The last time Mississippi Valley State was on the court, they watched Washington throw up 50 three-point attempts. But Oregon went in a different direction. It was quality over quantity for the Ducks, as they improved to 3-0 on the season with the 100-66 win over the Delta Devils on Wednesday night inside Matthew Knight Arena.
It was clear Mississippi Valley State’s most famous alumnus, Jerry Rice, wasn’t going to walk through that door as Oregon took a quick 21-6 lead and the Ducks never looked back from there.
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Oregon took a commanding 50-28 lead at halftime, largely because of those three-pointers, but also because of their superior athleticism and overall size. The Ducks shot 60 percent from the field in the first half, including going 10 of 18 from long range. They ended up going 16-of-33 from the three-point stripe.
Although the Ducks did hold a big lead, Mississippi Valley State was handicapped with an injury to its leading scorer AJ Abrams, who went down midway in the first half with a shoulder ailment. He came into the contest averaging 20 points a game.
It was more of the same and then some in the second half, where the brand of basketball resembled more of the YMCA than Division I organized basketball. Offensive set plays and overall defense were optional for both teams in the last 20 minutes, but the Ducks continue to prove that these programs are going in different directions.
Even though the game was much of a rout for most of the night, Oregon head coach Tony Stubblefield can’t be happy with the defensive effort in the second half. The Ducks gave up 38 points, but when you score 50 in each half, the lack of defense can be overlooked a little bit.
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All 12 Ducks who were available to play scored. They were led by Jasper Johnson’s 17 points, as he was perfect from the field, including going 5-for-5 from three-point range. Taylor Bol Bowen added 10 points and he was the only other Oregon player to score in double figures.
The offensive balance showed how dangerous this Ducks team can be, as defenses can’t just focus on one player. All five guys on the floor had the capability of scoring in a big way. Malique Ewin pulled down 13 rebounds to go along with his eight points.
With the loss of Abrams, Gabriel Martinez had to step up with 14 points and Caleb Cameron added 12.
Oregon will now prepare for its toughest competition of the season so far, as Pepperdine is scheduled to come to Eugene on Sunday for a 2 pm tipoff.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon continues big start to season with a win over the Delta Devils
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