Oregon men’s basketball’s game against No. 9 Arizona had everything Ducks and sports fans could want.

It had the stakes. A 2:30 tip off on national television showcasing the Wildcats who were coming off an upset at the hands of Oregon State and the Ducks in search of their first-ranked win of the season.

It had the players. With Wildcats bona-fide superstar Caleb Love matching up with veterans Jermaine Couisnard and N’Faly Dante.

And it had the crowd. A booming audience that was announced as the first sellout at Matthew Knight Arena since 2017. 

At the end of Oregon’s (14-6, 6-3 Pac-12)  87-78 loss to Arizona (15-5, 6-3 Pac-12) however, the early optimism surrounding the Ducks was replaced by a series of books and “U of A” chants.

“We made too many mistakes, offensively, defensively, coaching, to beat a good team,” head coach Dana Altman said.. 

Love set the tone immediately, hitting an opening possession 3-pointer, and promptly responded by directing trash talk in the direction of the Oregon student section. 

It was showtime in Eugene. And Love was the villain. 

Controlling the tempo throughout, Love gashed through Oregon’s defense on his way to 20 first-half points. Although sloppy early, the Ducks had a brief comeback highlighted by Jermaine Couisnard’s half-court heave at the buzzer.

Couisnard’s shot gave Oregon a chance, trailing by just seven it looked as if the Ducks were able to control Love and Arizona’s physicality. They could have a shot at the upset.  

But, neither of those things happened. 

The Wildcats immediately went on a run to start the second half; the Ducks played from behind the entire game. 

“They jumped on us early there, we made a nice comeback…but [we made] too many mistakes to beat a good team,” Altman said. 

“I felt like we were in control of what we wanted to do,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said postgame to Arizona’s YouTube channel. “I think we executed our plans at both ends of the floor…today I thought we were really mature, with handling and managing the game.” 

It was a let-down of a game when the Ducks could least afford it. The loss moves Oregon into a tie with the Wildcats for first in the Pac-12 and costs Altman’s squad another chance at a quality resume-boosting win. Arizona now holds the tie-breaker should the teams be tied in the standings at the end of the year. 

In need of a bounce-back win following the upset in Corvallis, Arizona promptly responded in a big way, dominating hustle stats with 12 points off turnovers and 10 offensive rebounds.

Most of all, however, it was Love again who led to Oregon’s demise. The fourth-year junior and future NBA player finished with a career-high 36 points.

“Love had a tremendous game, he’s a tremendous player,” Altman said. “But some of the looks we gave him were just way too easy.”

“I didn’t think he was going to miss.” Lloyd said of Love.

Yet again, Oregon’s defense faltered down the stretch, unable to get a stop late while the Wildcats continued to dominate, leading by as many as 16. 

Although nationally regarded and known as one of the sport’s premier scores, the Ducks seemingly had no answer for Love who torched Oregon’s defense from long-range and the interior. 

“The bottom line is, we gotta guard better,” Altman said. “All their players are skilled and know their role…still, defensively we gotta get better.”

“Basketball season has a lot of ups and downs,” Altman said. “This is a big downfall.” 

In what was without a doubt the Ducks’ biggest let-down of the season, Oregon was torched again on the perimeter. A common theme in the Ducks’ losses this season.

After suffering their first home loss of the season, Oregon will go on the road to take on USC and UCLA.