The Oregon men’s basketball team passed its first road test of the season with flying colors.
The Ducks put on a three-point shooting display Saturday and defeated Marshall 89-69 at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, W.Va.
Oregon (3-0) knocked down 13 of 21 from behind the arc and was in control from the opening tip. The Ducks led by as many as 25 points, en route to their highest offensive output of the season.
“This group has the makings of something special,” Oregon head coach Ernie Kent told 590 KUGN after the game. “They’re young and they’re playing at such a high level. The key is to keep them there and to keep their confidence high.”
Freshman guard Bryce Taylor finished with a team-high 18 points and knocked down 4 of 6 from three-point range. The Encino, Calif., native sparked Oregon to an early 14-3 lead by connecting on a trio of three-pointers during the game’s first five minutes.
“People got a chance to see what a fantastic scorer and offensive player he is,” Kent said.
Taylor was one of five Ducks to reach double figures in scoring, including Aaron Brooks (16), Malik Hairston (15), Ian Crosswhite (13) and Chamberlain Oguchi (11).
Oguchi’s performance was impressive in its own right. After sitting on the bench for most of Oregon’s three contests, the freshman from Houston connected on 3 of 5 three-pointers in just 12 minutes.
“Chamberlain Oguchi showed just how well he can shoot,” Kent said.
Along with a balanced scoring attack, Oregon showed off its depth as nine Ducks played double-figure minutes. The Ducks’ ability to stay fresh was key early in the second half when the Thundering Herd cut into the Oregon lead. After trailing 39-24 at halftime, Marshall (1-2) went on a 7-0 run three minutes into the second half to pull within eight. Brooks ended Oregon’s scoreless streak with a three-pointer, however, giving the Ducks a 52-41 lead and starting a 22-8 run of their own.
Oregon’s only shortcoming was occasional sloppy play. The Ducks turned the ball over 18 times, including 13 in the first half. Forward Mitch Platt turned the ball over three times during the game’s first four minutes before being benched for the remainder of the contest.
The Ducks were able to overcome their sloppy passes with a shooting performance that was anything but. For the game, they shot nearly 61 percent from the floor, including 62 percent from three-point range.
Oregon outrebounded Marshall 37-22.
Crosswhite just missed a double-double, grabbing nine rebounds to go with his 13 points. Freshman forward Maarty Leunen added five points off the bench.
Center Mark Patton and guard Tre Whitted led the Thundering Herd with 17 points each. Marshall’s biggest inside weapon, forward David Anderson, was held to 10 points during 13 foul-plagued minutes.
Marshall was limited to a 39-percent shooting clip for the game, including 30 percent during the first half.
“It’s a road win,” Kent said. “Good teams win on the road and I thought this team did a great job.”
Next up for Oregon is a showdown with Vanderbilt during the Papé Jam on Dec. 4 at the Rose Garden in Portland. The Commodores advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season and will be the Ducks’ toughest opponent to date.

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