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Yale Routs Cornell on Senior Night

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

New Haven, CT – The Saturday night Ivy league battle brought the 16-9 Cornell Big Red squaring off against the 18-17 Yale Bulldogs at Lee Amphitheater on the Yale Men’s Basketball Senior night. The Bulldogs have already clinched a spot in the Ivy League Tournament and are vying for a share of the regular season title with a victory over the Big Red and losses by Princeton and Penn. A win tonight could also produce a significant achievement for Yale head coach James Jones as he seeks to become only the second Ivy coach to win 200 league games, joining Princeton’s Pete Carril, who led the Tigers to 310 league victories.

Cornell got out to a quick start with a 7-2 lead with early offensive production and some Bulldog mistakes on defensive assignments.  Yale quickly battled back and tightened up their operations with EJ Jarvis throwing down a thunderous baseline dunk and a three-point bucket to surge to a 21-17 Yale lead with 8:42 left in the half.

Cornell’s offense began to be sporadic although they played solid team defense. The Big Red was given fits as the continuous answer for Yale was the EJ Jarvis show. The first place Yale Bulldogs showed why they currently share the division lead with sound basketball throughout this first half. Cornell looked for answers from their bench, however still found themselves trailing Yale at the half by a score of 34-28.  Jarvis of Yale lead all scorers at the half with 18 points.

The second half saw Yale pull away quickly under the leadership of its backcourt point guard Bez Mbeng and team captain Michael Feinberg to a 50-33 commanding. Sophomore Guard Nazir Williams continued to exploit opportunities and produce offense for Cornell along with junior Guard Isaiah Gray who found himself in foul trouble. The Big Red went to a half court trapping offense that momentarily had the Bulldogs off kilter, however Yale found the response in Jarvis who exploded in the second half. Cornell as a team compiled 11 steals on the night

Yale then erupted with a multitude of powerful dunks and a Jarvis three pointer to expand to a 76-56 with less than two minutes to go. In the end the Bulldogs shot 54% from the field and won the overall rebound battle 33-26. On their homecourt and their Senior night, Yale showed an array of offensive options and dominating defense that produced a decisive 76-58 victory. August Mahoney contributed 12 points and 7 rebounds while EJ Jarvis had a big night with double-double of 34 points and 10 rebounds and 3-of-4 from three-point range.

The win resulted in the 200th league win for Yale head coach James Jones who now has over 360 career victories. Yale now maintains three-way tie for first in the Ivy League with Penn and Princeton with a final game remaining before the Ivy League Tournament.

This article was written by Prez Palmer, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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USC Runs Past Colorado

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Boulder, CO – Late Thursday night, the Colorado Buffaloes (15-14) faced off against the USC Trojans (20-8) at the CU Events Center in Boulder, CO. Led by senior combo-guard Boogie Ellis, the Trojans cruised to a 84-65 victory.

While the Buffs scored the first five points of the first half, the Trojans were hot from the jump, shooting 63% in the half, taking control with a 13-2 run eventually building into a 43-30 halftime lead. After the break, USC extended their lead to 17 points before the Buffs had a spark, embarking on an 11-2 run led by Sophomore KJ Simpson and grad transfer Ethan Wright (6 points on 2/6 shooting) .

CU came within nine points of the Trojans multiple times in the second half, but were put away by USC on a 12-1 run that gave Ellis and the Trojans a 75-53 lead. Ellis, the reigning Pac-12 player of the week, led the Trojans with 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting. Exhibiting his swift and forceful dribbling skills, Ellis tallied six points in the paint. Furthermore, Ellis utilized his agility and power on the defensive end, persistently pressuring and intercepting passes, resulting in six turnovers for Colorado.

This season, Ellis is averaging 13.4 points per game on 44.2% shooting from the field, including 38.8% from three-point range. He’s also averaging 2.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. At 6’2″ and 175 pounds, Ellis is a bit undersized for a shooting guard, but he more than makes up for it with his quickness and athleticism. Ellis is a dynamic scorer who can create his own shot off the dribble, attack the rim with physicality, and knock down shots from beyond the arc. He’s also a lockdown defender who can harass opposing guards and disrupt their offensive flow.

On the opposite side of the court, the Buffaloes were led by breakout sophomore guard KJ Simpson who had 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting along with six rebounds and four assists. While Simpson had his second turnover-free game of the season, CU struggled to slow down the high-scoring tandem of Ellis and Drew Peterson (11 points, 5/12 shooting). When asked post-game about his team’s play, CU head coach Tad Boyle said, “If you let a team shoot 57% and out-rebound you by eight, they’re going to be hard to beat.”

Tristan Da Silva struggled to find his rhythm on the offensive end, as the Trojans’ defense limited him to just six points on a 2-of-9 shooting from the field. Despite this seemingly off night, Da Silva has been a consistent scorer for the Buffaloes this season, averaging 16.1 PPG while shooting an impressive 50.9% from the field. Da Silva’s athleticism and versatility have made him a tough matchup for opponents in the PAC-12. He’ll look to bounce back in the Buffaloes’ next game on February 26th against UCLA.

The Trojans secured their second win against the Buffs for the season, placing them at a 20-8 record in the Pac-12. USC appears locked in for their next game against the 17-12 Utah Utes. The loss to USC was the Buffs’ third loss in the past four games. They’ll look to regain their form at home on Sunday against No.4 ranked UCLA.

This article was written by Nick Mazzetta, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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Cincinnati Edges UCF on Last-Second Shot

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Orlando, FL – UCF (15-11) could not complete a comeback against Cincinnati (18-10), losing 73-71. The Knights tied the game at 71 with 20 seconds remaining, but Cincinnati junior guard David DeJulius scored the winning shot on a jumper with 0.2 seconds left on the clock.

It was a balanced game where both teams played with high intensity and competitiveness. The Bearcats were in front for most of the game, but the Knights never gave up and played aggressively until the end. UCF forced Cincinnati into two turnovers in less than a minute at the end of the game to even the game late. The Bearcats shot with a convincing 54.7% FG (29-53), but they struggled to shoot from the 3-point line (26.7% 3FG, 4-15) and the free throw line (11-15), while the Knights shot  47.3% overall. UCF shot better than Cincinnati from the 3-point line (38.1% 3FG, 8-21) but also struggled from the free throw line (11-16).

The first half ended 33-30 for Cincinnati. Critical factors from this half were the Field Goal percentage (56% for Cincinnati, 38.71% for UCF) and the turnovers (Cincinnati 7, UCF 2). The Bearcats’ turnovers helped UCF to stay in the game despite their struggles with shooting.

In the second half, UCF improved their FG% (58.33%), but also their turnovers (7, total 9) as Cincinnati continued to have a high FG% (53.57%) and kept turning over the ball (8, total 15). But the main factor that differentiated the two halves was fouls. Many fouls were called during the second half (10 against UCF, 9 against Cincinnati), including a flagrant foul and a technical call against UCF Guard Darius Johnson. Those foul calls led the teams to shoot 27 free throws as opposed to the 4 free throw shots in the first half.

The Bearcats were led by senior guard Landers Nolley II, with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists. Nolley had an excellent shooting night  8-13 overall, 2-5 on 3’s), but he struggled in shooting free throws (0-3), and he had seven of his team’s 15 turnovers. The Bearcats also had great performances from senior guard David DeJulius (16 points) and senior forward Ody Oguama (15 points). DeJulius not only had the game-winning shot, but he had a big impact in the second half, where he scored eight points in the last 11 minutes of the half and contributed to eight of his team’s 15 assists (five in the second half). Oguama had a perfect shooting day (7-of-7) with four rebounds and an excellent defensive game against UCF star Taylor Hendricks.

For UCF, senior forward Michael Durr had a significant impact in the game with a season-high 15 points to go along with five rebounds and a block. Durr scored nine of his 15 points in the second half, helping the team stay in contact with Cincinnati for the entire game. It wasn’t a brilliant performance for 6-9 freshman NBA prospect Tyler Hendricks (12 points, 4 rebounds). Even though he shot well from the 3-point line (3-of-4), Hendricks struggled shooting overall (4-of-10).  He scored seven of his points in the first half. Hendricks was not very involved in the offense generally or in the final comeback of his team, as he scored his last points with over 12 minutes remaining in the game. Even though he did not have a great game, Hendricks showed much potential, which explains why he is a possible first-round pick in the next NBA Draft.

In the upcoming games, UCF will play again at home against South Florida on Wednesday, February 22, at 7:00 pm, while Cincinnati will play Temple at home Wednesday, February 22, at 7:00 pm.

This article was written by Giorgio Nebuloni, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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Creighton Pulls Away from St John’s

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Queens, NY – Creighton was able to pull away from St John’s late in the second half of a tough road game and come away with a 77-67 win. The victory keeps them close in the hunt in the Big East Conference standings. The Bluejays were led in scoring tonight by Ryan Nembhard’s 16 points to go along with his four rebounds and five assists. Arthur Kaluma added 13 points, six rebounds and five assists while Ryan Kalkbrenner finished with 12 points and eight rebounds for the night. The Red Storm were led in scoring by Joel Soriano’s 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

One of the biggest determining factors of tonight’s game was the 3-point shot. St John’s made more field goals overall and shot better from the field as a team but struggled guarding the three allowing Creighton to make 13 from behind the arc compared to their four. One of the catalysts for Creighton late was Kaluma. He struggled in the first half only scoring four points but came alive in the second half and hit three straight three pointers to stretch their lead late. His energy crashing the offensive glass led to some open looks for his teammates who were able to knock down shots while the projected second round draft pick struggled early.

Nembhard’s play was also a key factor in tonight’s win for the Bluejays. Ryan whose brother Andrew currently plays for the Pacers controlled the tempo of the game and was able to keep composed and keep the team afloat with his scoring and playmaking early in the second half after St John’s went on a 14-4 run. The Red Storm had a lot of trouble guarding him out of the pick and roll. He was easily able to get inside and collapse the defense leading to several layups at the rim for himself or kicking it out for an open shot.

Towards the end of the game Creighton had turned up the intensity defensively forcing tough shots and causing turnovers that led to easy fastbreaks. Kalkbrenner added to what is an already stellar defensive season for himself with four blocks tonight. He has a nice touch in the post and finished well close to the rim but struggled many times getting proper positioning. He was often either fronted easily in the post making entry passes tough or was completely knocked out of position and forced to relocate.

Despite the final score this was a close game until the end. Both teams tonight were evenly matched in a lot of categories but free throws and the three-point differential were the deciding factors in this one. Creighton (18-9, 12-4) continues to keep pace for seeding in the Big East as the tournament approaches as they take on Marquette in a key matchup at home on Tuesday. For St. John’s (16-12, 6-11), although they played Creighton tougher than they did in their last matchup, they’ll need to regroup as the regular season nears its end. They’ll look to do that against a weak Georgetown team on Wednesday followed by what should be a tough match-up against a No. 20-ranked UConn next Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

This article was written by Frank Amankwah, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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Oregon State Grinds Out Win Over USC

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Corvallis, OR- Oregon State and USC squared off for the second time this season after the Beavers nearly pulled off an upset in Los Angeles in a 63-62 loss. Both teams were coming off losses on Thursday and were looking to refocus, prepare, and compete in an expected tough game. 

The contest started out very slow with bad shooting, turnovers, etc. as neither team shot particularly well for the entire game (Beavers 32.1% – USC 31.3%). However both squads played with good energy and effort which led to Oregon State securing a  61-58 victory in front of 3,796 fans at Gill Coliseum.

The outstanding second half play of 6-6 sophomore forward Glenn Taylor propelled the Beavers to the win as he scored 14 of his 18 points (7-15 FG, 4-4 FT) in the half. His determination would not let Oregon State lose, as he displayed passion, solid energy, aggressive play and attacked consistently. He added 10 rebounds, two steals and one assist. The high scorer for the game was USC’s NBA Draft prospect, 7-1 freshman forward Vincent Iwuchukwu with 19 points (5-10 FG, 9-9 FT.) He did a really good job using his height, size, and athleticism to draw fouls all afternoon, and more impressively making all his free throw attempts displaying good form and touch. He has a bright upside. 

Oregon State took their first lead of the game (12-10) after 6-5 junior guard Dexter Akkano completed a three-point play as he was fouled on a dunk. His efforts would continue like that scoring all of his six points (2-7 FG, 1-5 3FG, 1-1 FT) in this period, as he contributed to his team’s 30-25 halftime lead. USC 6-6 sophomore guard Kobe Johnson, second in steals (2.16) & FT (86%) in the conference scored six of his nine points (4-11 FG, 0-3 3FG, 1-2 FT) before intermission. He has a quick reaction, an athletic burst, and great anticipation on plays which is an asset to any club. Johnson also contributed two steals, two blocks, and five rebounds.  

USC outscored the Beavers 33-31 in the second half. One of the factors in the game was the 20-3 bench point differential, which Oregon State’s 6-9 senior forward Dzmitry Ryuny scored nine, making 3 of 4 three pointers to stretch the floor, create spacing, while also displaying a skillset to use the dribble as a facilitator in his 23 minutes of play.

Oregon State played solid defense closing out this game while holding 6-3 senior guard Boogie Ellis, the conference 3rd leading scorer (16.6 ppg) to just nine points (2-9 FG, 1-7 3FG, 4-5 FT) on a not so good shooting day. Ellis also missed the potential game tying 3-pointer with :03 remaining. He still played very tough grabbing eight rebounds. USC’s 6-9 guard Drew Peterson is a very versatile player with a strong drive to the basket and finished with 11 points (5-12 FG, 1-1 FT), eight rebounds, two assists, and one steal.

For the Beavers 6-2 freshman guard Jordan Pope continues to increase his stock with solid play as he scored 16 points (6-14FG, 2-6 3FG, 2-3 FT) with a 3-0 assist/turnover ratio in this game. He made big free throws with:19 seconds remaining in the game to give Oregon State the three point lead (61-58). Pope is coming off back-to-back Pac-12 Freshman of the Week awards in the month He has entered into potential conference freshman of the year conversations.

Key Game Stats

Lead Time: Oregon State 23:55 – USC 13:59

Bench Points: Oregon State 20 – USC 3

2nd Chance Points: Oregon State 17  – USC 6

3-Field Goal: Oregon State 29% (6-21) – USC 7% (1-14)

Oregon State (10-16, 4-11) will travel to play Washington State (11-15, 6-9) on Feb.16th at 8 pm, while USC (17-8, 9-5) hosts Cal (3-22, 2-12) on Thursday.

This article was written by Lorenzo Leaks, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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Jaquez Jr. Helps UCLA Run Past Oregon

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Eugene, OR – The No. 7-ranked UCLA Bruins used a strong second half surge to take control of the game and defeat Oregon 70-63 in front of over 10,000 fans at Matthew Knight Arena on Saturday night. Jamie Jaquez Jr. led the Bruins with game-highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds.  Jermaine Couisnard led the Ducks with 19 points, 18 of them coming in the second half.

The game started promising for Oregon as they scored the first eight points pf the game, helped by a three-pointer from Rivaldo Soares (9 points). In an indication of what was to come, UCLA came right back and scored eight straight points of their own to tie the game, and then took a 14-10 lead. The teams battled fairly evenly through the half with the Ducks taking a 33-30 lead into the break. During the half Oregon’s 6-11 center N’Faly Dante was easily the best player of the floor. The senior totaled 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks by halftime and helped get the Bruins’ centers Adem Bona and Kenneth Nwuba into foul trouble.

The second half was a different story from the start. The Bruins dropped coverage on Dante, restricting his movement and causing him to pass out of the post. Dante had only two points and one rebound in the half.  Unfortunately, the other Oregon players didn’t make their shots. Oregon started the half missing their first six field goal attempts including four from deep and did not score a field goal for over the first seven minutes. On the other side Oregon’s defensive rotations seemed slow, especially on Jacquez Jr. who consistently connected on mid-range jumpers. He made three in a row in an 11-0 Bruin run that quickly gave them a ten-point lead. He followed that up with two three-pointers and two free throws. When that was done UCLA had a 55-41 lead with Jacquez Jr, scoring 16 second-half points and Oregon only eight.

Oregon did not threaten from then and UCLA put the game away with Jaylen Clark (13 points, 4 steals) scoring nine straight Bruin points which was followed by a Jaquez dunk for a 66-48 lead. Oregon ended the game on a 15-4 run that made the final score respectable. Couisnard was the only Oregon player to play with any kind of aggression in the second half. The rest of the team missed shots, committed turnovers and were beat on the boards. They committed nine second half turnovers to two for UCLA and were outrebounded by six. UCLA had a 16-3 edge in second chance points in the half.

Oregon wasn’t helped by an off night from point guard Will Richardson. The 6-5 senior didn’t score over 18 second half minutes and ended the night with only five points on 2-of-8 shooting and three turnovers. The power forward spot didn’t help as well with starter Nate Bittle scoreless over 11 minutes and Quincy Guerrier only scoring three points (a last minute three-pointer) in 17 minutes.

The teams shot basically evenly from the field but the Bruins took 12 more shots, helped by their 12-6 edge on the offensive boards and Oregon’s eight additional turnovers (16-8).

Oregon (15-11, 9-6) is back on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble and will need to redeem themselves on a road trip to Washington this week. Two wins against the Huskies and Cougars will go a long way in helping their tournament hopes.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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Oregon Rolls Past USC

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Eugene, OR – Oregon took control of the game early and coasted to a 78-60 win over USC at Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday night in from of a crowd of 7,005. The Ducks were led by center N’Faly Dante’s 17 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots. Point guard Will Richardson added 16 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Boogie Ellis led the Trojans with 19 points, connecting on 3-of-7 from deep.

This was one of Oregon’s better efforts of the season. They played with energy on both ends of the court and shot and rebounded well.  The Ducks went on a 13-0 run in the first half that was part of an 18-1 run that helped them take a 15-point lead (42-27) into halftime. Jermaine Couisnard was the catalyst for the surge as he scored 11 of his 13 points during the first half.

Oregon didn’t let USC get close in the second half. The closest the Trojans got within was 14 points while Oregon extended their lead to 20 points late in the game. The Ducks were efficient in all areas as they shot 54 percent from the field. They went 6-of-18 on 3’s, cooling off a bit after shooting 5-of-10 in the first half. They outrebounded USC by seven, had 18 assists on 28 made baskets and enjoyed a 38-28 edge in points in the paint.

Oregon has been shooting somewhat better as of late, although they are still ranked only 301st in the country in three-point shooting percentage. Tonight, they made 16-of-18 free throws, one of their better efforts from the charity stripe on the season.  Interestingly, Oregon’s opponents are shooting 78 percent from the foul line, a higher opponent percentage than all but two Division 1 teams. If that bad luck reverts to the mean, the Ducks may have some better luck in close games moving forward.

Oregon played a tight eight-man rotation in this game with Kel’el Ware backing up Dante, Quincy Guerrier subbing for Nate Bittle and Keeshawn Barthelemy playing as the third guard. All played effectively. Ware played with energy and had back-to-back dunks on passes from Richardson. He scored eight points and added three boards in 12 minutes. Guerrier rebounded effectively with six, tied for the team lead, over 18 minutes. Barthelemy added eight points and four assists against only one turnover over 26 minutes. Bittle played well also, with 11 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes.

Oregon (15-10, 9-5) is now on the NCAA Tournament bubble and will have their best chance to help their tournament resume if the can defeat No. 7-rated UCLA on Saturday night. A win against the Bruins would put them in the mix for a tournament bid.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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Ducks Dominate the Paint In Win Over Utah

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Eugene, OR – The Oregon Ducks squared off against the Utah Utes with both trying to remain near the top of the Pac-12 standings. It was Oregon that led early and kept Utah at a distance throughout the duration of the game to come away with 68-56 win at Matthew Knight Arena in front of 8,228 fans. Oregon was led by guard Jermaine Couisnard who paced the Ducks to victory with 18 points, five rebounds and four assists placing Oregon to one game back of second place in the Pac-12 standings.

Utah’s Branden Carlson, their leading scorer (16.6 ppg) and rebounder (7.5 rpg), traded baskets with Oregon in the opening stages of the game. The 7-footer can score both inside and out, including the ability to square up against his opponent to shoot or put the ball on the floor. He scored early, but Oregon held him in check the remainder of the game. Carlson did get to the free throw line, converting 9-out-10. He finished with 13 points (2-for-14 FG) and eight rebounds, while going 0-for-6 on 3s.

Oregon took control of the game by going on 16-3 run over a ten-minute stretch led by N’Faly Dante. He overpowered the Utes in the paint at both ends of the floor, scoring eight out of nine total points for the game in the first half. He added 10 rebounds, one point shy from another double-double. The Ducks defense stepped up as well by holding Utah without a field goal for that stretch by keeping them out of the paint and forcing them to shoot outside. Utah shot 28 percent from the field (8-for-29 FG) in the opening half. Fellow big Nate Bittle backed up his solid performance against Colorado with another strong game finishing the contest with nine points (4-for-6 FG), six rebounds and three blocks.

After leading 36-25 at the break, the Ducks extended their lead behind player of the game, Couisnard. The 6-5 combo guard looked for his shot from the perimeter off the catch and used his strength to get to the hoop. He scored 12 of his game high 18 points (7-for-14 FG) in the second half, while connecting on two 3s. Oregon’s lead grew to as much as 16 points (62-46) with four minutes remaining. Utah’s Lazar Stefanovich scored a team high 14 points on 4-for-8 from downtown and was trying to shoot the Utes back in the game, as they pulled back within eight points with under two minutes left in the contest.

The Ducks closed the game out behind veteran Will Richardson, who took charge by making the right decisions during the latter stages of the game with the basketball in his hands. The 6’5” guard was unable to find his shot throughout most of the game but stayed aggressive and helped to contribute 12 points on 5-for-15 from the field and seven assists.

Also, Oregon got solid minutes off the bench from 6-9 Lok Wur. He displayed relentless energy and hustle in his 12 minutes on the court. He pulled down four rebounds, added two blocked shots and the team was  plus-17 while he was on the floor. The Ducks’ size and strength proved too much for Utah, as Oregon controlled the boards with a 41-32 advantage and dominated points  in the paint by a 32-14 margin.

Oregon (13-9, 7-4) will travel to face one of the nation’s top teams in Arizona (19-3, 8-3) on February 2nd. Utah (15-8, 8-4) will return home to challenge Stanford (9-12, 3-7) also on February 2nd.

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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Couisnard, Dante Lead Ducks to Upset Over Arizona

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Eugene, OR – The No. 9-ranked Arizona Wildcats visited the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena Saturday afternoon looking to sweep the Oregon schools. The Ducks had other plans and came out with an impressive performance as they ran away with an 87-68 victory over the Wildcats, led by Jermaine Couisnard and N’Faly Dante. The duo combined to score 49 points and came up with big plays throughout the contest in front of 7,970 in attendance.

The first half started off with Dante stealing a pass and dunking the ball with authority nearly over Kerr Kriisa. He got the foul on the dunk and completed the 3-point play. The aggressive play of the 6-11 senior, who scored 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting, adding five rebounds and two steals in the first half alone, provided an early spark for Oregon. Dante made an imprint all over the game whether finishing strong around the rim, causing turnovers, or attacking the offensive glass.  

Arizona’s trio of Courtney Ramey, Azoulas Tubelis, and Omar Ballo collectively scored the Wildcats’ first 19 points of the game as they had a 19-13 lead with just over 12 minutes left in the half. The trio seemed to be in complete control with brilliant movement and easy baskets both inside and out. Ramey, a transfer from the Texas, finished the game with 12 points, going 4-for-8 downtown. He did have a hard time finishing around the basket, shooting 4-of-12 overall for the game. Big man, Ballo, who followed Coach Tommy Lloyd from Gonzaga, contributed 10 points (5-for-10 FG), seven rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

The Ducks didn’t trail long and responded with a 10-0 run in less than two minutes to lead 23-19. During the run, the player of the game, Couisnard attempted a pass to Dante just beyond half-court. It sailed over Dante’s head and found its way in the basket for a 3-pointer. Shortly after, Couisnard drove in the paint and scored on a floater and drew the foul, completing a 3-point play. The 6-4 combo guard, playing only in his fourth game as a Duck, tallied 27 points (9-of-14 FG), five rebounds and three steals. He was in the zone and connected on 6-for-9 on 3s, which was a huge boast considering Oregon’s 3-point shooting woes on the season. The Ducks went into the half leading 43-37.

The second half, saw an aggressive Will Richardson after he had a slow start to the game. He scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half and helped to extend the Ducks’ lead early in the half. He was looking for his shot, and constantly on the attack to set up his teammates for open looks. Richardson didn’t have his best shooting night but made an impact in other ways on the court dishing out five assists, adding four steals and pulling down three rebounds. Nathan Bittle, a 7-foot sophomore out of Central Point, Oregon contributed 10 points (4-of-7 FG), netting two 3s and collected four rebounds.

Tubelis, an 2023 NBA Draft prospect, had his moments of scoring around the basket with strong finishes with both his left and right hand. The 6’11” power forward, was ultimately held in check shooting, making 5-of-13 attempts in the game to score 14 points. He added six rebounds, three assists and two steals. The Ducks defense in the second half held not only Tubelis in check but the rest of the Wildcat team by holding them to 31 percent shooting. In addition, Oregon had 13 steals, over 50 deflections and scored 19 points off Arizona’s 16 turnovers in the game. The bench for Arizona was a bright spot with Kylan Boswell scoring 15 points (5-for-11 FG) and knocking down three 3-pointers.

Down the stretch, Oregon kept the attack on, building a 20-point lead with just over three minutes remaining, after a beautiful up and under move by Dante to cap off his 22 point (9-for-11 FG), 10 rebound double-double performance. For the contest, Oregon shot 53 percent as a team, outrebounded the Wildcats 42-32, including a 14-  5 margin in points in the paint. The Ducks effort at both ends of the floor proved to be too much for the visitors and led them to a big time upset over Arizona.

Oregon (10-8, 4-3) will travel to the Bay Area to challenge California (3-15, 2-5) on January 18th. Arizona (15-3, 4-3) will look for a bounce back win against USC (13-5, 5-2) on January 19th.

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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