The No. 12-ranked Ducks (12-0) topped off their final non-conference game with a steady 97-76 win over visiting Morgan State (3-9, 1-0). After holding a comfortable lead heading into the break, the Ducks managed to stay ahead for the rest of the game.
Despite picking up the win, the Ducks weren’t pleased with how they finished in their final non-conference game. The Ducks expected to “take a step” this game on the defensive end heading into conference play, but in their eyes, that goal was not met.
“I didn’t think we did too good,” Joseph Young said. “We didn’t take a step that we were supposed to, but like I said, we got practice tomorrow, so we got to take another step, bring the intensity and be more focused tomorrow.”
In the first half, the Ducks jumped out to an early lead and didn’t look back. With 4:57 remaining in the first half, the Ducks held a 40-24 lead and made sure Morgan State couldn’t execute their game plan on both ends of the floor. This was largely due to the performances of Young and Richard Amardi, who combined for 29 of Oregon’s 54 first half points.
Heading into the second half with a comfortable lead, the Ducks continued to pile on the points. With 4:35 remaining in the game, the Ducks held their largest lead of the game at 30 and eventually went on to seal the deal. The Ducks finished the game shooting 54 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Young finished with a game-high 24 points and four rebounds, while Amardi added 16 points and five rebounds. Damyean Dotson also had a notable game as he finished with 15 points and two rebounds.
For Morgan State, Justin Black and Anthony Hubbard led the way. Black finished with a team-high 22 points and two rebounds, while Hubbard added 15 points and four rebounds. The two were the lone bright spots on the team as they finished the game shooting just 43.9 percent as a group.
The Ducks will now take this week before they head to Utah on Jan. 2 for the Pac-12 season opener. The Ducks do feel confident heading into the thick of the season, but did show some concern in regards to their consistency on defense and rebounding. This was after finishing with a 42-28 advantage on the boards.
“Most definitely, we’re ready for it (Pac-12 play),” Young said. “When that time comes, we just have to be more ready because I know coming into to the conference and the teams that we didn’t take a step on, they’re going to be looking at the film like ‘we can get this team.’ So if we just really come in with that intensity and them know we can play a full game, we’ll be pretty good.”
After boasting a perfect 12-0 non-conference record, Altman views this upcoming road trip as one of the tougher one’s they will face this season. The Ducks have notable wins against Georgetown and Illinois on neutral sites, but they will need to manage their play in what will be a tough away environment for the first time this season. Practice will be key this upcoming week and time will only tell whether or not the Ducks will “take the step” they need sooner rather than later.
“It’s a tough road swing,” Altman said regarding their first couple of Pac-12 games. “This year it’s one of the tougher ones. So, it’s a tough way to start the conference season.”
Noteworthy:
– Ducks finished 22-of-26 from the free throw line.
– Ducks had four different players score double-digits.
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Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim