By Liam Baker
EUGENE, Ore. — The Ducks (1-0) all but led from start to finish in their season-opening 82-71 win over the Georgia Bulldogs and now take on the Montana Grizzlies (1-0) in their first home game of the season. Playing in the Hall of Fame Classic in Las Vegas, Georgia scored the first point of the game but the Ducks responded with an 11-0 run and led the rest of the way. While the Bulldogs cut the Ducks' lead to as little as four early in the second half, Oregon pushed the lead to as much as 20 as they cruised to victory. In the game, Oregon dominated the paint, outscoring Georgia by 18 and out-rebounding them by 22. N'Faly Dante had his way all game, scoring 16 points and pulling down 21 rebounds. His 21 rebounds were the most by a Duck in 49 years. Fellow big man Nate Bittle added 13 points and Brennan Risby contributed 16 points off the bench including a thunderous dunk over a Bulldog defender. It was an overall strong performance by the Ducks to open non-conference play, an encouraging sign for a team that struggled in that department during last season.
Montana Grizzlies
The Grizzlies beat the Northwest Indian College Eagles 107-59 to start off their 2023 campaign. The Grizzlies have high expectations this season as they were picked to finish in the top three of the Big Sky conference by the coaches and media alike. Montana is returning three starters from last season including Aenan Moody. Moody was their top scorer from 2022 and had 25 points on 10-13 shooting in the season opener. He was also named to the Preseason All-Big Sky Team. Freshman Money Williams added 19 points off the bench in his collegiate debut. While the Ducks are the superior team in most facets of the game compared to the Grizzles, the Grizzlies convert a higher percentage of free throws than the Ducks. Montana was the 6th ranked team nationally in free throw percentage last year at 78.5% whereas the Ducks shot about 70% last year. Montana shot 75% from the line in their opener and the Ducks shot below 50%. Another area where Montana will need to succeed if they want to pull off the upset is behind the arc. They shot over 37% from three last season (34th nationally) and will need to get hot from distance if they want to win in Eugene tonight.
Oregon Ducks
The Ducks are also returning three starters from last season but also brought in a lot of new talent. Dante, Bittle and Jermaine Couisnard all started for Oregon last year and drew the start again in the season opener. Central Michigan transfer Jesse Zarzuela also started for the Ducks but struggled in his debut scoring just three points. The Ducks brought in a strong freshman class, but only forward Kwame Evans Jr. saw playing time, recording five points in 20 minutes of action. The Ducks will be looking forward to the return of freshman Jackson Shelstad, who is out with a knee injury and is the two-time Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year, to bolster their backcourt. The success of said backcourt could make or break the Ducks season. Oregon has one of the best frontcourts in the country with Dante and Bittle but will need their backcourt to thrive in order to have success this year. Fortunately for the Ducks, they have lots of options in their backcourt. Brennan Risby provided valuable minutes off the bench against Georgia in a game when Zarzuela and Keeshawn Barthelemy didn't shoot the ball well in a starting role.
Prediction
The Ducks should have no problem taking care of the Grizzles on Friday night. Expect big games from Bittle and Dante as it will be tough for Montana to guard the Oregon big men. Oregon should dominate the boards and the paint again on their way to another victory.
Ducks 80, Grizzlies 60