It’s only two games into the season and the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team has already shown it can win in multiple ways. In the season opener, the Ducks offense was rolling where they just outscored UC-Riverside 91-76.
But here in their most recent game against Montana, the Ducks locked down the Grizzlies on the defensive end to roll 79-48. The Grizzlies were held to just 34 percent shooting from the field and 3-of-19 from long range.
Thanks to the large margin of victory, head coach Dana Altman was able to see a number of new Ducks play and see how they fit in the system. True freshman Jamari Carter played for much of the second half where he contributed seven points including his first three-pointer.
Oregon vs. Montana Keys to the Game
- After the game was delayed due to clock issues, the two teams finally got going. The game was knotted at seven apiece, the ducks went on a 15-0 run over the next eight minutes to blow the contest open.
- The Ducks concentrated on the defensive end and shut down the Montana shooters. Money Williams, who opened his season with 27 points against Hawaii-Hilo, washed to just eight points for the game.
- Nate Bittle showed his versatility in this game as he was difficult to guard on the inside and the outside. The big center hit on a trio of three-pointers.
- Oregon was able to stay out of foul trouble and subbed in when the Ducks wanted to instead of being forced to take players out, giving Altman a chance to see a variety of lineups.
Oregon vs. Montana Players of the Game
- Nate Bittle: 17 points, 9 rebounds
- TJ Bamba: 14 points, 18 minutes
- Jadrian Tracey: 12 points
- Joe Pridgen (Montana): 14 points, 6-of-7 FG
Oregon vs. Montana Notable Stats
- Oregon: 27-of-60 FG (45 percent), Montana 17-of-50 FG (34 percent)
- Oregon: 9-of-25 (36 percent) on 3-pt FG, Montana: 3-of-19 (16 percent)
- Turnovers: Oregon 8, Montana 14
- Fast break points: Oregon 14, Montana 0
What’s Next for Oregon Ducks
- Nov. 12 — vs. Portland Pilots
- Nov. 17 — vs. Troy Trojans
- Nov. 22 — at Oregon State Beavers
- Nov. 26 — vs. Texas A&M Aggies (Las Vegas, Player’s Era Festival)
- Nov. 27 — vs. San Diego State (Las Vegas, Player’s Era Festival)
Oregon doesn’t get much time off as the Ducks host Portland on Tuesday as they continue a tough non-conference schedule before entering Big Ten competition. We’ll learn a lot about Oregon when they go to Sin City and play Texas A&M and San Diego State.
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