 7:30 PM. After that, Oregon faces off against in-state rival Oregon State on December 31st to tip off there conference slate.