NCAAB: Oregon targets 5th straight win in challenge vs. Portland

Date:

Share post:


Oregon looks for its fifth win in the past six games Saturday against Portland in an in-state basketball battle in Eugene, Ore.

The Ducks (6-5) have faced four Top 25 teams in nonconference play so far this season and have lost all four games, but have a chance to go into Pac-12 play at the end of the month on a four-game winning streak if they can get by Portland as well as Utah Valley of the Western Athletic Conference.

Both games are prior to Christmas.

Brennan Rigsby, who scored a season-high 19 points in Oregon’s 71-65 win over UC Riverside on Wednesday, is rounding into form after starting the season injured. He missed all but Oregon’s last four games.

The Ducks’ top two scorers this season have been guard Will Richardson and center N’Faly Dante, but Oregon is currently without four players due to injury. Two transfers expected to have large roles this season are out, Jermaine Couisnard (knee surgery) and Keeshawn Barthelemy (left foot).

Oregon used just eight players against UC Riverside and none of the injured players are expected back before its Pac-12 schedule starts.

“I think we’re a pretty optimistic group. We’re battling every day. With some of the injuries, it sucks. And now we’re getting hit with some sickness. But the biggest thing is, we’re just battling every day,” Rigsby told the school’s athletics website.

Portland (8-5) has won three of its last four games, and before that, the Pilots of the West Coast Conference upset Villanova, took then-top ranked North Carolina down to the wire in an 89-81 defeat and lost by one, 78-77, to then-No. 12 Michigan State.

Portland scored 100 points in a 39-point win over New Orleans last Saturday, but have not played since then.

The Pilots are led by Tyler Robertson, who is averaging 15.6 points per game and is coming off a 15-point, 15-assist double-double in which he set the single-game school record for assists.

“I was just glad our team bounced back,” Robertson said afterward. “Obviously, there were some personal accolades that were recorded here but I’m just glad to get a big home win.”

–Field Level Media

spot_img

Related articles

WNBA: Storm rally past Wings to end losing skid

Erica Wheeler came off the bench with 11 second-half points to lead the Seattle Storm in an 83-77...

WNBA: Napheesa Collier notches fourth straight double-double as Lynx handle Mercury

Napheesa Collier notched a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds as the Minnesota Lynx cruised to an...

WNBA: Fever dominate from 3-point range to tame Mystics

Kelsey Mitchell scored 23 points as the short-handed Indiana Fever rode their 3-point shooting to an 85-76 victory...

NCAAB: More former Indiana players allege sexual misconduct by physician

More than 15 former Indiana men's basketball players allege improper sexual conduct by a former team physician, and...

FREE

Get the most important breaking news and analyses for Free.

Thank you for subscribing

Something went wrong.