Just as the halftime buzzer sounded on Tuesday night’s game against Texas Southern, Garrett Sim launched a three-pointer from well beyond half court. The ball sailed neatly through the air before falling straight through the net.
The crowd erupted, and Sim raised his arms in triumph as the team trotted into the locker room. The shot gave Oregon a 33-25 lead going into the intermission and proved to be a turning point in the game.
“I think it gave us a little momentum going into the half,” Sim said.
Yet even Sim couldn’t have known how dominant the Ducks would be in the second period. Oregon outscored the Tigers 42-27 after the break and found itself in the midst of a commanding 39-9 run with just over eight minutes left in the game.
For head coach Dana Altman, the spurt was a by-product of numerous improvements. For starters, the players were much more keyed into the action.
“I thought our focus was much better tonight,” Altman said, “which eliminated some of the mistakes that were made the other night (against San Jose State).”
Another key to Oregon’s dominance in the second half was a stifling full-court press that seemed to flummox Texas Southern.
“In the second half, E.J. (Singler) getting a couple offense rebounds and put-backs … it allowed us to set our press,” Altman said.
From there, the Ducks were able to force turnovers, which in turn led to more easy buckets. Texas Southern had 21 giveaways, including four within the first four minutes of the second half, and it was clear that the press stifled any rhythm they had found in the early moments of the game.
“I think we just executed our press a little better,” Sim said. “I think that press really gave opportunities to get some steals and get momentum to start the second half.”
On the offensive side of the ball, Oregon made a distinct effort to limit its own turnovers. The Ducks finished with just 13, a marked improvement over past games.
“We took pride in that tonight,” Sim said. “It was a little easier going against a zone … I think we did a good job flashing and helping our guys out to find open cuts and get easy baskets.”
In all, the team appeared to turn a corner on Tuesday, and players seem to have a better grasp of what they are expected to contribute on a nightly basis.
“I think everybody’s learning their role now,” junior forward Tyrone Nared said. “And we all know we just gotta work as a team, and we can’t just play selfish.”
For Altman, this improvement could be partially attributed to accountability.
“I’m really pleased,” Altman said. “The guys were very critical of themselves when they watched the film (from San Jose State). If you’re going to make an improvement as a team, guys gotta recognize fundamentally when they’re not doing things right, and want to change.”
The step forward could not have come at a better time, as the team heads to Portland to play No. 1 Duke on Saturday.
“They’re a very good basketball team,” Altman said. “It’s a big challenge, a big opportunity for us, and we just want to prepare ourselves and go up there and compete, and see how we can improve.”
For now, Altman and the Ducks will enjoy what is arguably their best win of the season.
“It was a fun night,” Altman said.
Judging by the smile on his face when he talked about that circus shot at halftime, Sim would agree.
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