The anticipated return of Oregon’s cornerstone big men was spoiled Saturday night by a well-prepared and red-hot shooting San Diego team. The Ducks, 4-5 on the season, welcomed the return of center Michael Dunigan and forward Joevan Catron from injuries, each playing 21 minutes.
Oregon could never seem to catch the Toreros, 5-6, after falling behind 10-16 midway through the first half. San Diego, who has been recently devastated by a rash of injuries to most of their starting unit, overcame 17 turnovers and just over 55 percent free throw shooting to hand the Ducks their fifth non-conference loss of the season.
The Ducks struggled to find any rhythm throughout the game, ending with only eight team assists.
“We never had momentum in the game to where those guys could come on the floor and have an opportunity to make a few mistakes and stay on the floor and play through them. The game was not like that. We’re in catch-up mode so much,” said coach Ernie Kent after the game. The Papé Jam also marked the homecoming for Portland native and Duck freshman point guard, Garrett Sim. After a less-than-stellar 0-6 first half outing, Sim opened the second half with an assist in transition and a relaxed 3-pointer to spark a Duck’s resurgence. Sim ended the game going 1-9 from the field, for five points and two assists in 30 minutes of action.
“He’s a freshman. Not much more you can say to him. For him to play like this, it’s normal,” said Kent about Sim. Still, Sim continued to exude a calm and confident demeanor, usually reserved for veterans, throughout the game. “I think Garrett Sim’s going to be a great player in this league,” said San Diego coach Bill Grier following the Toreros’ win.
Even though it is hard to overlook Oregon’s horrific 21-for-60 shooting performance, the Ducks did play stellar defense in spurts. It doesn’t get any easier for the Ducks, who will face a veteran St. Mary’s team on Wednesday who is fresh off a win over San Diego State.