EUGENE – The No. 21 Oregon Ducks men’s basketball team’s shooting woes continued in their matchup with the unranked University of California Irvine Anteaters Friday night. Oregon (1-1) fell to UCI (2-0) 69-56 in Matthew Knight Arena. This defeat is their worst at home against a non conference opponent since they fell to the Virginia Cavaliers 67-54 in 2011.

Oregon’s first half play was very inconsistent as it allowed a 12-4 run over a 7:46 span. The Ducks finally tied the game behind a Kel’el Ware free throw with 6:11 left in the half. 

Shortly after the game’s score was even, Oregon completed a 12-4 scoring run of its own, but it still trailed 22-18. The bright spot for the Ducks in the first half was senior center N’Faly Dante, who carried the load with his 10 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.

One of his baskets came off of a precise alley oop pass from senior guard Will Richardson. After one of Oregon’s few highlight plays of the game, the MKA crowd erupted as the Ducks cut their deficit to six.

However, that play was one of the few positive moments for Richardson in this contest as he struggled to get a shot to sink for the second straight game. In the season opener he had 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.

Tonight he regressed as he shot 1-of-6 from the field and 0-of-4 from the three point line. Richardson totaled four points, four rebounds, four assists and seven turnovers. A stat line that can’t continue if the Ducks expect to be competitive this season.

Richardson wasn’t the only Oregon player who failed to find a rhythm offensively. Senior forward Quincy Guerrier scored zero points as he fought foul trouble all game. He had four fouls early in the second half, and the foul limit is five in collegiate basketball.

On the bright side, Dante couldn’t be stopped in the post all night. He posted a 20 point, nine rebound and four block outing on 7-of-16 shooting.

Another big man had a career night of his own. Sophomore center Nate Bittle was the second leading scorer for the Ducks. He set career bests in scoring and rebounding as he got 10 baskets to fall, while corralling seven rebounds.

Oregon is riddled with injuries as awaited transfers Jermaine Couisnard and Brennan Rigsby remain out, in addition to reserve players Lok Wur and Ethan Butler.

Nevertheless, the Ducks must find an answer to their porous shooting as they shot 32.7% from the field and went 4-of-21 from the three point line.

Oregon head coach Dana Altman added that they got beat in all aspects of the game.

“We got beat in every facet of the game,” Altman said. “Hustle, toughness; we have had a number of practices that resembled that, and I was fearful that some point in time that would come.”

Altman continued in his opening remarks that they failed defensively, as they gave UCI’s best shooter too many open looks.

“We gave their best three point shooter 14 threes. As open as he was, he’s probably disappointed he only got six,” Altman said.

That shooter was junior guard DJ Davis, who led in scoring this contest with 24 points.

Look for the No. 21 Ducks to avenge this defeat in their next matchup with the Montana State Bobcats (0-1) on Nov. 15, 2022 at MKA.