As the ball bounced around a pile of players in the middle of the key, it ricocheted toward the out of bounds line. Quincy Guerrier crashed in from the three point line, and dived into the cheerleaders who were underneath the basket to save the ball from going out of bounds. Will Richardson, who was right behind him, grabbed the ball and laid it up to keep a 6-0 scoring run alive.
The game was filled with scrappy plays, like Gurrier’s save, and an intense playstyle that forced both teams to get creative offensively. Besides an early second half surge from the Beavers, the game belonged to Oregon (8-6) as they beat Oregon State 77-68 to resume Pac-12 play.
Right from the start, both teams played good defense in their own ways. Oregon was in a full court press with tight man-to-man defense, and Oregon State showed a lot of speed and agility and the Ducks struggled to get the ball past them.
“Our defensive energy was really good,” head coach Dana Altman said. “I don’t think we gave up any uncontested shots.”
Despite the different defenses, both teams managed to score. With a fast pace comes a lot of fouls, so Oregon relied heavily on their free throw shooting. They finished the game 17-for-23 while the Beavers reached 10 fouls with seven minutes left in the half.
Oregon State found holes in Oregon’s defense around the three point line and took advantage of it. The Beavers had four threes within the first five minutes and the Beavers finished the night shooting 50%.
The Ducks found their rhythm late in the half after Richardson shot a three at the shot-clock buzzer. After they found their groove, they showed a bigger intensity defensively. Oregon forced OSU into two shot-clock violations before the Beavers called a timeout.
Richardson was the difference in tonight’s game. With 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists, this is his third straight game with 20 or more points.
“We wouldn’t have won this game without Will,” Altman said. “I can’t imagine our team if he wasn’t here.”
Oregon went on a scoring drought with six minutes left to go in the first half, but Richardson ended it with a layup and led the team to a 6-0 run right after. When it reached halftime, the Ducks were up by 13.
The Beavers started the second half slowly inching their way back into the game. Oregon had seven fouls within the first seven minutes, which allowed Oregon State to go on a 6-0 scoring run and tie the game at 51 with 12 minutes left in the game. Thirty seconds later, they took the lead after two made free throws.
“We set the wrong tone coming out,” Richardson said. “We were just a little flat.”
With both teams alternating with the lead, the Ducks were finally able to put together a run and scored five straight. Richardson ended the game with an NBA three, and after catching an OSU pass from underneath the basket, he held the ball at the top of the key while the clock ran out.
While the team is still adjusting to a limited bench from injuries, those players are starting to reach the transition period of their recovery. With their injuries being in the lower body, they haven’t been able to practice with the team, but with Richardson taking responsibility of leading the team, they’re able to give the recovery time that’s needed.
