Ducks Pound WSU to Snap Losing Skid

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) - Jason Calliste came off the bench and scored 20 points to help Oregon blow past Washington State 71-44 on Sunday.

Joseph Young added 10 points and Mike Moser chipped in nine points and nine rebounds to help Oregon (14-5, 2-5 Pac-12) end a five game skid.

Oregon dominated nearly every statistic in the game. The Ducks shot 46 percent from the field (26 of 57) and ended the night shooting 10 of 11 from the free throw line. The Ducks bruised Washington State down low, posting a 43-24 advantage in rebounds and a 28-2 edge in points in the paint.

Que Johnson had nine points for Washington State, all coming from behind the arc and no other Cougar scored more than seven points. Washington State only made two field goals inside of the 3-point line, going 10 of 40 from the field and 8 of 26 from behind the arc.

After a fairly slow start from both sides, Oregon led just 13-12 at the 9:29 mark in the first half. The Ducks found their touch and left the Cougars in the dust with a 24-5 run that spanned into the second half.

Calliste went 6-of-6 from the floor in the first half to help the Ducks pull away. Oregon led 30-17 at the break. The Cougars made just one field goal from inside the arc in the first frame and their 17 points were the fewest an opponent has scored against Oregon in any half this season.

Oregon scored the first seven points of the second half to open a 20 point lead. The game was never in question in the second half as Oregon opened a 35 point lead - its biggest lead in conference play - with 2:33 left on the clock.

With the result in the bag, head coach Dana Altman used 13 players overall - 11 of which scored. Redshirt freshman Arik Armstead made his first career appearance, and scored in the paint in his first touch of the game.

Aside from Calliste’s scoring point barrage, the Ducks we’re very balanced in most categories. Moser and Carter led the rebounding efforts with nine a piece while Johnathan Loyd (5) and Dominic Artis (4) led in assists.  

After a streak of allowing the opponent to shoot at least 45 percent in the past five games, all losses, Oregon held Washington State to just 25 percent from the floor. Oregon shoot over 40 percent from the floor (.456) and 3-point range (.409), while making 10-of-11 from the charity stripe.

Oregon returns to Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday, hosting UCLA at 6 p.m. (PT). The contest will be televised by ESPN2. The Ducks will then host USC on Saturday at 5 p.m. (PT).

FINAL: Oregon (14-5, 2-5) 71, Washington State (8-12, 1-7) 44

· Oregon used a 24-5 run spanning over both halves to open a decisive lead after once leading just 13-12 at the 9:29 mark in the first half.
· Jason Calliste scored a game-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, making 4-of-6 from behind the arc.
· Washington State scored just 17 points in the first half, the fewest an opponent has scored vs. Oregon in any half this season.
· Oregon allowed just 10 made field goals - its fewest conceded all season.
· Arik Armstead made his first career appearance, and scored in the paint on his first touch. Armstead saw four minutes of action.
· Oregon held a 43-24 advantage in rebounds and a 28-2 edge in points in the paint. Sophomore Ben Carter tallied a season-high nine rebounds.