After stumbling out of the gate, Oregon men’s basketball put together a strong second-half effort to beat Iowa in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament, 108-97. The Ducks missed 10 of their first 15 field goal attempts but ended up setting a season-high in scoring while breaking the century mark for the first time this season. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=235&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205399945@@ @@http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2011-2012/iowa36.html#GAME.BX1@@
The Ducks were ice-cold from the floor in the early going, missing their four three-point attempts. Iowa, on the other hand, got off to a dazzling start, hitting 11 of its first 16 field goal attempts while knocking down six of seven three-pointers.
“They just did a good job of making shots, especially early,” senior guard Garrett Sim said. “I think we were getting a little lost in our zone, but they were knocking down shots.”
Sophomore guard Roy Devyn Marble came in averaging only 10.9 points per game but was on fire in the early going. Marble hit 10 of his first 11 field goal attempts, as well as his first seven shots form three-point range. In total, Marble notched 31 points on 10 of 15 shooting while also chipping in five rebounds and five assists on the afternoon. @@http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2011-2012/iowa.html#team.ind@@
“His numbers weren’t that good,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said. “But all of those shots were in rhythm. Guys, when they hit a couple, their eyes get pretty big.”
After an ice-cold first half (1 of 5 from the field, three points) senior guard Garrett Sim recovered to give Oregon a huge boost late in the game. Sim hit two crucial three-pointers in the closing minutes and ended 4 of 10 from the field (3 of 6 from three-point range) with 15 points, four rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes of play.
But the real offensive hero for Oregon was senior guard E.J. Singler. The Medford, Ore., native hit 9 of 10 shots overall, including 3 of 4 from long range, en route to 25 points, six rebounds and four assists. Singler scored more than 20 points for the sixth time this season and paced the Ducks in scoring for the ninth time this year.
The Hawkeyes led the Ducks 51-47 at the half. Iowa’s 51 points were the most allowed by Oregon to an opponent this season, and the Ducks trailed by as many as 15 points in the first period.
“They were pretty unconscious at the start, so I think a little bit we were thinking that they’d have to start missing some shots offensively,” Sim said. “But that’s not really a good mindset. We just needed to buckle down.”
Devoe Joseph played all 20 minutes in the first half, scoring seven points with three assists. But the catalyst for Oregon in the early going was reserve Olu Ashaolu. Ashaolu was a bundle of energy from the opening tip and went 6 of 8 from both the field and free throw line in 14 minutes during the opening stanza, scoring 18 of Oregon’s 47 points to keep the Ducks within striking distance.
Oregon fans held their breath when Ashaolu took a scary tumble chasing a loose ball out of bounds in the closing minutes of the game. After gathering himself, Ashaolu headed to the locker room and returned to the bench with a noticeable knot on his forehead and a small laceration.
“He just got a little cut above his eye,” Altman said. “I think he’s OK. He was fine in the locker room.”
Continuing a recent trend, Oregon sustained a rapid offensive pace throughout the entire contest. The Ducks finished shooting 59 percent from the field, 88 percent from the line and 44 percent from long range. The team also racked up a season-high 26 assists while turning the ball over only 10 times despite stinging the Hawkeyes with 23 fast-break points. The Ducks had five players score in double figures for the second-consecutive game.
“You want guys to have confidence offensively, and today we were pretty balanced,” Altman said. “Everybody shot it when they got it; we didn’t hesitate. So I think we’re playing with a lot of confidence offensively. We just have to make sure to continue to move the ball and make plays for each other.”
Oregon scored 61 points in the second half alone, more than their total scoring output in four games this season.
“I thought offensively we played really well,” Singler said. “I thought we shared the ball extremely well. We have a lot of players that stepped up tonight.”
Freshman forward Aaron White had a strong effort in the defeat for Iowa. The Strongsville, Ohio, native had 22 points and 8 rebounds in 35 minutes of play. Senior guard Bryce Cartwright registered a double-double for the Hawkeyes, totaling 12 points and 10 assists to go along with four steals.
The Ducks will now head to Seattle to take on the Washington Huskies in the third round of the NIT. The teams played twice this season with contrasting results. Oregon suffered a 76-60 loss at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on New Years Eve before handing the Huskies an 82-57 loss at Matthew Knight Arena on Feb. 9th.
“It’s going to be fun,” Sim said. “Washington is a tough place to play, but at the same time it’s fun to go in there.”
“You always like to play at home,” Altman said. “But we’ve been a decent road team, so we’re excited to go to Seattle, and I know Washington is excited to play us.”