Saturday’s matchup against Utah didn’t have any implications on Oregon’s postseason fate with its Pac-12 Tournament seeding already determined. For the seniors, it did present them with one last opportunity to win in front of their home crowd.
They delivered late in the Ducks’ (20-11, 12-8 Pac-12) 66-65 win against the Utes (18-13, 9-11 Pac-12).
Jackson Shelstad got Oregon off to an early lead. He started his offense with a pullup 3-pointer. He followed it up with a fadeaway midrange on the next possession and then another 3 off an offensive board.
Utah cut into the deficit with a 7-0 run midway through the first half. The Ducks didn’t have any answers for Branden Carlson, who scored 17 first-half points. He went 3-4 for seven points during the Utes’ run to keep the game close.
Oregon went cold from the field during that span. Shelstad missed his next two attempts after his hot start and briefly went to the bench. The rest of the roster couldn’t buy a bucket. Carlson drained a 3-pointer with about 10 minutes left in the half to give the Utes their first lead of the game.
“We look tired,” head coach Dana Altman said. “And I’m not using that as an excuse, but I just don’t think we look energetic.”
Much of the first half featured fast-paced action and several lead changes. The crowd progressively got louder as the Ducks hustled to gain momentum coming out of a timeout with 7:47 left in the half. Instead, the Utah lead grew as Oregon’s field goal percentages dropped.
The Ducks went into the half shooting 34.5% from the field and trailing by five. It was their 9-for-11 free throws that kept them in the game.
At the start of the second half, it was more of the same back-and-forth action. With 17:02 left, however, Carlson headed to the locker room after going down with an injury. The Utes began to handle the ball carelessly without their leader on the floor.
Oregon failed to capitalize off Utah’s mistakes at first. Hunter Erickson came into the game and lasered in back-to-back 3-pointers, which warranted a Ducks timeout.
“I’m not worried about anybody else’s injuries. We got four guys sitting on the side,” Altman said. “[Carlson’s] a fifth-year guy that’s really good. Fortunately for them, Hunter comes in, hits a couple, and had some other guys step up.”
Then, N’Faly Dante took over.
The senior put the Utes on a poster with an alley-oop dunk that was key in a 10-0 Oregon run that gave it the advantage. He scored another interior basket on the next possession that also resulted in a second-chance layup off a missed free-throw.
“With Dante, you always got a chance,” Altman said. “We got to get him the ball enough. We got a chance.”
Dante led the Ducks with 19 points and 12 rebounds in the game. Jermaine Cousinard also chipped in 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Both were among the six seniors honored postgame.
“It’s always important on Senior Day to walk out with your head up and feel good,” Altman said.
Oregon held on to win despite not scoring for nearly the game’s final four minutes and Utah staying close. The game ended with a missed 3 by the Utes that would’ve won them the game.
The Ducks’ next stop is the Pac-12 Tournament. They’ve clinched the first-round bye as the No. 4 seed, but will likely need to win out in Las Vegas to find themselves in the NCAA Tournament.
“We got a chance. I know it’s a long shot,” Altman said. “We’re gonna go swing away and see what we can make happen.”
