After a disappointing 66-77 loss to Cincinatti, the Ducks returned home to come away with a steady 95-78 win over the University of Texas at San Antonio. With four different players scoring in the double digits, Dominic Artis (16 points), Arsalan Kazemi (20 points), Waverly Austin (10 points), and Tony Woods (15 points),@@names checked@@ the Ducks simply dominated both ends of the floor tonight as they improved to 6-1 on the season.
In the early goings of the first half, UTSA came out looking like they belonged on the court. Both teams exchanged leads as UTSA caught fire from the three-point line, and it really wasn’t until the Ducks went on a 15-0 run midway through the half that the game went in favor for the Ducks. As UTSA began to struggle from the field later in the half, the Ducks took full advantage and ended up finishing the half with a comfortable 51-40 lead after shooting a solid 57.1 percent from the field.
The second half was when the game began to really slip away from Texas San Antonio. Other than an early 15-7 run by UTSA, the Ducks controlled the second half with ease. The Ducks once again jumped out with a double-digit lead after being sparked by a jaw dropping dunk from Kazemi midway through the second half—which stopped the 15-7 run by UTSA—as they found themselves with a 72-57 lead with 11:33 to go. Texas San Antonio continued to struggle from the field throughout the rest of the second half, and with just under five minuets to go in the game, the Ducks held an 87-71 lead over UTSA as they eventually went on to win the game.
In an otherwise group led effort by the Ducks, Kazemi shined above all others. Finishing with a season high 20 points and 6 rebounds, Kazemi was a force down low all night as he wreaked havoc on UTSA’s post players. “I had a tough period of time, but I put that behind me,” said Kazemi after the game. “This was the first time he saw me in a Oregon uniform so I tried to impress,” said Kazemi in regards to his guardian watching him play for the first time this season. Dominic Artis also recorded his season high in scoring as he finished the night with 16 points and 4 assists, also adding a team high 4 steals as he ended the night with a modest 20 minuets of play.
For UTSA it came down to three players as they led their team throughout the entire game. Jeromie Hill (19 points), Michael Hale III (18 points), and Kannon Burrage (17 points)@@names checked@@all finished in the double-digits in scoring, and if it weren’t for Hale going down with an injury in the second half with 16:32 to go, UTSA might have made for a better game.
“That was a big factor, he was chewing us up,” Coach Altman said after the game. “I mean just look at his stat line, he was 6-9 from the field, 4-5 from three,” Coach Altman said. “He is very capable.”
Turning point: With 13:45 to go in the first half, the Ducks found themselves in an early 18-21 deficit. After a Ben Carter layup, the Ducks went on an unstoppable 15-0 run as they not only took the lead, but all momentum of the game as well. Though UTSA continued to battle the Ducks for the rest of the game, this early run by the Ducks simply took all the life out of an underdog UTSA team as they went on to control the rest of the game.
On the horizon: The Ducks will now take a couple days off before hosting University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff this Saturday on Nov. 29 as they begin a three-game stay at home. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.
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