EUGENE — Could this be a turning point for the Oregon men’s basketball team?
The Ducks have struggled this season, particularly down the stretch of close games, including recent losses to Oregon State, Arizona and USC.
On Saturday night at Matthew Knight Arena, it started to look as if Oregon would do the same, as the Ducks watched a double-digit lead against UCLA slip down to a single point with a minute left in the game.
This time, however, Oregon made enough plays down the stretch to beat the Bruins 94-91.
For the young Ducks, who have just one starter back from last season’s Final Four team, this could mark the beginning of a second-half run this season.
“Anytime you get a win, you’re happy about it,” said freshman guard Victor Bailey Jr., who scored 18 points. “As players, we have to finish stuff out, and we’re on to the next one now.”
Oregon now sits at 13-7 overall and 3-4 in the conference, having just survived its toughest stretch of the season, going 2-2 against the Arizona schools and Los Angeles schools.
But the Ducks still have a ton of work to do to keep their streak of five consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament alive.
Payton Pritchard, who led Oregon with 25 points Saturday, is the lone returning starter, and though he’s just a sophomore, he has been counted on to lead the Ducks this season.
Other players are starting to pick up the slack, with not only Bailey’s 18 points, but also 18 from senior transfer forward Mikyle McIntosh and 17 from freshman guard Troy Brown.
Two weeks ago, the Ducks were underwhelming against Oregon State at Gill Coliseum. Oregon lacked emotion and energy. There was no fire.
On Saturday night, although the Ducks looked tight down the stretch, they showed a lot of energy, especially in building a 52-38 halftime lead.
“We’re just playing harder,” Bailey said. “It helps not being behind the whole time.”
Oregon gets another shot at rival Oregon State in its next game — 5 p.m. Jan. 27 at Matthew Knight Arena.
That game will be huge for the Ducks.
With a win, Oregon not only would earn some revenge against the Beavers, but they also would improve to 4-4 in the conference and have their first winning streak since Dec. 20.
“It’s just about payback, really,” Bailey said. “They got us, but they’re coming to our house now.”
The winner of the Pac-12 tournament, of course, earns an automatic tournament berth, so the Ducks could get into the Big Dance with a hot streak in March.
But if Oregon wants to have an NCAA tournament resume before the conference tournament, then it’s running out of time. The Ducks have 11 games left, and they need seven wins to reach 20. That won’t be a lock, but it’s a good measuring stick.
“The inconsistency that we’ve shown all season is still bothering us,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “We have to get better on the boards, we have to get better on the defensive end.”