Days after head coach Dana Altman’s Ducks (16-7, 5-7 Big Ten) fell out of the top-25, they might have seen their season bottom out Wednesday evening with a 80-76 loss to No. 24 Michigan (17-5, 9-2 Big Ten) at the Crisler Center.
A sputtering offense that got only six points from its bench combined with a struggling defense spelled doom for Oregon. If a fourth consecutive loss following a tremendous start isn’t rock bottom, then they are in real trouble.
Somehow, despite all their problems, the Ducks had a chance to complete a comeback from ten points down. When TJ Bamba hit his second of two free-throws with 48 seconds remaining Oregon was within a basket. But Michigan secured an offensive rebound on the following possession and won the ensuing free-throw battle, running the clock out on the comeback.
Oregon had no answer for Michigan’s Danny Wolf who overmatched a lackluster defensive unit. Wolf finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds with a pair of 3-pointers and was one of five Wolverines in double-figures. Michigan attacked the rim more, and got to the line 21 times on the night and hitting 14 of 17 tries in the second half alone.
Altman’s offense also seemed in need of an overhaul after its bench unit was a net negative. The Ducks struggled mightily with reserves in the game. Michigan had 13 points off of 12 Oregon turnovers and parlayed 12 offensive rebounds into 14 second chance points.
The Ducks looked like they might reverse their fortunes by rallying back spurred by 10 second half Michigan turnovers. But the early deficit coupled by a pair of missed opportunities proved too much and the margins for Oregon to salvage its season became tighter.
Jackson Shelstad led all scorers with 18 points and added four rebounds and four assists on 7-17 shooting. Bamba added 13 of his own, 11 of which came in the second half.
Oregon matched Michigan in virtually every stat but still couldn’t hit shots when it mattered most. Bamba missed the first try of a one-and-one with two minutes remaining and Shelstad missed a jumper on the ensuing possession. Oregon was held without a field goal over the game’s final three minutes.
Despite being known for gearing up late season runs, Altman must now be faced with a new reality. His team is playing some of the worst defense of his 15 seasons in Eugene. His bench isn’t giving him nearly enough and his offense struggles to find any consistent rhythm.
Add it up and a season that looked incredibly promising as recently as three weeks ago is now on a distinctly different trajectory.
The Ducks remain on the road taking on No. 9 Michigan State on Saturday, a season on the brink needing another unexpected swerve.
