— All the odds were stacked against the No. 23 Ducks just 8:24 into their game against No. 18 Arizona. Not only was Oregon playing in Tucson, a place where the Wildcats had won 49 consecutive games by an average of 22 points; the Ducks were down 26-13 after Arizona hit 12 of its first 13 shots. Thanks to Dillon Brooks and his double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds), Oregon came from behind to win 83-75 and move into first place in the Pac-12.

— Pitcher Cole Irvin made a few pointed statements in his interview with the media to open the Oregon baseball season on Wednesday:

“We are going to Omaha this year,” Irvin said. “I want to make that statement clear.”

Irvin is expected to be joined by fellow left-handed pitchers Matt Krook and David Peterson to form what should be one of the best starting rotations in college baseball.

— Emerald reporter Jarrid Denney wrote a good story about incoming tennis star Ty Gentry from Tumwater High School in Washington. Gentry is rated the No. 21 senior in the nation in high school tennis. But before he steps onto the court for Oregon, he will first finish his career on the basketball court in Tumwater. Gentry averages 17 points and five assists for Tumwater, one of the top teams in Washington.

— The Oregon acrobatics and tumbling team is two weeks away from beginning its season and hoping to end it differently than last year. Last year was one of the more stressful and saddening times of the athletes’ lives. Lauren Jones, a teammate, passed away on Feb. 17, 2015. Then after losing three of their first four meets, the Ducks rebounded to make the national championship, only to fall to former Oregon head coach Felecia Mulkey and Baylor, thus ending Oregon’s run at four consecutive national championships.

— Former Oregon football athletes Bralon Addison and Vernon Adams Jr. have been invited to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis from February 24-29. Potential top-five pick DeForest Buckner and Tyler Johnstone are expected to be chosen as well.

— Bleacher Report published an article detailing the 25 fastest players in college football, and a few Ducks made the list. It’s not surprising an Oregon athlete made this list given the speed that the Ducks play at, but the fact four players were chosen is impressive. The four Ducks chosen were running back Tony Brooks-James (No. 16), wide receiver Kirk Merritt (No. 12), running back Thomas Tyner (No. 11) and wide receiver Devon Allen (No. 3). Taj Griffin and Charles Nelson received honorable mention nominations.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka

The Pac-12 is arguably the deepest and most talented college basketball conference in the nation. 11 of its 12 teams rank in the top 57 of the RPI while 10 of the 12 teams are within two games of being in first place in the conference.

Following the latest AP poll, there are just two ranked Pac-12 teams, though. Oregon is ranked No. 23, while Arizona is listed at No. 18. The two will square off this Thursday in Tucson.

Here is a midseason rankings of the Pac-12.

1) No. 23 Oregon (16-4, 5-2 Pac-12): After losing the Pac-12 player of the year in Joseph Young, the Ducks looked to be in a rebuilding mode with no clear star returning to this team. That’s fine for head coach Dana Altman and his squad. Their approach to team defense and balanced scoring has them atop the rankings. Oregon is perfect at home (13-0) but to become a legitimate contender, its going to have to win on the road in hostile environments, starting with Thursday’s game at Arizona. Dillon Brooks (16.2 ppg) is quietly emerging as a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate, while freshman Tyler Dorsey (13.4 ppg) and transfer Chris Boucher (12.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 3.3 bpg) are both making pushes for Pac-12 accolades also.

2) No. 18 Arizona (16-4, 4-3 Pac-12): The perennial Pac-12 power has suffered some of the worst injury news in the nation. Ray Smith, the No. 17 recruit in the nation, suffered a torn ACL prior to the season while Kaleb Tarczewski and Allonzo Trier have both missed time with injuries. Still, the Wildcats have persevered and have a chance win their 50th consecutive home game on Thursday. Transfer Ryan Anderson (14.9 ppg, 10.0 rpg) and Tarczewski (10.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg) provide one of the best big-men tandems. Kadeem Allen (9.0 ppg) and Gabe York (13.9 ppg) provide the scoring punch in the backcourt.

3) Washington (13-6, 5-2 Pac-12): The Huskies are the undeniable surprise of the conference. Andrew Andrews (22.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 4.9 apg) is one of two frontrunners for Pac-12 POY. Dejounte Murray goes along with the “surprise theme” of Washington. He averages 15.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Washington owns wins over UCLA, USC and Colorado but also has a 33-point loss to Arizona.

4) California (14-6, 4-3 Pac-12): The primary reason Cal gets this spot is because they have wins over Arizona, Colorado and Utah and a one-point loss to No. 11 Virginia. The Golden Bears have the best individual talent in the conference with players like Tyrone Wallace, Jaylen Brown, Jordan Matthews, Ivan Rabb and Jabari Bird. The problem is that the talent-level drops off dramatically after that.

5) USC (15-5, 4-3 Pac-12): USC is a hit-and-miss type team with wins over No. 22 Wichita State, Arizona and UCLA and losses to both Oregon schools, Washington and Monmouth. Six players average double-figures in points and as a team, the Trojans shoot 40.2 percent from three-point territory. USC runs and guns on offense and that puts pressure on other teams to keep up but the Trojans need to be more reliable on something other than the three-point shot to win games.

6) Utah (15-5, 4-3 Pac-12): Utah is a tough team to decipher because it either plays extremely well, evident in wins over No. 24 Duke, Washington and Cal, or plays terrible, more evident in losses to Oregon, No. 15 Miami and Wichita State. Jakob Poeltl has the potential to be one of the best big men in the nation and his 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game proves that. He has a tendency to disappear in big games and for Utah to be contending in the end, Poeltl has to be everything for the Utes, and then some.

7) UCLA (12-8, 3-4 Pac-12): Far and above the most confusing team in the conference comes from Los Angeles. No team in the nation boasts a resume like UCLA’s. The Bruins boast wins over No. 20 Kentucky, Gonzaga and Arizona and losses to Oregon, No. 4 Kansas and No. 2 North Carolina. Only the Bruins can look like a top-five team in the nation at one point and then look terrible the next. UCLA’s five starters average 70.5 points per game, led by Bryce Alford’s 16.7 points per game, but its reserves put up 9.5 points per game, which are the main reasons for UCLA’s struggles.

8) Colorado (15-5, 4-3 Pac-12): The Buffaloes two signature wins come in games against BYU and Oregon but more consistency is needed if they hope to be playing in the NCAA Tournament. Josh Scott (17.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg) is everything to Colorado but George King (14.4 ppg) and Josh Fortune (10.3 ppg) take a bit off Scott’s shoulders.

9) Oregon State (12-6, 3-4 Pac-12): It’s sad to see such a talented player stuck on a mediocre Pac-12 team but that’s the case when it comes to Gary Payton II and the Beavers. As a point guard, Payton averages 17.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game (all team-highs). The Beavers have three formidable conference wins, though, meaning the ability to play with the best is there for Oregon State. But, consistency and lack of depth have been its undoing.

10) Stanford (11-7, 4-3 Pac-12): The Cardinal are averaging 70.7 points per game, the lowest total in the conference, despite boasting five players averaging double-figures in scoring. Stanford has tough losses to Oregon and Arizona but still find themselves two games out of first place.

11) Arizona State (11-9, 1-6 Pac-12): Arizona State has one of the best wins in the conference. It defeated No. 5 Texas A&M 67-54 on December 5 but a season-opening loss to Sacramento State negates that big victory. Tra Holder averages a team-high 15.9 points per game while three other players average 10 points per game.

12) Washington State (9-10, 1-6 Pac-12): The only conference team without an overall winning record also has a big conference win over UCLA. The Cougars are currently on a five-game losing streak and are being beaten by an average of 13 points per game. Josh Hawkinson averages a double-double (16.4 points, 10.9 rebounds) and he always gives Washington State a chance but he needs help.

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In order to take down UCLA at home, Oregon (16-4, 5-2 Pac-12) head coach Dana Altman was focused on two aspects of Oregon’s game heading into Saturday afternoon.

Altman challenged his team to win the rebounding battle against UCLA’s big combination of Tony Parker and Thomas Welsh while also finding a way to shut down UCLA (12-8, 3-4 Pac-12) sharpshooter Bryce Alford.

Alford entered the game averaging 17.1 points per game while shooting 40 percent from the field. Likewise, Parker and Welsh combine to grab 19 rebounds, eight offensively, per game.

Oregon sophomore point guard Casey Benson pestered Alford all game while the Ducks out rebounded the Bruins, 42-32, to earn the 86-72 win on Saturday afternoon.

“We’ve got to guard and rebound — I’m most pleased that we outrebounded them by 10,” Altman said. “I think our team can get a lot better… I’d be really disappointed if we don’t continue to make progress.”

Benson was a menace while defending Alford, running through multiple hard screens and denying Alford of his pivotal quick first step repeatedly. For the game, Alford scored 10 points but was just 3-for-13 from the field and 2-for-5 from three-point range. More importantly, not one of his baskets ignited a big-UCLA run as they have done in the past.

“I thought Casey played really hard today,” Altman said. “I thought he got through screens, I thought he kept a hand on the ball — I just thought Casey did a wonderful job.”

Seven different Oregon players grabbed at least four rebounds while UCLA had three players above that threshold. In addition, Oregon rebounded half its misses in the game, providing the Ducks with an advantage in second chance points and the ability to prolong possessions.

Chris Boucher led Oregon with 10 rebounds while adding 18 points. He also added four blocks and limited Parker to 11 points and six rebounds, stats below his season average.

The Ducks got a scoring boost from from a healthy Dillon Brooks. Brooks, who was sick in Thursday’s game against USC and shot just 6-for-15, scored 25 points on 10-for-21 shooting. He also grabbed seven rebounds while dishing out three assists.

“I’m feeling a lot better, I had a little stomach virus but it’s just a mental thing to get through the game and win with my teammates,” Brooks said. “My teammates gave me the ball and by them scoring and them hitting shots, it opens up everything for me.”

Brooks and Boucher allowed Oregon to keep its lead late in the game. They combined to score 13 of Oregon’s final 19 points over the final six minutes.

“The guys from north of the border were pretty good today,” Altman said of Brooks and Boucher, who are both from Canada.

After being blitzed by the Bruins early, the Ducks regained composure and slowly chipped away at the deficit until a Brooks jumper gave Oregon a 10-9 lead it would never relinquish. Oregon slowly and methodically added to its lead throughout the first half, building the lead to as much as 12 on separate occasions, before going into he break up 41-31.

UCLA started the second half on a 10-4 run over the first four minutes. Brooks responded with an and-one to put the Ducks back up by seven. Oregon pushed the lead back to double digits before UCLA went on another run, this time pulling within five, 63-58, and prompting Altman to call a timeout.

Oregon responded with an 11-4 run over the next four minutes to give itself a 74-62 lead with 4:30 to play before Brooks and Boucher put the game away.

Elgin Cook added 17 points, six assists and five rebounds for the Ducks while Jordan Bell and Benson each chipped in eight points.

UCLA’s five starters all scored in double figures but its bench players, who combined for 44 minutes of playing time, added just six points.

Oregon returns to action on Thursday when it faces No. 12 Arizona at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 at the McKale Center in Tuscon, Arizona.

“Ever since we got beat here, there, in the Pac-12 tournament… I can’t wait,” Brooks said about facing Arizona.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka

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The Ducks had a chance to accomplish something rarely done in the Pac-12.

After defeating Utah on the road last Thursday, the Ducks had the chance to pull off the rare sweep of the mountain schools when they played Colorado on Sunday night.

Instead of pulling out the victory, Oregon broke down on both sides of the ball late and lost 91-87 at Colorado. With the loss, the Ducks drop to 14-4 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12 while the Buffaloes improved to an identical record as the Ducks.

The game was a back-and-forth affair as neither team looked interested in playing defense until it mattered most.

Oregon’s Dwayne Benjamin hit his third three-pointer in a row with 4:11 to play that tied the game at 78 before Colorado took over. The Buffaloes then went on a 6-1 run to take an 85-79 lead with 1:32 remaining before the fireworks really started.

Oregon’s Tyler Dorsey refused to quit as he hit a three-pointer that cut the deficit to 85-82 before Colorado went 2-of-4 from the free throw line for a five-point lead. Oregon’s Casey Benson and Colorado’s Tre’Shaun Fletcher both knocked down two free throws on back-to-back possessions to keep the deficit at five with eight seconds left.

Dorsey then hit another three to make the score 89-87 with five seconds remaining and give the Ducks a little bit of hope. After fouling Colorado’s Xavier Talton on the inbounds, Oregon’s comeback was squashed when Talton knocked down both free throws to secure the win.

The Ducks didn’t get off to the hottest of starts as Colorado played well in front of 8,500 fans. The Buffaloes held a 26-17 lead—their largest of the first half—10 minutes into the game before the Ducks began chipping away.

Oregon cut the deficit to one, 35-34, over the next five minutes after Elgin Cook nailed a jumper but Colorado responded with a quick 8-0 run over the next two minutes to take a 43-34 lead. The Ducks continued fighting, ending the half on a 7-3 run to go into the break down 46-41.

Dillon Brooks led Oregon with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting and added five assists and four rebounds. He did, however, make a costly mistake in the first half when he was whistled for a technical foul. Not only did Colorado sink both of the free throws, it retained possession of the ball and scored a bucket, resulting in a four-point swing.

Dorsey added 19 points on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc while Cook (14), Chris Boucher (11) and Benjamin (10) all scored in double figures. The 91 points they gave up were the most the Ducks have surrendered this season.

Oregon returns to action when it hosts USC at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Matthew Knight Arena.

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Entering the 2015-2016 men’s basketball season, it was apparent Oregon’s biggest issue would be replacing star guard Joseph Young. Young, a two-year transfer from Houston, set multiple Oregon records during his time in the green and yellow and was drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the No. 43 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Although Young’s 20.7 points and 36.7 minutes played per game last season are nearly impossible to replace, the Ducks have discovered they are missing a more important aspect to Young’s game than his production: his leadership.

“Leadership is a big part of it,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said. “We don’t have anybody encouraging the guys to turn things around when it gets tough.”

Through the first 15 games of the season, including two Pac-12 conference games, Oregon boasts a very respectable 12-3 record, including wins over Baylor, Cal and Alabama. However, the Ducks are unranked and have suffered losses to UNLV, Boise State and Oregon State, all of which came on the road in hostile environments.

What was apparent during those losses was Oregon’s lack of execution in those games, particularly down the stretch. Whenever it seemed the Ducks were poised to make a run and take control of the game, they were unable to hit that big basket or get the big stop.

“Sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t,” Oregon sophomore Dillon Brooks said regarding having a go-to scorer.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can score,” Altman added.

When this sort of situation arose last year, it was Young who had the ball in his hands or guarded the opposing team’s best player. Not only did he want that sort of responsibility on his shoulders, he thrived under it — most notably with his game-winning shot against Utah in the Pac-12 tournament semifinals.

It was his leadership on the court, whether in practice or during games, combined with his natural competitive fire that fueled his teammates to push themselves harder and become more focused when the game got tighter.

According to Altman, things are different this year.

The Ducks haven’t practiced well on multiple days — their focus wasn’t where it should’ve been or their effort was subpar at best. In order to compete in the rugged Pac-12 and make a push into the NCAA Tournament, there can be no issue of complacency. As of right now, Oregon isn’t ready.

“I’m concerned all the time,” Altman said after Oregon’s 70-57 loss to Oregon State on Jan. 3. “We don’t focus on a lot of things so that’s been a concern for a long time.”

There is no doubt that Oregon has the individual or overall team talent to win in the Pac-12. The problem is that too many times the Ducks will go one-on-one with an opponent instead of getting teammates involved. This “me first” mantra is ultimately what’s hurting Oregon in games. For it to stop, a leader must emerge and make it stop.

“I tried to go one-on-one multiple times,” Brooks said after the Oregon State loss. “It’s more about getting your teammates into it, getting them open looks and you’ll get looks… we aren’t doing that.”

The Ducks need a leader, a player who is not afraid to call out teammates and lead both by example and verbally. One would assume that a veteran, such as senior Elgin Cook or Dillon Brooks, to assume that role, but at this point anybody can take over, even freshman Tyler Dorsey or newcomer Chris Boucher.

Villanova transfer Dylan Ennis was expected to assume a leadership role, but has only played in two games due to a foot injury. He re-aggravated his injury in the loss to Oregon State and has officially been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Without a leader to help the Ducks fly, this team will continue to be a middle-of-the-road Pac-12 squad that’s incapable of winning games in hostile environments, a must-have in the Pac-12.

With a leader, this Oregon squad has the talent and depth to go farther than Young took his Oregon teams — past the Sweet-16 and into the Elite-8. Only time will tell which player fills Young’s void, but change must start from within before it’s reflected on the scoreboard.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka

This was not the way Oregon was hoping to begin Pac-12 play.

After a rough showing against Western Oregon five days ago, the Ducks were looking to play a complete game when they traveled to Corvallis to face rival Oregon State in the conference opener.

Not only did Oregon fail to play a complete game, the Ducks also failed to make progress against the underdog Beavers, and suffered a 70-57 loss in front of 9,000+ screaming fans at Gill Coliseum.

“I’ve been concerned all the time — we don’t focus on a lot of things so that’s been a concern for a long time,” Oregon head coach Dana Altman said. “I keep talking about us making more progress and I’m disappointed with the progress we made this last week — that was not a good performance.”

With the loss, Oregon drops to 11-3 on the season and 0-1 in Pac-12 play, while the upstart Beavers are 10-2 and 1-0 in the conference.

After being down by as many as 18 points, Oregon clawed its way back into the game and got within single digits, 60-52, after Tyler Dorsey made two free throws with 3:27 to play. At this point, Oregon was showing the fight it has been accustomed too and it looked like the Ducks might make a game of it in the end.

That’s when Gary Payton II took over for the Beavers.

He drew three fouls, scored four points, grabbed two rebounds completely controlled the tempo down the stretch to ensure the Oregon State win. The Ducks tried to throw different bodies at Payton, using Dillon Brooks and Elgin Cook to guard him, but Payton was too quick for the big men and consistently got into the lane to cause havoc.

“It was all about competing and Oregon State just outcompeted us,” Brooks said. “We weren’t competing and we just didn’t have enough toughness.”

Chris Boucher led Oregon with 14 points while going 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while Brooks added 13 points. Dorsey finished with 10. However, Brooks, Dorsey and Elgin Cook, Oregon’s top three scorers, were held to just 9-of-25 (36 percent) shooting from the field, far below their 48 percent season average.

Oregon never looked comfortable for the majority of the game. The Ducks had no answers for the Beavers on defense and then on offense, the team looked even more lost, getting away from their identity of sharing the ball and trying to play too much one-on-one ball.

Five players scored in double figures for Oregon State as Tres Tinkle led the way 19. Payton, after being held scoreless in the first half, finished the game with 12 points, six assists, six rebounds and two steals.

The Ducks entered the game averaging 77.9 points per game, but scored just 19 first half points and 57 points for the game, both season lows. Oregon typically out rebounds its opponent, but once again, Oregon State came to play with more hustle and led the Ducks on the boards, 37-32.

“Everyone has got to take ownership of what they did,” Brooks said.

Altman admitted that it’s hard to pinpoint where it was exactly Oregon loss this game because they were outplayed in all facets of the game. Not only were they out-rebounded, the Ducks were also out-scored 31-16 in points off turnovers and fast break points, two statistics Oregon is used to winning in a game.

Oregon State started the game off with a quick 5-0 run, but the Ducks battled back to cut the deficit to 11-10 with 13:18 to play in the first half on a Dorsey layup.

Over the next eight and a half minutes of the game, the Ducks could do nothing right as the Beavers went on a 20-4 run and had Gill rocking like never before. Over that period, the Ducks committed three turnovers while allowing the Beavers to dictate the possessions with three offensive rebounds.

Those deficiencies led Oregon to enter halftime down 15, 34-19, its largest deficit of the season.

Oregon now has a quick turnaround as it will face Cal on Wednesday at Matthew Knight Arena at 6 p.m. The Golden Bears enter the game 2-0 in the Pac-12 and on a three-game winning streak.

“I’m not going to let them flush the game… they’re going to watch it all,” Altman said of his team. “We will try and get ready for Wednesday’s game against a very talented team — we’re going to have to get organized and get good quick.”

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Regardless of how it came about, Oregon’s women basketball stayed perfect with a home win over Seattle on Monday night.

“Defensively, we didn’t have a whole lot of energy in the first quarter but I was happy with how we turned it around,” Oregon head coach Kelly Graves said. “Overall, I was really pleased with the effort.”

Jillian Alleyne had her 80th career double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds as the Ducks used a 27-point third quarter to pull away from pesky Seattle for the 82-62 win. With the win, Oregon remains undefeated on the season at 11-0 while Seattle drops to 5-8.

“I think we’re a ‘B’, ‘B-‘ so far,” Alleyne said when grading her team’s perfect start. “With the non conference schedule we’ve had, we’ve played to the best of our abilities against the opponents that have matched up against — we have so much more to go.”

Alleyne, who now ranks fifth all-time in the NCAA in double-doubles, grabbed her 10th rebound halfway through the third quarter for the double-double. Alleyne is 10 double-doubles away from becoming second all-time and needs six more to become the Pac-12’s career leader.

“I think it’s something I’m going to look back on… it’s great but I still have so much more to do,” Alleyne said of her NCAA record in double-doubles. “Because I’m in the moment, I’m still focused on the team and what we have to do but it’s an amazing accomplishment and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.”

Up just four at the half, the combination of Alleyne and Liz Brenner down low with Lexi Petersen up top allowed the Ducks to outscore Seattle 27-13 in the quarter and take a commanding 69-52 lead.

Alleyne and Brenner combined for 11 points in the quarter while Alleyne grabbed eight rebounds. Petersen did most of her damage from beyond the arc as she hit three shots from deep and assisted on Jordan Loera’s buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the quarter.

“I feel like I’ve progressed but I feel like it’s also my teammates and having more confidence in me and me having more confidence in me,” Petersen said. “Trying to be a leader out there and doing what I can to help us win.”

With the game all but over entering the fourth quarter, Graves saw no letdown in his team when he went to his bench. The Ducks ended up extending the lead en route to the 20-point victory.

The Ducks highlighted the third quarter with eight offensive rebounds in the quarter, thus extending possessions and taking time off the clock.

Oregon didn’t come out of the gates firing to start the game as Seattle’s Taelor Ross scored eight of the team’s first 16 points and built a seven-point lead over a cold-shooting Oregon team. Fortunately for the Ducks, Ross picked up her second foul and the Ducks were able to fight back into the game.

Petersen went 1-of-2 from the free throw line before Kat Cooper knocked down a three-pointer with four seconds left to get the Ducks within three, 26-23, at the end of the first quarter.

Oregon began to assert its size and will in the post in the second. Alleyne started the quarter with seven consecutive points to give the Ducks a 30-26 lead before Cazorla got the offense firing on all cylinders. Cazorla finished the half with eight assists as the Ducks led 42-38 at the break.

“She was great,” Graves said of Cazorla. “A great job of controlling the tempo… she’s got just elite vision.”

For the game, Petersen finished with 23 points — 4-of-8 from beyond the arc — and six assists while Cazorla added 12 assists and three rebounds. Jacinta Vandenberg added nine points and eight rebounds for the Ducks.

The Ducks will now have four days off before returning to action down in Southern California for the start of Pac-12 play. Oregon begins its conference portion of its schedule with a 2 p.m. game at UCLA before facing USC on Monday at 5 p.m.

“The Pac-12 is going to be a test of who we really are as a team,” Alleyne said.

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It was a tale of two halves for the Ducks.

After coming out sluggish in the first half and digging itself into a massive hole, Oregon used a big second half rally to come from behind and stun the mostly-pro Alabama crowd in a 72-68 win. With the win, Oregon gave the Crimson Tide their first home loss of the season and improved to 10-2 while Alabama fell to 7-3.

Dillon Brooks was monumental in the comeback for the Ducks. He scored 23 points and added five assists and four rebounds, constantly keeping the Ducks in the game during the first half while helping propel them in the second.

Tyler Dorsey didn’t have his best offensive game (10 points) as Alabama did a good job of throwing different bodies at him. However, he did go 4-for-4 from the charity stripe to ice the game.

Alabama came out firing to start the game. The Ducks were unable to contain the Crimson Tide in the paint and beyond the arc as they trailed 38-26 going into the locker room at halftime.

Whatever head coach Dana Altman said, Oregon got the message loud and clear and made the necessary adjustments.

The Ducks, led by Chris Boucher, Jordan Bell and Brooks, erased the deficit with a 26-8 run to start the second half.

Alabama battled back and tied the game at 65 on a Riley Norris jumper coming out of the under-three minute TV timeout.

The Ducks responded with a three-pointer by Elgin Cook with 2:09 remaining for the 68-65 lead, something Oregon wouldn’t relinquish.

The Crimson Tide had multiple looks over the final minutes to tie the game but they went 0-for-3, before they began fouling. Dorsey sunk his first pair of free throws with 15 seconds left and after Alabama hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two, Dorsey was fouled. Again, he sunk the final two free throws to end the game.

For Oregon, Bell finished with 15 points and five rebounds while Boucher added 11 points and seven rebounds. Cook chipped in nine points and nine rebounds.

The Ducks finish up their non conference season at home when they face Western Oregon at 6 p.m. on December 29.

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Oregon senior Jillian Alleyne scored the Ducks’ first two points on free throws 20 seconds into the game and the onslaught was on.

Alleyne led Oregon with 21 points and 12 rebounds while Maite Cazorla added 16 points, 12 assists and seven steals to help lead Oregon (10-0) past Portland State 122-59, the most points its scored all season. It was the sixth time the Ducks have held their opponents under 60 points.

The Ducks dominated from the opening tip, starting the game on a 14-1 run over the first 4:15 of the opening quarter. Although Portland State (1-9) would rally and cut the deficit to 10 on three separate occasions, Oregon ended the quarter with a 5-2 run to take a 30-17 lead.

Alleyne led the Ducks with 15 points in the opening quarter, proving how the Vikings were unable to handle her size and physicality down low. Lexi Petersen added nine points in the quarter en route to her team-high 22.

The Ducks used a second quarter run to break the game open. After a Portland State bucket started the scoring, Oregon went on a 22-5 run over the next eight minutes to put the game away with a commanding 52-24 lead.

Not letting its foot off the gas pedal, Oregon scored 38 points in the third quarter and held the Vikings to 12. This allowed the Ducks to take a 96-42 and thus rest its starters and top reserves in the fourth quarter.

All together, the Ducks, outscored Portland State 58-18 in the paint while totaling 16 fast break points and giving up none to the Vikings.

Petersen was one of six Oregon players in double-figure points (22) and knocked down three shots from beyond the arc. Kat Cooper (15), Mar’Shay Moore (13) and Lauren Yearwood (10) all finished in double figures for the Ducks, joining Petersen, Alleyne and Cazorla.

For Portland State, Ashley Torres led the Vikings in scoring with 18 points while Corey James added 13 and Pia Jurhar had a game-high 13 rebounds.

Oregon now has 11 days off to enjoy Christmas before returning to the court against Seattle University at Matthew Knight Arena on Dec. 28 at 6 p.m. The game against Seattle will be the last tune-up for the Ducks before they open Pac-12 play on Jan. 2.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka

On a cold winter night in Madison, Wisconsin, the Oregon volleyball team’s season came to an end. After a late season surge into the NCAA tournament, the Ducks were matched up with No. 6 Wisconsin in the first round of the tournament.

Even though Oregon showed lots of fight, the Ducks came up short as they were defeated 3-1 (25-18, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19), thus ending their season. It wasn’t the way seniors Martenne Bettendorf and Chelsey Keoho hoped their college careers would end, but the Badgers proved to be too much to handle.

But the way Oregon’s season ended was far from where it started.

Head coach Jim Moore acknowledged he didn’t know what to expect from his underclassmen-loaded team when the season began, but quickly found out what his team was made of on its first road trip.

The Ducks began their season with nine consecutive road games across four different states in the span of 12 days. During that road trip, the Ducks faced Florida and Nebraska, two of the 16 teams remaining in the tournament.

Oregon emerged from that trip with a 6-3 record, but according to Moore, at least one of the losses was the fault of the coaching staff due to the scheduling of the matches. More importantly though, the Ducks returned a closer-knit team, with a better understanding of what it’s like play in a hostile environment — and, most importantly, with a running mate for Bettendorf.

Freshman Lindsey Vander Weide was arguably Oregon’s best and most consistent player through the first half of the season. Vander Weide took home the Pac-12 Freshman Player of the Week honors during the road trip, when she averaged 3.17 kills per set in matches against George Washington, Florida and Nebraska, and totaled 15 kills against George Washington and 20 against Nebraska.

The Ducks appeared to have found an identity in the match against George Washington, when they fell behind 2-0 but rallied to win the next three sets and steal the victory.

But once Oregon retuned home and began Pac-12 play, the Ducks’ inability to finish out close sets proved to be its demise throughout conference competition.

“We start to play timid,” Vander Weide said after Oregon’s 3-1 loss to UCLA on Oct. 23. “Instead of pounding the ball, we try to take some off and it goes into the block.”

“Just real disappointed that we couldn’t finish,” Moore added after the UCLA loss. “We didn’t put the ball on the floor at crunch time.”

The Ducks played 75 sets against Pac-12 foes and lost by five or less points in 26 of them. So in one out of every three sets the Ducks lost in conference, competition was tight until the end.

“It’s real disappointing,” Moore said after Oregon’s 3-2 loss to Colorado on Oct. 2. “We’re just really struggling with confidence.”

Because of those struggles, Oregon entered the last third of conference play with a 5-8 record, on the outside looking in when the NCAA Tournament came around. Moore’s team, led by the play of Bettendorf, Vander Weide, Frankie Shebby and Taylor Agost, rallied to win five of its final seven games, including upsets over then-ranked No. 9 UCLA and No. 23 Arizona State to ensure the season lasted into December.

Vander Weide earned All-Pac-12 first team honors, as well as All-Freshman honors, and libero Amanda Benson earned an All-Pac-12 honorable mention for the third consecutive year.

Considering the circumstances, Oregon rallied around its youth and got its corps of young, returning players the experience they need to make a deeper run in the Pac-12 and NCAA tournament over the upcoming seasons.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka