Instant Recap: #15 Oregon gets upset by Minnesota 69-77

On Saturday afternoon, the 15th ranked Oregon Ducks travel to Minneapolis to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers have won two straight, against a ranked Michigan (won’t be ranked next week), and Iowa. Minnesota is 10-9 overall and 2nd to last in the Big Ten. They rank as the No. 104 team in Net rankings, and are 95th according to KenPom. The Ducks are 23rd in Net Rankings, and 26th on KenPom. Oregon will get to see former Duck Brennan Rigsby, coming off the bench for the Gophers. Oregon comes into this matchup 4-0 on the road, and Minnesota is 9-4 at home.

Starting Lineups:

Oregon will stick with it’s usual starters; Jackson Shelstad, TJ Bamba, Jadrian Tracey, Brandon Angel, and Nate Bittle. Minnesota is starting Femi Odukale, Mike Mitchell Jr, Lu’Cye Patterson, Dawson Garcia, and Parker Fox.

First Half:

Brandon Angel gets Oregon on the board nearly 2 minutes into the game with an and-one opportunity, which he converts. Ducks trailing 3-4 early.

Minnesota is scorching hot right now, and leads 15-5 over Oregon with free throws coming. Minnesota has shot 32% from deep this season and is currently 3/3. Fox knocks down both free throws, 17-5 Minnesota.

A Dawson Garia 3-pointer gives the Gophers a 26-8 lead before Keeshawn Barthelemy gets a huge three.

27-11 Minnesota at the media timeout, 11:34 remaining in the first half.

Keeshawn Barthelemy hits a big 3-pointer, and the Minnesota’s crowd has gone quiet. Then TJ Bamba takes advantage of the 5 on 4, it’s 27-18 Minnesota still with 8:14 left in the half. Oregon is in the midst of a 10-1 scoring run.

Brandon Angel gets a very friendly bounce on a corner 3, and the Ducks have cut the deficit to only 6 points. Oregon trailing 23-29 with exactly 6 minutes remaining in the first half.

Brandon Angel knocks down his second three of the game, Ducks trail 26-33.

Brandon Angel has 8 straight points for Oregon. Nate Bittle, who was playing poorly, already picks up his second foul of the half.

After a huge Minnesota 3-pointer on one end, Brandon Angel hits his third three of the first half, 11 straight points for the Ducks. Fouls are starting to stack up for Oregon as well, now the lead balloons to 10 for Minnesota. Jackson Shelstad makes another deep 3, probably from all the way back in Eugene, and we have a 7 point game.

TJ Bamba has picked up his second foul, which is really bad for Oregon right now. Supreme Cook gets a slam, Ducks down 6.

At the end of the first half, it’s Oregon trailing 38-44 despite shooting nearly 54% from the field. Absolutely imperative to play sound defense in the second half, thus far they haven’t, allowing Minnesota to shoot 56.7% from the field, and 50% from deep. Another headline at this point, has been the lack of discipline on the boards. Oregon trails the rebounding battle 11-7. Now not everything is bad for Oregon as Brandon Angel has 3 triples in the first half, but leading scorer Nate Bittle has zero points.

Second Half:

Jadrian Tracey starts the second half with a 3-pointer for the Ducks, down to only a 3 point deficit. TJ Bamba is able to cut it to a one point game a few possessions later. Now on the ensuing possession, TJ Bamba goes right back at Lu’Cye Patterson, pump fakes, and steps through, getting the layup and foul. Ducks now LEAD 46-44, their first lead of the game.

Refs missed a blatant travel by Dawson Garcia, and he got a bucket to tie the game, then the next possession scores again. They regain the lead, and score again, now 50-46 Minnesota.

Kwame Evans Jr draws the third foul on Parker Fox, and knocks down both free throws. Now the Ducks are back within 2, 50-52.

Brandon Angel ties the game at 54, he’s be an integral piece today.

Ducks trail 56-58 with 7:42 to play in Minneapolis, Nate Bittle still hasn’t scored. On that note, Bittle has 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks, and 3 fouls.

Ducks trail 58-63 with 5:18 to play, Jackson Shelstad still with only 7 points on 4 shots. After last game, I figured Dana would try to have him be more aggressive today, that’s not the case. Brandon Angel and TJ Bamba have put Oregon on their backs, combining for 32 of Oregon’s 58 points.

Jackson Shelstad initiates in transition and draws the fourth foul on Lu’Cye Patterson. Shelstad makes both free throws, 3 point game.

All due respect, Nate Bittle has been absolutely horrific this afternoon, even his spacing has been awful and that turnover is both on him and Bamba. Ducks trail 60-65 with 2:59 to play. Oregon has only scored 4 points since the 7:42 mark.

Jackson Shelstad hits a huge three, again a 4 point game, 63-67 with 2:45 left.

Shelstad drives, makes a floater and is fouled by Parker Fox. Fox fouls out of the game, and the ensuing possession Jackson Shelstad draws an offensive foul.

Refs just absolutely hosed Oregon, TJ Bamba cut and went at Dawson Garcia, who was still moving his feet when the contact occurred. Bamba made the layup but was called for a charge, despite Garcia still moving his feet. Unreal. 68-70 with 1:15 left.

Brandon Angel had a chance to cut the deficit to only 2 points again, but only made 1/2 free throws. Ducks trail 69-72. Jadrian Tracey makes a bad possession worse by fouling a good free throw shooter in Lu’Cye Patterson, and he makes both 1 of two.

Absolutely horrific ensuing possession, several chances at a bucket, and in the end Bamba has to foul. He has fouled out of the game with 18 seconds left.

Ducks lose to Minnesota 69-77, a really bad loss. Oregon has it’s 2nd loss outside of the Quad 1 criteria, and it’s the first loss on the road this season.