Seattle, WA – Oregon’s Payton Pritchard hit a contested 30-foot three-pointer with three seconds remaining in overtime to give Oregon a 64-61 comeback road win against the Washington Huskies. No. 8-ranked Oregon trailed for most of the game and were down by 15 points with 10:06 remaining in regulation. Pritchard’s heroics late in the game and in overtime lifted the Ducks to the three-point win in front of 9,268 fans at Alaska Airlines Arena .
It was a defensive battle between the Pac-12 rivals as both teams ended up shooting poorly on the night. Oregon shot 34 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc while getting 11 shots blocked by the Huskies defense. Washington was even worse, shooting just 20 percent from three including going 0-of-8 in the second half. Oregon’s scrappy defense held the home team to just 31 percent from the field and forced them into nine second half turnovers.
Washington’s Isaiah Stewart carried his team throughout most of the game with his overpowering frame. The 6-9, 250-pound freshman dominated in the post by attacking the hoop and putting back several shots. He even was effective from the free throw line (12-of-15) as the Ducks fouled him often to prevent him from scoring easily in the paint. The projected first rounder finished the night with a game-highs of 25 points (6-13 FG), 19 rebounds (seven offensive) and five blocked shots.
Marcus Tsohonis, a freshman from Portland, Oregon gave the Huskies a boost after starting point guard Quade Green was ruled academically ineligible last week. Tsohonis demonstrated his ability to penetrate in the paint, spotting up for several jumpers. He also hit a big three in the first half to extend the lead. He finished the contest with 14 points (6-13 FG) and four rebounds. Jaden McDaniels a likely top-10 draft pick was a non-factor on the offensive side as he shot 1-for-9 from the field and 0-of-5 from three to score just five points. The freshman, who has been dealing with an ankle injury did pull down eight rebounds and blocked three shots.
Coach Altman was shuffling lineups early and often trying to find the right combination as Oregon had a hard time getting the ball inside. This was a factor Oregon being down by 16 points midway in the second half. Chandler Lawson was the man who guided the Ducks on a 23-8 run to send the game to overtime. He helped to change the flow of the game. The 6-8 freshman flashed to the high post in the zone giving the offense more options. His ability to attack the hoop and distribute the basketball provided the spark the team desperately needed. Coming off the bench Lawson had a career day, scoring 16 points (7-for-12) and added 12 rebounds and three assists.
Oregon’s Shakur Juiston played a key role in the comeback as the team was struggling to find consistency. One area the Ducks excelled in was second chance points. The UNLV transfer pulled down four crucial offensive rebounds as Oregon tallied 19 on the game and scored 24 points off those rebounds. Also, the 6-7 forward scored the game tying lay-up in regulation, a difficult shot down low over the Washington big men. He recorded eight points (3-of-11 FG) and nine rebounds.
Pritchard stepped up big again for the Ducks as he has done all season. When his team needed him the most, the senior point guard nailed several big shots. He hit a 35-footer to tie the game up with 1:08 remaining in regulation before Washington regained the lead. In overtime he gave the Oregon their first lead in nearly 38 minutes of play with a runner from the free throw line. He went 6-for-12 from the 3-point line including the game winner and scored a team high 22 points (7-for-16). Washington’s game plan was to keep Pritchard out of the lane and force him to take deep threes. Pritchard showed his range and leadership to give the Ducks a split on the weekend.
Oregon (15-4, 4-2) will play home on Thursday, January 16th against USC (15-3 4-1). Washington (12-7, 2-4) will go on the road to play Utah (10-6, 1-3).
This article was written by Chad Mart, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.
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