PORTLAND, Ore. — No. 14 Oregon picked up its first big win of the 2019-20 season on Tuesday night at the Moda Center, beating No. 13 Memphis 82-74.
The Ducks were powered by an overwhelming majority of Duck fans in attendance, and seemingly answered every Memphis run with a timely shot or defensive stop. Oregon shot the ball well all night — 48 percent from the field, 39 percent from three — and supplemented the shooting disparity by simply fighting harder for much of the game.
“We never really hung our heads,” sophomore guard Will Richardson said. “We kept our heads in and kept fighting, because we knew it was all things we could fix. And if we fixed those things, then we knew we’d be right back in the game. We just always kept our head up.”
Toughness and experience prevail over size and athleticism
Facing a front line of presumptive NBA lottery pick James Wiseman, Precious Achiuwa and DJ Jeffries, Oregon grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, forced 13 turnovers and held Memphis to 4-for-23 from deep to equalize the Tigers’ physical advantages.
A 2-3 matchup zone kept the ball out of the paint for a good portion of Memphis’ offensive possessions, and when Wiseman went out with two quick fouls in the first half, the Tigers offense couldn’t get much going.
“I thought we battled inside some against their superior size,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said. “All in all, a lot of positives.”
When the Ducks needed big shots down the stretch, their veteran leaders were there to take and make them — Payton Pritchard and Will Richardson both hit critical threes late in the second half to seal the win for Oregon.
Shakur Juiston, stat sheet stuffer
Juiston did it all on Tuesday night, tallying a game-high 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. He shot 8-15 from the floor and did all the little things to answer each of Memphis’ many runs in the second half.
Through three games, the transfer from UNLV has been arguably Oregon’s most valuable player. Altman is going to need his contributions as the team continues its tough nonconference schedule.
“Huge,” Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway said of Juiston’s performance. “Grad transfer, a guy that’s been in the fight for a while…He starred in his role tonight…Payton didn’t have his best game, but Shakur made up for that.”
Oregon gets a marquee nonconference win to boost its March resume
With an early win over a 13th-ranked Memphis team at full strength, the Ducks now have a signature win that is sure to look pretty good on their resume come Selection Sunday.
The recent trend over the past few years in college basketball has put an increased emphasis on games played in November and December, and Oregon just beat one of the most talented teams in the country in a near-wire-to-wire victory.
With a Pac-12 slate that might lack top-tier, high-profile games, Dana Altman and the Ducks will be thankful they have this win in their back pocket come March.
