By: Griffin Bowes
AFTER A DISAPPOINTING 13 point loss to UC Irvine, Oregon’s men’s basketball team is looking to get back on track before some influential matchups next week. The Ducks played poorly on both ends of the floor in Friday’s 69-56 home loss. The Ducks shot a measly 33% from the field and only 19% from 3. N’Faly Dante played well, as he accounted for 20 points and 9 rebounds. However, the Ducks were very reliant on him for scoring, as no other Oregon player scored more than 10 points. On the other hand, UC Irvine went 42% of 3, with half of their baskets from downtown coming from sophomore guard DJ Davis. The Ducks also lost the turnover battle, committing 15 and forcing 10. Irvine was able to capitalize, scoring 25 points off the Ducks’ turnovers. Oregon only scored 10 points off Irvine’s turnovers.
THE MONTANA STATE BOBCATS are entering this game from a different angle, as they won last Sunday over Long Beach State. In their 13 point victory, the Bobcats shot a stellar 81.5% from the free throw line. They also outrebounded Long Beach State 40-29. However, it was a rather sloppy performance from Montana State, as they turned the ball over 18 times. These turnovers resulted in 17 Long Beach State points. Also, the Bobcats were heavily reliant on one player for points. That player was sophomore guard RaeQuan Battle, who scored 24. No other Bobcat scored at least half that amount. However, they were able to take advantage of abysmal outside shooting (14% from 3) and weak free throw shooting (60%), and escape with a win.
THE MAIN FACTORS in this game will likely be the Ducks’ scoring distribution and turnover margin. In Oregon’s win over Florida A&M, they had 4 players scoring in between 10 and 16 points. In their loss to Irvine, they had Dante’s 20 points, but no other player came close to that amount. Senior forward Quincy Guerrier was their next most productive scorer, and he only scored half of Dante’s point total. For Oregon to play a strong game, their younger players are going to have to take some of the defensive attention away from Dante. Having a distributed attack will decrease the possible effects of an injury or foul troubles. It will allow Dante to find some cracks in the paint and greatly contribute there. Part of what contributed to the Ducks’ domination of Florida A&M was their 13-5 advantage in forced turnovers, with 7 of those being steals. They were able to convert those turnovers into 21 points. On the other side, Montana State won the turnover battle in one game and tied in the other. In the game where they held the turnover advantage, they ended up winning (vs Long Beach State). In the game where turnovers were all square (vs Grand Canyon), they ended up losing.
PREDICTION: Although it will be tough, I believe that Oregon will find enough balance on offense to escape Matthew Knight with a win. The victory will not be handed to them; they must limit their turnovers and make a respectable amount of outside shots. If Oregon is indeed able to win, it could potentially be what they need to regain their confidence and momentum. A win should also position them well for their upcoming slate of games, starting on Sunday with a challenging test against #3 Houston.
FINAL SCORE: Oregon 65, Montana State 57