Written By: Alex Davis 

The Oregon Ducks had much to prove on Wednesday night as they faced off against UC Irvine, the team that had bested them at Matthew Knight Arena last November. In the first outing the Ducks allowed UC Irvine standout guard, DJ Davis to score 24 points, shooting 8 of 17 from the field. His fellow guard, scored 11 points, shooting 5 of 9 from the field. The Anteaters also shot 42% from the 3-point range in their dominating 13 point win over Oregon. The Ducks struggled mightily in this contest, shooting only 19% from 3 point range and allowing the Anteaters to score 25 points off turnovers.

In tonight's contest during the NIT Tournament, the Ducks seemed to still have a chip on their shoulder and seeked redemption for their early season loss. Oregon Head Coach Dana Altman emphasized that this game was just as important as if the Ducks were playing in the NCAA Tournament. And the Ducks responded with a commanding win against UC Irvine, with the final score being 84-58.

Their victory was led by Junior guard Rivaldo Soares who achieved a double-double, scoring 21 points (7 of 14 from the field) and 10 rebounds. Sophmore Nate Bittle came alive during the second half from downtown. He finished with 17 point (3 of 5 from 3pt field goal range) with all of his 3 point baskets coming in the second half. Tyrone Williams also posted a double-double, scoring 12 points and 11 rebounds. He hit 3 of 6 from the field.

Coach Altman attributed this victory for the Ducks to two things: a concentration on hitting three point shots. During the contest in November Oregon struggled with this aspect of the game, making just 4 of 21 three point shots. However, during this matchup the Anteaters were the one's struggling with the three ball. They started 0 for 10, making their first shot with just 3:20 left in the first half.

The Ducks will move on to face the UCF Knights on Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena.

Audio Story by Griffin Bowes