Was this it?
Was this the game to vault Oregon into a winning streak that extends beyond two games?
The Ducks dismantled and battered a short-handed UCLA squad in a 82-64 win. And it was the way in which Oregon beat UCLA that shows the direction this team could be heading down.
“It’s a step in the right direction — you hope to have a couple of good practices here and be ready to go on Wednesday,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said. “We got our work cut out for us — we just need to get better in practice the next couple of days and then give it our best effort against Arizona.”
Five Ducks ended the game in double figures in the scoring category.
“That was the biggest confidence boost out of today,” Oregon’s Dwayne Benjamin said. “Against Washington, we had a pretty good lead but let them come back so going into halftime (today), we told each other that we wouldn’t let it happen again.”
Not only did the Ducks shoot 62 percent (33-for-53) from the field and 69 percent (9-for-13) from three-point territory, they built their massive lead because of the defense they put on UCLA – mainly from the play of Jordan Bell.
“He (Bell) was a really good shot blocker in high school,” Altman said of Bell’s defense. “He runs down balls for the tough blocks, just the effort plays — I’ve been really pleased with the way he’s coming along.”
From the opening tip, Oregon established dominance on both ends of the court. The Ducks started the game by scoring the first four points and seized a 16-7 lead within the first five minutes.
All year long, the Ducks have been known as a team that will only go as far as their star player Joseph Young will take them. But on Saturday, it was the role players who stepped up when it mattered most.
With the win, the Ducks are in the midst of a two-game winning streak.  That streak would have easily been five if they had closed out games against Washington and Washington State last weekend.
If Oregon can do the unexpected and pull out wins against Arizona and Arizona State next week, look for them to start making some noise as a tournament contender – especially if they continue to play like they did on Saturday.
Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka