EUGENE, Ore. — Once Arizona started amassing the statistics that led to the most lopsided of seven Tommy Lloyd-era losses, the Wildcats might have made one mistake that didn’t go in the box score.
Just 55 seconds into Oregon’s 87-68 win over Arizona on Saturday, Ducks center N’Faly Dante captured a heave from UA guard Kerr Kriisa at midcourt, then raced to the basket and bowled over UA’s chatty point guard in the process.The contact sent Kriisa to the floor with so much momentum that Kriisa skidded head first on his back and straight into the cushion of the basket’s foundation. And because Kriisa was deemed not in a legal guarding position, he drew a whistle, too.
“Well, the guy in front of me, well, he piss me off, so…” Dante said. “So I was thinking I’m gonna just go for it.”While Oregon coach Dana Altman said Dante’s steal and dunk brought “the most electricity we’ve had in our building,” Ducks guard Jermaine Couisnard found it a turning point for a team that suffered a dreary 90-73 loss to ASU two days earlier.
But he had another three 3s before halftime even arrived Saturday and went on to hit 6 of 9 long-range shots and finish with a game-high 27 points. As he went off, Couisnard began"communicating" that information back to the Wildcats in a series of notable verbal exchanges.“They were just chippy. They were playing dirty,” Couisnard said. “They were hitting me on cuts when I wasn’t in the play, just trying to get me to start talking.
“Beat them in every category,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “We were bad Thursday, and I don’t want to take anything away from Arizona State, but we were different tonight.”Whatever the case, Oregon managed to look like the sort of Oregon team that annually figures it out by midseason and competes for the conference title. This team that was picked to finish third in the Pac-12, behind only UCLA and Arizona.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Oregon Ducks take 43-37 halftime lead over Arizona Wildcats in EugeneEUGENE, Ore. – Oregon held Arizona to just 41.9% shooting in the first half to take a 43-37 halftime lead over the Wildcats at Matthew Knight Arena.
Read more »
Arizona Wildcats' struggles continue in Eugene, falls to Ducks for sixth straight timeThe Arizona Wildcats found out once again Saturday that Matthew Knight Arena is not a place to fix what ails them.
Read more »
Scouting report: No. 9 Arizona Wildcats at Oregon DucksProbable starters
Read more »
Late run lifts Colorado over No. 14 Arizona; No. 10 Utah up next for WildcatsFour Wildcats scored in double figures, but No. 14 Arizona couldn't counter a late Colorado run in a 72-65 loss to the Buffaloes.
Read more »
Photos: No. 9 Arizona Wildcats vs. Oregon DucksPhotos from No. 9 Arizona's battle against the Oregon Ducks in Eugene on Saturday.
Read more »
Scouting Report: No. 14 Arizona Wildcats at No. 10 Utah UtesScouting report for No. 14 Arizona's game at No. 10 Utah: series history, players to watch, Adia Barnes' take on the Utes and more.
Read more »