Written Story by Alex Roth

The Oregon Ducks lost a heartbreaking thriller on senior night against the USC Trojans 70-69 Saturday night at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon and the 16th ranked team in the country went back and forth throughout the entire game with neither team able to maintain a big lead. USC would jump out in front by 12 points late in the first half, but Oregon stormed back to take the lead by halftime. The Ducks and Trojans would go back and forth throughout the second half, with Isaiah Mobley and Drew Peterson carrying the load offensively for USC and Oregon getting scoring contributions from five different players. Oregon went into the final minute of the game leading 66-65 before an Isaiah Mobley hook shot would give USC the lead. Quincy Guerrier responded with a three to put Oregon up by 2 with 25 seconds left, but then Drew Peterson knocked down a three pointer to put USC up one with 14 seconds left. Will Richardson would miss a game winning shot at the buzzer to give USC a one-point victory on the night.
Oregon struggled shooting the ball for most of the night and shot just 38.7 percent from the field. It was even more of a struggle for the Ducks from beyond the arc, knocking down just 6 of 23 three-point shots for a shooting percentage of 26.1 percent. The Ducks also missed 6 free throws on the night, and allowed USC to grab 14 offensive rebounds, from which they scored 12 second chance points. Despite the shooting woes, Oregon saw five players score in double figures, with N’Faly Dante, De’Vion Harmon, Quincy Guerrier, Jacob Young, and Eric Williams Jr. all hitting the 10-point mark. Will Richardson would score just 2 points and not hit a basket from the field however, matching his season low for points in a game this season. The rough night from the field for the Bob Cousy Award watch list winner combined with big nights from Drew Peterson and Isaiah Mobley for USC ultimately costs the Ducks the key home victory.
With the loss, Oregon falls to 18-11 on the season and remains in 4th place in the Pac-12 standings. The loss likely knicks Oregon out of the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, meaning the Ducks will have to win the Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas to secure a March Madness bid. Oregon will look to maintain their position in the Pac-12 and reach the 20-win mark when they travel to Seattle and Pullman next weekend to take on Washington and Washington State and close out the regular season.
Shooting Stats

Oregon:
G Will Richardson 0-8 FG 0-4 3PT
G De’Vion Harmon 4-13 FG 2-7 3PT
F Quincy Guerrier 5-11 FG 2-5 3PT
G Eric Williams Jr. 4-9 FG 0-3 3PT
G Jacob Young 4-11 FG 2-3 3PT
C N’Faly Dante 4-6 FG 0-0 3PT

USC
G Boogie Ellis 3-10 FG 2-4 3PT
G Drew Peterson 9-17 FG 2-4 3PT
F Isaiah Mobley 5-8 FG 2-3 3PT
F Max Agbonkpolo 2-6 FG 0-2 3PT
F Chevez Goodwin 2-6 FG 0-0 3PT

Audio Story by Austin Ota

Postgame Audio: Dana Altman