There were a few negative statistics that an Oregon fan could point to in the aftermath of an emotional season-ending loss at the hands of Washington, but it’s hard to overlook the off-key offensive performances of star senior guards Devoe Joseph and Garrett Sim.
“(They) were just trying to take away shots,” Sim said. “ In the first half I was making plays for other guys. They didn’t give us any room at all … they did a good job of trying to take easy looks from me and Devoe.”
Lost amid the four point lead at the half – keyed by E.J. Singler’s 15 points – Sim and Joseph combined to go 1 for 7 in the first half against the staunch Husky defense and finished a cumulative 7 for 24 (29 percent) from the field. Although Singler was able to find his shots in the first half, the Huskies changed their defense down the stretch and the Ducks lost their outside presence.
“They put (Darnell) Gant on me in the second half, and I just couldn’t find any open shots or any open looks in the second half,” Singler said.
At times, Joseph was openly frustrated on the court, allowing the raucous Alaska Airlines Arena crowd and relentless Washington defense get to him to the point that he was given a breather on the bench after arguing two foul calls with the officials.
Coach Dana Altman’s concerns lay elsewhere post-game, explaining, “We scored enough points, we just didn’t guard anybody.” That’s a fair point to make, but this team simply couldn’t break through without the scoring of at least one of their two senior guards, something that manifested itself throughout the season. (Joseph struggled during the Ducks’ regular season game in Seattle, only making one of his 13 shots en route to a season-low four points.)
Take nothing away from Washington’s defense nor from the rest of the Ducks; they fought their hearts out against their heated rivals, as did Sim and Joseph. The team ended the season with a record of 24-10; the most wins since the 2006-2007 team that made to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Further, the emergence of Tony Woods and Carlos Emory as playmakers should have fans hopeful about what they’ll bring next year.
It can’t be denied that the team was at it’s best when at least two of Sim, Singler and Joseph were scoring threats. Tonight, that wasn’t the case and it proved to be a fatal flaw in the Ducks’ quest toward New York.