The crowd at Matthew Knight Arena roared as Oregon point guard Will Richardson hit a step-back three pointer.
A lack of offensive production has plagued Oregon all season, but Saturday night looked promising for the Oregon squad, proving its ability to score as they beat the Utes, 79-66.
“It has been coming together slowly,” Richardson said. “It builds your confidence, I like to say it’s your swagger… walking around like you belong here.”
The Preseason No. 12 team in the nation entered the first game of 2022 with a 7-6 record, going 0-2 in Pac-12 play. For the Ducks, Saturday night was a tale of two different teams on the offensive side of the ball. Sometimes they were able to score by exploiting opportunities to play inside out in transition. Other times, the Ducks looked hesitant, holding the ball for too long in the wings and looking for entry passes to the post but failing to create space to run a pick and roll.
They opened the night shooting one of 10 from the field. A slow pace and nine first half points to Utah forward Branden Carleson fronted the Utes a 35-29 lead going into halftime.
Coming out of the break, Jacob Young set the tone for the Ducks on the defensive end, using his lightning speed to cause three Utah turnovers with his suffocating on ball defense. Young finished the night with a season best 22 points and a game-high 4 assists.
“He changed the game,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said. “We were stuck in the mud and he got a steal and the rest of the guys followed his example.”
In the second half, the Ducks played with better energy. They continued to harass Utah ball handlers as Altman’s teams have done for years, forcing bad shots and 9 second half turnovers. The change in defensive strategy made room for the offense en route to a 50 point, 64% shooting second half in which the Ducks shot 75% from beyond the arc.
“We got some layups off of steals which really got us going,” Altman said. “We would like to get out and have a little better transition game than what we’ve had… the defense initiated most of those opportunities”
Will Richardson had a career night, tallying 26 points on 8 for 8 from the field in the second half, helping to seal the win for the Ducks. A preseason Bob Cousy award watch list player, Richardson has struggled with consistency thus far. His offensive production was a welcome addition on Saturday.
“Will can be his own worst enemy sometimes,” Altman said. “Putting pressure on himself, the anxiety that creates… he was upbeat in practice the last couple of days, trying to lead, and it carried over to the game.”
Oregon claimed a 79-66 victory for their first win of Pac-12 play. The Ducks outscored Utah by 19 in the second half, but this Oregon team still has room for improvement, especially in the settled half-court offense.
The Ducks will look to build on their momentum when Colorado comes to Eugene on Monday, January 2 at Matthew Knight Arena.
