Just a day after falling to Arizona in the Pac-12 championship, the Oregon men’s basketball team earned a No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region of the upcoming 2017 NCAA Tournament. It’s the fifth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance for the Ducks.

The Midwest Region #SelectionSunday pic.twitter.com/o1lYukeITh

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 12, 2017

The Ducks, who earned a No. 1 seed last year, will begin NCAA Tournament play Friday in Sacramento, California, against No. 14 seed Iona. If Oregon wins, the Ducks will play the winner of the Rhode Island vs. Creighton game. That means head coach Dana Altman could square off against Creighton, his former team. Kansas sits atop the Midwest region, followed by No. 2 Louisville.

There were high expectations for the Ducks heading into the Pac-12 Tournament, where Oregon finished second to Arizona, 83-80. The Ducks shared the Pac-12 regular season title with Arizona, and many thought a Pac-12 Tournament win against the Wildcats would seal a No. 1 seed for the Ducks. Arizona’s win garnered the Wildcats a spot as a No. 2 seed in the West.

The Ducks’ long-term NCAA Tournament hopes took a hit on Saturday afternoon when Oregon announced Chris Boucher tore his ACL. Losing Boucher hurts the Ducks where they were strongest: depth. Boucher has been the sixth man off the bench; now junior Kavell Bigby-Williams will have a chance to play more minutes for the Ducks.

Last year, the Ducks advanced to the Elite Eight after defeating Duke in the Sweet 16.

Here are the complete seedings:

From 1 to 68. #SelectionSunday pic.twitter.com/UJVnFAEYLb

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 12, 2017

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The Oregon women’s lacrosse team fell to the High Point Panthers 17-13 on Sunday in High Point, North Carolina.

The Panthers came out strong, scoring six consecutive goals. The Ducks (5-2) didn’t get on the board until junior attacker Mariah Gatti scored with 12:20 left in the first half. Oregon’s JoJo Hesketh followed a minute later to close the Oregon deficit to four goals.

High Point (1-3) responded by scoring four straight to lead the Ducks, 10-2. Oregon, however, was able to close the half with three more goals, to head to the locker room down 10-5.

The second half was similar to the first. High Point came out strong and the Ducks fought back, but were never able to fully recover.

The Panthers outscored Oregon 6-1 in the first five minutes of second half play. With 15 minutes left, Oregon trailed 16-6.

Oregon did its best to make a comeback, going on a 7-1 run to close the game, but it wasn’t enough for the victory. High Point ultimately won, 17-13.

Gatti led the team in scoring with five goals, followed by Hesketh with four. Freshman attacker Julia Bolte led the team in assists with four. Both teams took 34 shots on goal.

The Ducks return to action when they travel to Denver, Colorado, to square off against Vermont on March 17.

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The Oregon women’s lacrosse team led from start to finish to defeat the Winthrop Eagles 18-5 on Friday afternoon.

The Ducks outshot the Eagles 30-12 in Rock Hills, South Carolina, to move to 5-1 on the season. Oregon also dominated on draw controls, controlling 17 compared to Winthop’s six.

The Ducks game out strong in the first half, scoring the first two goals, and the Eagles were never able to come back. After those goals by the Ducks, Winthop scored to narrow the deficit to one, but that was the closest score of the entire game.

At the end of the first half, Oregon led 8-4. Oregon senior midfielder Bella Pyne led the Ducks in first half scoring with four goals.

In the second half, the Ducks continued to reign on the Eagles, scoring ten goals compared to the Eagles’ one to win 18-5. Pyne scored two of those second half goals while teammate Shannon Williams scored three goals to add to her two goals from the first period.

Junior attacker Cambi Cukar, who currently sits second all time in assists at Oregon, tallied five assists on the day.

Up next, the Ducks remain on the East Coast to play High Point in North Carolina on Sunday.

Follow Kylee O’Connor on Twitter @kyleethemightee  

Check out this recap of Oregon defeating Fresno State here. 

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The Oregon women’s lacrosse team defeated the Fresno State Bulldogs 12-9 on Sunday to move to 3-0 in conference play.

The Ducks came out strong in Fresno, California, scoring three of the first four goals to lead 3-1 just eight minutes into the game. The Bulldogs went on to score four straight to pull ahead 5-3.

Oregon’s Shannon Williams was able to score one last goal before the half, her third goal of the day, to shorten the Ducks’ deficit to one. At halftime, the Ducks trailed 5-4.

Coming out of halftime, the Ducks scored just two minutes into the half with a goal from senior midfielder Bell Pyne. Oregon’s Julia Taylor scored another one for the Ducks, before the Bulldog’s Kayla Gallet scored her second goal of the day to tie the game at six.

Oregon then scored two in a row, but that lead was short lived. Fresno State followed up with three straight to lead 9-8 with less than 13 minutes remaining.

The Ducks, however, finished strong scoring four-straight goals to win 12-9.

Williams led the Ducks in scoring with four goals on the day, followed by junior midfielder JoJo Hesketh, junior attacker Mariah Gatti and Pyne, who all scored two. Hesketh also led the team in assists with two.

Up next, the Ducks will head to Rock Hill, South Carolina to play Winthrop on Friday.

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The Oregon women’s lacrosse team took on the California Golden Bears on Sunday and won 18-9 in a dominant performance at Pape Field.

Cal scored the first goal just one minute into the game, but the Ducks fought back and tied it one minute later with a goal from senior midfielder Bella Pyne. She would go on to score two more goals in the first half alone.

First-year head coach Katrina Dowd was happy with how her team played, and credited Pyne to getting the team going in the first half.

“Total team effort,” Dowd said. “Offensively specifically, I think that everyone contributed. Bella [Pyne] started the day off, set the tone just with her speed and aggressiveness. I think the rest of the team, once we settled in, really took it from there.”

The goal scoring went back and forth until it was tied at 3-3. From there, the Ducks rallied a streak of nine-straight unanswered goals to lead the Golden Bears 11-3 at halftime. Those goals were scored by Pyne, junior Cambi Cukar, Mariah Gatti, freshman Julia Bolte and Shannon Williams, who scored a total of four goals in the first half.

The Ducks never let up.

When Oregon came out for the second half, the Ducks started off scoring with a goal by JoJo Hesketh, assisted by Cukar. Cukar assisted another goal, scored by Bolte, with 25:09 remaining in the game.

The Ducks led 13-3 until Cal answered back just one minute later with a goal by Elizabeth Pellechi.

The Ducks added another player to the list of athletes with hat tricks on the day when Gatti scored with 23:28 left on the clock. She scored her fourth goal just two minutes later. Pyne also scored her fourth goal of the day three minutes after. With 18 minutes remaining in the game, Oregon was up 16-4.

Cal scored just its second goal of the half with 15:25 on the clock, but the Ducks were not far behind. Hesketh scored the 17th Oregon goal of the day with 12:44 on the clock.

The Golden Bears narrowed the deficit to eight with four consecutive goals, scored by Jena Fritz, Susie Ropp and two by Caroline Schlegel. With just over four minutes remaining in play, Oregon led 17-9.

Oregon’s Lindsey Kail wrapped up the scoring with a goal with 54 seconds left in the game, putting the ducks up 18-9.

The 18 points scored is a season-high for the Ducks who scored 11 goals in each previous matchup this season.

Other highlights for the Ducks included five draw controls by Hesketh and five assists by Cukar, who led the team in assists last year with 46. Senior goalie Becca Katzen recorded four goals blocked.

Next up, the Ducks head to Fresno State on Sunday to take on the Bulldogs.

“I think we’re ready to put on a different color than white,” Cukar said. “We’re ready to take on more teams in our conference and I’m excited.”

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It was a memorable night for the seniors of Oregon men’s basketball.

With 16:34 remaining in the Saturday afternoon game against Colorado, forward Chris Boucher slammed down a dunk to put the Ducks ahead by 23. As the crowd erupted in cheers for the senior on senior night, Boucher proceeded to point to his family sitting in the crowd. It was only the second game in which his family has been in the stands throughout his two-year Oregon career.

Boucher and the rest of the Oregon players had plenty to celebrate as the Ducks blew away Colorado in the second half and captured a 101-73 vcitory to complete an undefeated home schedule.

Senior guard Dylan Ennis started out the first half going 5-of-6 from the field and finished the game with 20 points. He was second in scoring behind Dillon Brooks, and Oregon head coach Dana Altman credited him with getting the team going offensively in the first half.

With less than five minutes remaining in the game, the Ducks were up by 30 and the student section began to chant, ‘We want Charlie.’ Altman soon answered the Pit Crew’s call when he subbed in senior guard Charlie Noebel with 4:19 left in the game.

These three seniors, though very different in backgrounds and individual contributions, all are vital parts of this team, according to Altman.

“Great group of seniors, and we’ll miss ‘em, man,” Altman said. “Chris Boucher is a unique player. Dylan Ennis did a great job for us. Charlie’s unselfishness is going to be hard to replace.”

Fouling out is not usually something to be applauded for, but when Boucher fouled out with 7:48 remaining in the game, the Matthew Knight Arena crowd couldn’t help but give him a standing ovation. As Boucher neared the bench, he threw his hands up, enthusing the crowd. The arena, which was already reaching the top end of its decibel limit, took it up one more notch.

“Definitely something that I will remember forever,” Boucher said about his senior day experience. “I wasn’t expecting a big game like that, but it went our way. I was happy even though I fouled out — this was my last game, and everybody had a great game. Everybody was happy about the win, especially that we went undefeated at home. It’s a great feeling.”

This game marks the Duck’s 42nd-straight home win. This final 2017 season home victory also means that both Ennis and Boucher went through their two years at Oregon without losing a single game at Matthew Knight Arena.

“I can say that I never lost to any team in Matthew Knight Arena,” Boucher said. “It doesn’t matter what team. Arizona, Colorado — I just never lost. It feels good to say that.”

Ennis was also happy with how the team played in its final home game.

“Our last game at Matthew Knight and I couldn’t predict that we would have a game like that,” Ennis said. “Me and Chris, it being our last game, and luckily Chuck was able to get in the game, as well. It was a great way to end here.”

Noebel, who has played just 29 minutes all season, did not expect to get any minutes against Colorado.

“Just because our last game with them was so tough,” Noebel said. “I thought it was going to be a 40-minute fight. But, I told these guys, ‘let’s try to get some stops so I can try to get in there.’”

For Boucher, a junior college transfer, and Ennis a transfer from Villanova, their time as Ducks were shorter than most.

“It went so fast,” Boucher said. “Last year I was watching Dwayne [Benjamin] and Elgin [Cook] doing it and I was like, ‘Oh, I’ve still got one year.’ It just went so fast. I remember so many moments that I will never forget. But those moments are way in the past already.

“It was like a movie for me, because it feels like it was two hours and then it was done.”

Altman appreciates all that the three seniors did throughout their time at Oregon and hopes to keep longstanding relationships.

“You spend so much time with these guys, it is emotional,” Altman said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to do this for a long time and the relationships that you build, hopefully you keep.”

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After a decisive 79-61 win over Utah on Thursday, the No. 7 Oregon men’s basketball team looks to take that momentum into their last home game against Colorado on Saturday.

The last time the Ducks met the Buffaloes in late January, Oregon fell 74-65. It marked one of two conference losses for the Ducks (23-4, 12-2).

A look at both teams heading into Saturday’s matchup

– Colorado is currently ranked No. 7 in the Pac-12. The Buffalos shouldn’t be a problem for the Ducks who are currently second behind Arizona in the Pac-12 standings; however, in the last matchup, Colorado took advantage of the Ducks’ poor shooting to win by nine.

– Colorado, 15-11 , is coming off of two consecutive convincing wins against Washington and Washington State. Both of those games, however, were in Boulder at the Coors Event Center where the Buffaloes have a home record of 11-3. Away, Colorado is 3-7, so making the trip to Matthew Knight Arena may not fare well for the Buffaloes.

– Dillon Brooks continues to be in the Pac-12 Player of the Year conversation. He leads the Ducks in scoring with 15.1 points per game. Brooks comes off another solid performance against Utah, scoring 20 points in 27 minutes.

– Colorado’s Derrick White played in important role for the Buffaloes in its win over Oregon in January. White had a big second half, scoring 17 of his 23 total points to help lift the Buffaloes over the Ducks. As of late, White has been playing well, scoring 23 against Washington State and 16 against Washington. If the Buffaloes are going to have a chance on Saturday, White needs to continue in his recent scoring success.

– This game will be the last home game for two key Oregon seniors, Chris Boucher and Dylan Ennis. Boucher has played an important role off the bench since an injury early in the season. Ennis has started all 27 games so far this season and averages 10.8 points per game.

Oregon vs. Colorado game info

Time: 12 p.m. (PT)

Where: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene

TV: FOX

Radio: Oregon IMG Sports Network (95.3 FM KUJZ in Springfield/Eugene)

Projected starters

Oregon

G Payton Pritchard (8.1 ppg, 3.2 apg, 3.1 rpg)

G Tyler Dorsey (13.2 ppg, 3.4 rbg)

G Dylan Ennis (10.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.2 apg)

F Jordan Bell (11.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.2 bpg)

F Dillon Brooks (15.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.0 apg)

Colorado

G Derrick White (17.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg)

G George King (11.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg)

F Wesley Gordon (7.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

G/F Xavier Johnson (14.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg)

G Dominique Collier (6.1 ppg)

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The Oregon men’s lacrosse team will begin its regular season schedule this weekend as the Ducks head to Southern California to play San Diego State and Chapman.

Both teams are ranked in the top 25 of the 2017 Under Armour MCLA Division I Preseason Coaches Poll, released on Feb. 2. San Diego State is No. 23, while Chapman, the defending national champion team, is ranked No. 1.

In the Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League, or the PNCLL, a subdivision of the MCLA, the Ducks head into the season ranked second behind Oregon State Beavers.

The Ducks, ranked No. 13 in the MCLA, return a few key players from last season. One of those players is sophomore John Finegan. Last season, Finegan was second on the team in scoring and assists and is also on the PNCLL Players to Watch List. Michael Marcott, who led the team in assists last spring, is not returning this season as a player, but as head offensive coordinator on the sideline.

Last year, the Ducks beat the Beavers 12-10 in the first matchup. Just eight days later, they fell to Oregon State 10-8. With that loss, the Ducks ended up No. 17 on the MCLA selection committee’s 16-team list of qualifiers, ending thus their 2016 campaign earlier than expected.

Now, they’re back with a vengeance.

Junior long stick middle Troy Romstad said he likes the No. 2 ranking behind the Beavers, but “strongly disagrees” with it at the same time.

“We think we’re better,” Romstad said, “but one of my teammates and president, Dylan Alpha, said a great quote: ‘the enemy that underestimates you is already at a disadvantage.’ So, if they come in with that attitude, that they are already better than us and they’re going to beat us, then that’s what we want.”

The Ducks won an exhibition match against Western Oregon on Feb. 3 by a score of 22-6. Although the Ducks won by a sizable amount, head coach Markus McCaine says that they need to be quicker in transition, limit penalties and play faster if they if they want to compete with teams like San Diego State and Chapman.

“It will be a tough test on the road and it will be a quick turnaround from Friday to Sunday, but we’re just trying to focus on us and we’ll prepare the best that we can,” McCaine said. “For the most part, it will come down to fixing some of those mistakes we made against Western that better teams will really punish you for.”

Senior team captain Justin Knowles agrees with McCaine that there are a lot of things that the team needs to improve on from the Western exhibition game.

“As a team, we had a lot of flags, a lot of turnovers, a lot of things that if we have those mistakes against Chapman, there’s no chance we’re winning the game,” Knowles said.

Knowles is aware that Chapman, who went undefeated in 2016 to win the national championship, is a formidable opponent. However, he believes that the Ducks have a chance to go down to Southern California and upset the undefeated Panthers.

“Everyone in the league is going to be shooting for Chapman,” Knowles said. “Everyone is like, ‘Alright, these guys need to lose. Who’s going to be the team to beat them?’ And coming out of the gate, were going to be the ones to beat them, for sure.”

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– The now former Oregon football co-offensive coordinator David Reaves resigned from his position on Friday. Reaves was on administrative leave and in the process of being fired after receiving a DUII on Jan. 22.

– Former Oregon football defensive coordinator Brady Hoke is expected to become Tennessee’s defensive line coach. Hoke, along with the rest of the Oregon football staff, was let go in November after the firing of head coach Mark Helfrich.

– Oregon men’s basketball forward Dillon Brooks claimed his third career Pac-12 player of the week honor of the year this week. On Saturday, he helped lead Oregon to its 40th-consecutive win at home against No. 5 Arizona. Brooks had 18 points in 22 minutes. The Ducks have now moved into No. 5 on the AP Top 25 poll, while Arizona moved down to No. 9.

– The Oregon men’s and women’s track and field teams remain in the same spots in the USTFCCCA national rankings this week. The men are ranked second, while the women sit atop the leaderboard in first.

– Oregon women’s basketball fell to No. 23 Arizona State on Sunday. The Ducks now sit in sixth place in the Pac-12 standings.

Follow Kylee O’Connor on Twitter @kyleethemightee  

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– The now former Oregon football co-offensive coordinator David Reaves resigned from his position on Friday. Reaves was on administrative leave and in the process of being fired after receiving a DUII on Jan. 22.

– Former Oregon football defensive coordinator Brady Hoke is expected to become Tennessee’s defensive line coach. Hoke, along with the rest of the Oregon football staff, was let go in November after the firing of head coach Mark Helfrich.

– Oregon men’s basketball forward Dillon Brooks claimed his third career Pac-12 player of the week honor of the year this week. On Saturday, he helped lead Oregon to its 40th-consecutive win at home against No. 5 Arizona. Brooks had 18 points in 22 minutes. The Ducks have now moved into No. 5 on the AP Top 25 poll, while Arizona moved down to No. 9.

– The Oregon men’s and women’s track and field teams remain in the same spots in the USTFCCCA national rankings this week. The men are ranked second, while the women sit atop the leaderboard in first.

– Oregon women’s basketball fell to No. 23 Arizona State on Sunday. The Ducks now sit in sixth place in the Pac-12 standings.

Follow Kylee O’Connor on Twitter @kyleethemightee  

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