The Oregon Ducks delivered an outrageous performance against Michigan State on Saturday, but ultimately fell short due to a disastrous second half. Jackson Shelstad scored 18 of his 22 points in the first half, leading the Ducks to a 14-point lead before the Spartans’ offense took over.
Oregon’s coach Dana Altman praised the team’s ball movement and defensive activity in the first half, but said it was lacking in the second. The Ducks shot just 25% from the field in the second half, including zero three-pointers, and were decimated on the boards.
The loss marks Oregon’s fifth straight defeat, tying its longest since 2013-14. The team has seven regular season games remaining, with only two Quadrant 1 games, making it a challenging turnaround before the upcoming week of play against Northwestern and Rutgers.
Altman acknowledged that his team needs to improve its ball movement and take better shots. “Our ball movement’s got to improve,” he said. “It wasn’t nearly as effective.” The Ducks will have to bounce back quickly for their next game, which is just a day after the loss.
Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2025/02/oregon-mens-basketball-matches-longest-losing-streak-since-2013-14-after-falling-apart-in-2nd-half-at-no-9-michigan-state.html