Oregon (29-6) started out fast against No. 16 Holy Cross (15-20) and never let up, as it cruised to a 91-52 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday.

Elgin Cook led the Ducks with a superb all-around game of 11 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. Chris Boucher scored 20 points and Dwayne Benjamin added 12.

The Ducks struggled from the floor in the early going as their half-court offense was nearly nonexistent. But Oregon played lock down defense, forcing multiple turnovers, and used that to get out in transition for early buckets.

Oregon began the game 4-for-12 but led 14-4 due to the Ducks going 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Boucher scored eight of Oregon’s next 13 points, six of them coming from alley oops, to give the Ducks a 27-14 lead with eight minutes to play in the first half.

As Boucher dominated the paint, it opened up the court and allowed Oregon to find its groove shooting the ball. The Ducks went 5-for-11 the rest of the half while getting to the rim at ease and controlling the boards. They held a 43-25 lead entering the half.

Oregon showed no sign of letdown when the second half began. Casey Benson hit a three-pointer on the first possession and the Ducks steadily added to their lead.

The Ducks’ lead reached 40 (85-45) late in the second half when Boucher received a pass from Benjamin and threw down another dunk.

Dillon Brooks, Oregon’s leading scorer, finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Jordan Bell added eight points, eight rebounds and three blocks off the bench.

Oregon will play St. Joseph’s in the second round Sunday night.

Key Stats

— Oregon shot 55.7 percent (34-for-61) from the field and held Holy Cross to 35.1 percent (20-for-57) in the game.

— Eight different Ducks scored seven or more points.

— The Ducks out-rebounded the Crusaders 47-27, including a 12-8 offensive advantage, while hitting 17-of-22 free throws in the game.

Top Plays

1) During a three-minute span in the first half, Boucher flew through the air three different times for three alley-oops, igniting the Ducks to pull away.

2) Back-to-back possessions showed Oregon’s dominance as Boucher hit a three-pointer with 5:22 remaining in the first. On Holy Cross’s next possession, Jordan Bell and Boucher combined for a monster block that led to another fast break opportunity for Oregon.

Notes

— The Ducks typically play seven players in a game, so a blowout like this is huge because it gives players such as Kendall Small and Sorkin, two guys not in the typical rotation, some valuable tournament experience.

— The most impressive part of Oregon’s victory wasn’t the defense or the dunks. It was how fluidly the Ducks moved the ball around to find an open man. On many possessions, the ball never touched the ground unless it came on a bounce pass.

— The Ducks may not be a deep team, but everyone who plays contributes. Every Duck who saw more than three minutes of action scored in the game.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka