It’s become almost expected at this point that when USC guard Drew Peterson knocks down a shot, he turns to the crowd and rubs his fingers like there’s cash in between his thumb and index finger.
Oregon Ducks fans know the celebration all too well.
They were subjected to it in late February of last season when Peterson’s pull-up three acted as the go-ahead bucket in a game that dropped the Ducks to 18-11.
It’s a loss that’s stayed fresh on the minds of the Ducks’ returning players, especially guard Will Richardson.
“[USC] came here last year and kind of broke our hearts a little bit,” Richardson said. “We took it personally.”
On Thursday, Oregon (15-10, 9-5) made it a point early that it wouldn’t be subjected to that same fate. The Ducks threw a slew of defenders at Peterson, each with a hand in his airspace whenever he attempted a shot. Richardson took the bulk of the possessions; at other times it was forward Rivaldo Soares or Quincy Guerrier who was in his grill.
Together, they held Peterson — USC’s (17-7, 9-4) second-highest scorer at 14.2 points per game — to 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting, as they blew out the Trojans 78-60.
Along with a cold night for Peterson, the Trojans shot just 41.1% from the field and 25% from three. Coming off a stretch in which USC had won six of seven games it was Oregon’s defense that stymied it.
And it began early with Richardson’s defense on Peterson. Time and again the 6-foot-9 guard tried to get position on Richardson on the block for a fadeaway jumper, and when he did receive the entry pass it was met with a struggle to get his shot off.
Oregon head coach Dana Altman said the Ducks didn’t approach guarding Peterson in any different way than when he scored 20 points against them last year, but it was clear when the ball was in his hands, arms were up and feet were shuffling. Overall, defenders seemed more engaged.
“He’s really been a pain in our rear,” Altman said. “I thought the guys didn’t give Drew anything really easy.”
The Ducks’ defensive effort carried into the second half and into the coverage of the auxiliary Trojans. Guard Boogie Ellis scored a game-high 19 points, but each one of his shots were highly contested.
With just under nine minutes remaining, Guerrier hounded forward Tre White as he drove the lane. He then blocked the Trojan forward’s layup from behind and pushed the ball ahead to Richardson, who crossed over into the lane for a layup which extended the lead to 61-44.
A few possessions later, they forced a shot-clock violation. It was a stretch highlighted by disciplined rim protection and aggressive perimeter defense, one that was capped by a rejection from center N’Faly Dante that sent Îraslov Niagu’s attempt into the student section.
“I thought defensively we played good,” Altman said. “We beat them in every category except for second chance points. We had 41 deflections and our activity was good. Boogie got some shots down, but I thought other than the first three we gave him they were all pretty tough. That was one of our better efforts.”
It was a cohesive performance from a team that’s playing with an ambition to get after it on the defensive end. One that’s won four of its last five games — a stretch in which the Ducks have held opponents to 40.7% from the field.
And, more importantly, one that’s figuring a few things out rotationally, at a time when continuity is vital.
While their starting lineup of Richardson, Soares, Dante, Jermaine Couisnard and Nate Bittle leaves a little to be desired in the shooting department, it’s a long group that stays active defensively and moves the ball with the intention of scoring on the inside. Guerrier and Keeshawn Barthelemy stay ready off the bench, and while the Ducks are still searching for a consistent guy to round out their eight man rotation — tonight it was complemented by center Kel’el Ware, who Altman takes a likening to when he has some confidence — for all the shortcomings of this team, it doesn’t lack depth.
“Our guys feel pretty good right now,” Altman said. “They can rely on each other a little bit. So I think we all feel good about things.”
With the win, the Ducks are now tied with Utah (16-9, 9-5) for the No. 4 spot in the Pac-12, meaning they’re right on the cusp of earning a first-round bye for March’s Pac-12 Tournament.
They host No. 7 UCLA on Saturday, before embarking on a favorable five-game slate against the Washington schools, the Bay Area teams and Oregon State. Therefore, a win on Saturday could put them in an advantageous position to control their NCAA Tournament destiny before heading to Las Vegas in early March.
