MBB Recap: Ducks dominate UCF, advance to NIT quarterfinals

Zachary Neel
·2 min read
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It’s not March Madness, but Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks are making some noise in the month of March, and without their three best players, on top of that.

With Will Richardson, N’Faly Dante, and Jermaine Couisnard still sidelined with injury, the Ducks came out and got a dominant win over the UCF Knights on Sunday afternoon, 68-54. It featured a career day for Nate Bittle, who finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds, both career highs.

Up net, the Ducks will host the Wisconsin Badgers in the quarterfinals of the NIT, and look to secure a spot in Las Vegas for the final four of the tournament.

Here’s how everything went down on Sunday.

Final Score: Oregon 68, Wisconsin 54

Nov 24, 2022; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman calls out a signal during the second half against the Connecticut Huskies at Moda Center. The Huskies won 83-59. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Keys to the game

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

  • It was a slow start for both teams, who combined 2-for-17 from the floor in the opening five minutes of the game. The ultimately settled in and traded buckets early on, with UCF taking a 15-9 lead after an 8-0 run midway through the half. However, a 6-0 run from Keeshawn Barthelemy tied the game up for the Ducks.

  • The Ducks turned things around and went on a 15-3 run to build a small lead over the Knights. The Ducks continued their strong play with Nate Bittle really flourishing, taking a 33-24 lead into the break.

  • Bittle’s hot hand continued in the second half, scoring four quick points and assisting on a three-pointer for Lök Wur. The Ducks opened the half on a 14-2 run to make it a 47-26 game.

  • After going on the big run, the Ducks went cold, going over 6 minutes of game time without hitting a field goal. However, the Knights were unable to cut into the lead at all, with Oregon still up 51-33 with 10:52 remaining.

  • UCF cut the lead to 13 at one point, 53-40, but a quick 5 points from the Ducks pushed it back up to 18. From there, the Ducks were able to sit on the lead and close it out without any drama, a final score of 68-54.

Players of the Game

  • Nate Bittle: 21 points, 13 rebounds

  • Kel’el Ware: 11 points, 2 rebounds

  • Quincy Guerrier: 14 points, 6 rebounds

  • Rivaldo Soares: 10 points, 5 rebounds

  • Keeshawn Barthelemy: 9 points, 3 rebounds

What's Next?

Mark Hoffman – USA Today Sports

The Ducks will host the Wisconsin Badgers in the quarterfinals of the NIT Tournament on Tuesday night at MKA.

Story originally appeared on Ducks Wire