It was a roar unlike any other sound heard in McArthur Court in years.
In its final game as host to the Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team Saturday night, the Pit made itself heard loud and clear one more time for its team.
As the Ducks overcame a 28-24 halftime deficit to tie the game on senior guard Jay-R Strowbridge’s layup 2:24 into the second half and took the lead 13 seconds later on senior point guard Malcolm Armstead’s fast-break basket, the Oregon faithful had the arena shaking like it did when honorary captain Aaron Brooks called it home.
Sophomore forward E.J. Singler noticed there was a different atmosphere in McArthur Court as compared to other games he’s played in the 84-year-old venue.
“There was a little buzz in the air, and for me personally, Mac Court has been a really special place for me, and I wanted to come out with a big bang (for the) last big game here at Mac,” Singler said.
Oregon stretched its lead to five after its next possession on a fast-break layup by Singler off of an Armstead steal and assist.
Redshirt senior Joevan Catron thought the Ducks might have turned the corner on that play, after shooting a lackluster 30.8 percent from the field in the first half.
“On the bench, I kind of nudged E.J. and said ‘We might be onto something here,’ but I spoke too soon and it went down the drain,” said Catron, the sole remaining Duck who played with Brooks on the 2006-07 Elite Eight team that lost to eventual NCAA Tournament champion Florida.
Singler also thought Oregon’s run would spring the team toward a victory, but said the team’s defense allowed Arizona State to convert easy shots and retake the lead.
“I felt like you know that was a big spark, I thought we were feeling good, it boosted our defense I thought, but ASU came down and hit some big shots,” Singler said. “They got it right back, and we made it easy for them though. I think they had two wide-open layins, so they got back off of easy buckets and those kill you.”
First-year Oregon head coach Dana Altman agreed with Singler’s assessment of the Ducks’ defensive effort.
“Well, that’s a really disappointing loss,” Altman said. “Again, we had some opportunities when we took the lead in the second half, but then we had four really bad defensive possessions that allowed them to get kick-started and get right back into the game and take the lead.”
After Strowbridge’s layup, the Ducks did not fall behind for more than six minutes, eventually ceding the lead to the Sun Devils with 11:20 remaining in the game. Except for a one-point advantage that lasted for all of 23 seconds with less than nine minutes left in the game, Oregon would not lead for the rest of the night.
Singler was apologetic that the Ducks were unable to close McArthur Court with a victory against the Sun Devils.
“I knew for the rest of our team it was special, especially for (Catron),” Singler said. “He’s played here for five years. I know it meant a lot to him, and I know it meant a lot to the fans, and we’re sorry we couldn’t pull out a win for them.”
Catron tried to treat the game as if it was a regular conference contest, but he too expressed displeasure at how Oregon played in its last games at the Pit.
“I really tried to kind of not pay attention to it, it being the last game. I’m ready to move out of Mac Court and get into Matt,” Catron said. “I’m disappointed that we couldn’t close the building the right way with two wins this weekend though.”
Although Altman did not make McArthur Court his home floor for a long period of time, he said there was something unique about the atmosphere within it.
“This is a special building on game night, lot of energy that can be created, especially if we give ‘em something to cheer about, you know?” Altman said. “When we got after them a little bit there and got some turnovers and got some easy baskets, you know, the place got going pretty good. I’ll miss that energy.”
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