Instant Reactions: Spartans end Oregon's tourney run in Indy
Michigan State came into the Big Ten tournament as the regular season champions and the favorite to win this tourney in Indianapolis. The Spartans showed why as they ended Oregon's eight-game winning streak with a 74-64 win in the quarterfinals.
Oregon is now 24-9 on the season and will find out where it is placed and seeded in the NCAA tournament on Sunday. Michigan State will play in the Big Ten semifinals against either Wisconsin or UCLA.
Just like in the first meeting between these two teams a month ago, it was a hard-fought battle, but Michigan State had too much firepower for the Ducks to handle. Nine different Spartans scored.
Oregon vs Michigan State Keys to the Game
The Ducks got off to a slow start in this one as they watched the Spartans jump on top to an 8-0 lead early. Oregon got its stuff together, however, on both ends of the floor and briefly took a 19-18 lead midway through the first half.
It was a back-and-forth affair for much of the first half, but Michigan State went on an 11-2 run before halftime and took a 42-32 lead into the break.
The Spartans played a tight man-to-man defense, not allowing much penetration from the Oregon guards. Jackson Shelstad and TJ Bamba had a tough time getting into the paint and for the few times they did, the Spartans surrounded them.
Michigan State did have had time guarding Nate Bittle as the Duck center was the only consistent threat offensively for Oregon.
But it was the rebounding, or the lack of rebounding to be more exact, that hurt the Ducks, especially in the half. The Spartans had seven offensive boards that led to 13 second chance points and that was the difference right there.
Down by double digits isn't new territory for this Duck team as they've had the capability of rallying from such deficits and they came out of the halftime break focused. They took advantage of some turnovers and sliced that deficit to just one at 44-43 with 15:36 remaining.
Michigan State was able to use another 11-2 run to build that lead back up and the Ducks never really were able to cut into that scoreboard much after that.
Oregon vs Michigan State Players of the Game
Nate Bittle: 22 points, 11 rebounds
TJ Bamba: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists
Jackson Shelstad: 8 points
Jase Richardson (MSU): 17 points
Oregon vs Michigan State Notable Stats
The Ducks shot 47 percent from the field on 25-of-53 shooting. Michigan State was nearly equal with 25-of-54 from the field.
It was the lack of threes that really hurt the Ducks. Oregon was just 4-of-19 from long range, while the Spartans were 7-of-15 from three-point land.
Michigan State dominated the glass for most of the game, holding a 36-29 advantage, including 10 offensive boards to the Ducks' six.
The Ducks turned the ball over 15 times and against an efficient team like the Spartans, that just can't happen. Couple that with the 16 second chance points, it was just too much for Oregon to overcome.
What's Next for the Oregon Ducks
Selection Sunday — Mar. 16th
NCAA Tournament First Round — Mar. 20th-21st
Oregon will fly back to Eugene and see where they land in the NCAA tournament. With their nine Quad-1 wins and 24-9 overall mark, it's thought that the Ducks should be a 5 or 6 seed. The only question is whether or not the committee keeps Oregon on the West Coast. Seattle, San Francisco or even Denver would be a favorite place for the team and their fans to go.
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