Wednesday, November 25
Eugene, OR
4:00 PM
University of Oregon
91
vs
68
Arkansas State
Photo by: Associated Press
Benjamin, Boucher Spark Ducks As UO Men Improve to 5-0
11/26/15 | Men's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
EUGENE, Ore. — Dwayne Benjamin tied his career high with 25 points and Chris Boucher nearly recorded a triple-double as the No. 21 Oregon men's basketball team beat Arkansas State, 91-68, before a matinee crowd of 5,465 in Matthew Knight Arena on Wednesday.
How It Happened: Perhaps out of sorts due to the early start, the Ducks came out sluggish and trailed 6-4 early on. Sixth man Benjamin changed the tone, hitting a three-pointer and then a follow dunk as part of an 11-0 run for Oregon (5-0). Devin Carter hit a couple three-pointers to get the Red Wolves (2-3) within 15-14, but Benjamin scored to spark another run as the Ducks opened up a 26-17 advantage.
Despite leading 38-25 at the break, Oregon was outrebounded 26-19, indicative of the Ducks' lack of energy outside of Benjamin. Boucher changed all that. He had 13 points, seven blocks and six rebounds in the second half alone, and the Red Wolves never threatened the UO lead.
Who Stood Out: Benjamin finished 10-of-17 and added six rebounds, bouncing back nicely from a scoreless performance in Sunday's win over Valparaiso. Boucher scored 17 points, grabbed nine boards and blocked nine shots, a new UO record. Tyler Dorsey had a second straight efficient game from the floor, shooting 4-of-6 to finish with 15 points, though he was 5-of-12 from the free-throw line.
Veterans Elgin Cook and Dillon Brooks found ways to contribute on a day shots weren't falling for either. Each converted just two field goals, on 19 combined attempts. But Brooks dished out a career-high six assists and added eight rebounds. Cook had five boards, four assists and four steals.
Quotable:
Dana Altman, UO coach
On Boucher's impact
“I couldn't be any more pleased with Chris. He's really coachable. He's taking care of business, on and off the court. He's just been really fun to work with.”
Dwayne Benjamin, UO senior
On providing a spark in the first half
“I wasn't necessarily worried about scoring, just playing. The energy was pretty much down. I think that's one of my jobs, to get us up, come off the bench and try to bring energy.”
On the contributions of Cook and Brooks
“We all know any given day it might not be your scoring day. With our versatility, we can do a lot of things. If we're not scoring, do other things. We don't really worry about who's scoring. We worry about making plays for the team. I think that's the best thing about this group.”
Notable: Altman said the Ducks won't practice Thursday, but planned for the team to visit a local shelter “to show them how fortunate they are.” … Boucher broke the single-game record for blocked shots previously set by Blair Rasmussen and tied last season by Jordan Bell. … It was part of a school-record 13 blocks, breaking the mark of 12 set last season versus Portland State. ... Both marks were also Matthew Knight Arena records. ... The Ducks continue to battle inconsistency at the free-throw line. For the game they finished 27-of-40 (67.5 percent), including 7-of-16 in the first half. … UO true freshmen Trevor Manuel and Kendall Small each fouled out, after playing a combined 22 minutes. … The game tipped off at 4 p.m. to accommodate an Oregon volleyball match in the arena later Wednesday.
Up Next: The Ducks host Fresno State on Monday in Matthew Knight Arena (5 p.m., Pac-12 Networks).
Editor, GoDucks.com
EUGENE, Ore. — Dwayne Benjamin tied his career high with 25 points and Chris Boucher nearly recorded a triple-double as the No. 21 Oregon men's basketball team beat Arkansas State, 91-68, before a matinee crowd of 5,465 in Matthew Knight Arena on Wednesday.
How It Happened: Perhaps out of sorts due to the early start, the Ducks came out sluggish and trailed 6-4 early on. Sixth man Benjamin changed the tone, hitting a three-pointer and then a follow dunk as part of an 11-0 run for Oregon (5-0). Devin Carter hit a couple three-pointers to get the Red Wolves (2-3) within 15-14, but Benjamin scored to spark another run as the Ducks opened up a 26-17 advantage.
Despite leading 38-25 at the break, Oregon was outrebounded 26-19, indicative of the Ducks' lack of energy outside of Benjamin. Boucher changed all that. He had 13 points, seven blocks and six rebounds in the second half alone, and the Red Wolves never threatened the UO lead.
Who Stood Out: Benjamin finished 10-of-17 and added six rebounds, bouncing back nicely from a scoreless performance in Sunday's win over Valparaiso. Boucher scored 17 points, grabbed nine boards and blocked nine shots, a new UO record. Tyler Dorsey had a second straight efficient game from the floor, shooting 4-of-6 to finish with 15 points, though he was 5-of-12 from the free-throw line.
Veterans Elgin Cook and Dillon Brooks found ways to contribute on a day shots weren't falling for either. Each converted just two field goals, on 19 combined attempts. But Brooks dished out a career-high six assists and added eight rebounds. Cook had five boards, four assists and four steals.
Quotable:
Dana Altman, UO coach
On Boucher's impact
“I couldn't be any more pleased with Chris. He's really coachable. He's taking care of business, on and off the court. He's just been really fun to work with.”
Dwayne Benjamin, UO senior
On providing a spark in the first half
“I wasn't necessarily worried about scoring, just playing. The energy was pretty much down. I think that's one of my jobs, to get us up, come off the bench and try to bring energy.”
On the contributions of Cook and Brooks
“We all know any given day it might not be your scoring day. With our versatility, we can do a lot of things. If we're not scoring, do other things. We don't really worry about who's scoring. We worry about making plays for the team. I think that's the best thing about this group.”
Notable: Altman said the Ducks won't practice Thursday, but planned for the team to visit a local shelter “to show them how fortunate they are.” … Boucher broke the single-game record for blocked shots previously set by Blair Rasmussen and tied last season by Jordan Bell. … It was part of a school-record 13 blocks, breaking the mark of 12 set last season versus Portland State. ... Both marks were also Matthew Knight Arena records. ... The Ducks continue to battle inconsistency at the free-throw line. For the game they finished 27-of-40 (67.5 percent), including 7-of-16 in the first half. … UO true freshmen Trevor Manuel and Kendall Small each fouled out, after playing a combined 22 minutes. … The game tipped off at 4 p.m. to accommodate an Oregon volleyball match in the arena later Wednesday.
Up Next: The Ducks host Fresno State on Monday in Matthew Knight Arena (5 p.m., Pac-12 Networks).
