Mens Basketball Beat USC, Move to 9-3!

[Charles Fischer]

EUGENE, Ore. — In a matchup that was headlined by star freshmen on both sides, it was Oregon’s duo of Jackson Shelstad and Kwame Evans Jr. who shined the brightest as they each scored over 20 points to lead Oregon to an 82-74 victory over USC on Thursday night at Matthew Knight Arena.

 

Evans Jr. notched a career-high 22 points, adding eight rebounds and five steals. Shelstad also eclipsed his career mark, tallying 21 points (7-12 FG). The pair become the first Oregon freshmen to score 20 or more points in the same game since at least 1996-97.

 

How It Happened: Oregon got off to a fast start thanks in part to 12 first-half points from Shelstad that included back-to-back threes amidst a 12-0 scoring run, putting the Ducks out in front 12 early. The UO defense was active in the first half and forced 10 Trojan turnovers that were turned into 14 points on the other end. Evans Jr. played a large role in the defensive effort for the Ducks, logging five steals and a block on the night.

 

With a 10-point advantage in its favor, the Ducks continued to push the tempo and attack USC, scoring 16 points across the next four minutes to build its largest lead of the night, 40-20, with 1:30 remaining in the opening half. Jermaine Couisnard created a pivotal sequence in the run by knocking down a three and forcing a steal on the other end that he turned into a layup, bringing the MKA crowd to its feet. With five seconds remaining in the half, Shelstad used a crossover dribble to create space on the right-hand side of the floor before knocking down a two-point jumper to hand UO a 42-25 lead entering the break.

 

Kwame Evans Jr.

 

The Trojans did not go quietly as they jumped on the Ducks at the start of the second half, getting to the rim effectively and generating a 14-3 scoring run that cut the lead back down to six with under 16 to play. The freshman duo put a stop to the run as Evans nailed a jumper from deep before Shelstad earned three points the old-fashioned way, building the lead back to double digits.

 

Oregon kept USC at bay for the majority of the remainder of the game, but with under a minute to play the Trojans fought back into the mix after cutting the advantage down to just four points. Kario Oquendo served as the UO closer for the day, scoring 11 points in the final 10 minutes of the game – including four-straight free throws with under a minute left – to hold off USC and secure his team a victory in the first Pac-12 matchup of the season. 

 

Up Next: Oregon hosts UCLA at 1 p.m. PT on Saturday in Matthew Knight Arena.

 

Mr. FishDuck Note: We WON in the ugly grey uniforms!