Saint Mary’s shocked the No. 11 Oregon Ducks last night at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, Calif., winning 99-87 behind 37 points from freshman guard Patrick Mills.
The 5-foot-11-inch Australian went 13 of 14 from the free throw line and added five assists to pace the Gaels (4-0) to a statement victory on their home floor, which was mobbed by fans after the game.
“He’s a terrific player. He might be pro,” said Oregon coach Ernie Kent of Mills in a broadcast interview. “I’m telling you he’s that good because we could not defend him whatsoever.”
Kent pointed to missed free throws and the absence of Bryce Taylor, who missed his second game in a row with a sore right shoulder, as factors in the loss, but said that the Ducks’ (4-1) inability to make defensive stops is cost them the game.
“We’ve got to get back to playing defense. We’ve talked about it for a long time now, and now maybe we’ll make believers out of them,” he said. “Everybody is guilty because everybody got blown by tonight and I thought that was the difference in the game.”
The game went back and forth early, and the Ducks led 13-12 on a Malik Hairston three-pointer midway through the first half, but the lead would be their last as Mills answered with three straight from beyond the arc to put St. Mary’s up by six, 21-15. The Gaels would lead by as many as eight in the half, though the Ducks pulled to within three points when Tajuan Porter connected from long range just before the break.
The Gaels got off to a quick start in the second half and led by as many as 12 early on, but the Ducks would crawl back to within six by midway through the half at 72-66. They never got any closer though, due to defensive breakdowns, missed free throws and the hot hand of Mills.
Kamyron Brown led Oregon with 20 points and added five rebounds with a pair of steals and assists. Maarty Leunen notched another double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Ducks had six players in double figures on the night and were effective at exploiting mismatches on the offensive end, but were unable to match the Gaels’ intensity early and seemed content to trade buckets down the stretch.
“St. Mary’s is an excellent basketball team and they were the better team tonight,” Kent said. “They outplayed us and they made us pay.”
– Kevin Hudson