Portland, ORE. – Oregon forward Maarty Leunen set up the finishing touches and guard Bryce Taylor provided the dagger.
With the Ducks clinging to a four-point lead with 1:49 remaining Saturday in the Pape Jam at the Rose Garden against Nebraska, Leunen came up with a key block of 6-foot-11, 270-pound big-man Aleks Maric, and, on Oregon’s next possession, Taylor connected on his team-leading 18th point of the game with his third three-pointer that gave the Ducks the needed cushion with 44 seconds remaining in their 68-56 victory.
The Huskers’ (5-2) turned the ball over on their final three possessions and the Ducks (7-0) picked up the win to escape unscathed from the toughest portion of their non-conference schedule that included road games against Rice and previously ranked Georgetown and gets much softer until the Pac-10 season starts.
“It was another great game of grinding it out,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “All and all, I thought it was a great effort by our team. It’s great to be 7-0 and heading back to Mac Court.”
Last year, when the Ducks finished the season 15-18, they were blown out at this same event 89-59 by Illinois.
Things felt much different Saturday.
This time, like they failed to do so many times last season, the Ducks made all the right plays down the stretch.
“We’re almost night and day,” Kent said. “Last year, we were an immature basketball team. This year, they’ve grown. They are more mature, physically tougher and mentally tougher right now.”
That toughness has allowed Oregon to handle two of the more dominant low-post threats they’ll face all season in Nebraska’s Maric and Georgetown’s seven-footer Roy Hibbert.
On Saturday, thanks to some early foul trouble, an effective game-plan and a tenacious effort by Leunen, the undersized Ducks stifled Maric, the Huskers’ lone inside presence, holding him to 12 points and six rebounds in just 24 minutes of action.
Oregon made it tough for the Australian-native to receive the ball by defending the lob entry pass with constant weak-side defense while Leunen fronted.
“We’re small, but we play big,” Kent said. “And defensively, all you have to do is stand in front of those big guys and have great weak side help.”
Last week, Leunen and the Ducks held Hibbert to just nine points.
“For at least the rest of the preseason, those are the two best big men that we’re going to play until the Pac-10,” said Leunen, who gave up two inches and 55 pounds to Maric. “Those are two pretty good tests and it showed me a lot how I can handle that situation.”
Maric played just five minutes in the first half after picking up his second foul with 13:52 remaining.
With Maric off the floor, the Ducks overcame a 1-for-7 start from the from the field and a 10-3 early deficit by using a 12-2 run to take a lead it would not relinquish.
Oregon’s 31-27 halftime advantage ballooned to 39-29 less than three minutes into the second half after a jumper by Aaron Brooks, consecutive dunks by Malik Hairston and a dunk by Taylor.
Nebraska closed the margin to one with 12:33 remaining, but back-to-back three-pointers pushed the lead to seven
The Huskers had one more run late and narrowed the gap to 59-56 with 2:11 remaining but the Ducks closed on a 9-0 run after forcing four turnovers and sinking their final free-throws
“We’re understanding how to win basketball games,” Hairston said who poured in nine points in just his second game this season after returning from a groin injury.
Leunen cashed in 15 points and nine rebounds in 36 minutes for the Ducks and was joined in double figures by Taylor (18), Brooks (15) and Porter (10). Guard Chamberlain Oguchi did not play due to a sprained left ankle is expected out 2-4 weeks.
But the road becomes much easier now for the Ducks until they start Pac-10 play on Dec. 30 at Oregon State. The Ducks return home for five games against Bethune Cookman, Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Mercer and Portland.