# #

Ducks Win Overtime Thriller in Pac-12 Opener

by GoDucks.com
Jan 2, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Damyean Dotson stole a pass from Dallin Bachynski and raced untouched for a breakaway dunk with 1 second left in overtime and No. 10 Oregon remained unbeaten with a 70-68 victory over Utah on Thursday night in the Pac-12 opener for both teams.

Richard Amardi had 14 points and Dominic Artis added 12 for the Ducks (13-0, 1-0) who are off to their best start since winning 13 straight games to open the 2006-07 season.

Jordan Loveridge scored 21 points for Utah, while Delon Wright chipped in 14 and Bachynski added 11 points and 12 rebounds. The Utes (11-2, 0-1) led by as many as 10 points in the second half, but could not overcome the last-second turnover.

Wright put the Utes ahead 68-66 with consecutive baskets. But Dotson made two free throws to tie it in the final minute and then came up with the steal and winning basket.

Loveridge got off a 3-point attempt before the buzzer, but it bounced off the rim.

Utah smothered Oregon on the defensive end to start both halves and the Utes built a 10 point lead early in the second half when Dakarai Tucker drained a 3-pointer to put Utah ahead 45-35 with 13:45 left.

That lead did not last long. Oregon tied the game behind a 12-2 spurt ignited by a layup from Elgin Cook and ending with another layup by him. The Ducks finally took a 51-49 lead on a tip-in basket by Amardi with 7:32 left.

The Ducks went up 58-55 on Johnathan Loyd's layup with 3:46 remaining. Wright made a layup and two free throws to tie it at 60. The Utes finally retook the lead briefly at 62-60 when Brandon Taylor made two free throws with 42 seconds left.

Dotson made two free throws with 27.5 seconds left. Loveridge took a 3-point attempt at the end of regulation, but he could not get it to go.

Oregon opened the game by missing 12 of its first 14 shots from the field and went without a field goal for 6:18 between its first and second baskets of the game. The Ducks shot 35.7 percent from the field (10 of 27) in the first half after ranking fourth nationally in field goal percentage entering the game.

Utah went up 13-5 on Taylor's 3-pointer with 13:03 left before halftime.

Utah had a 20-10 edge in points in the paint in the first half even though both teams had 19 rebounds.

POSTGAME NOTES
FINAL (OT): No. 10/9 Oregon (13-0, 1-0) 70, Utah (11-1, 0-0) 68

  • Oregon matches its best season-opening winning streak since the 2006-07 season, winning its 13th straight game.
  • Utah had the ball with 7.5 seconds left in overtime with the game tied at 68. Damyean Dotson knocked the ball out of a Utah player’s hand, and Artis tipped the ball back to Dotson, who scored the game-winner with a powerful dunk with one second left.
  • Oregon improves to 3-0 this season in overtime games (Ole Miss, BYU, Utah).
  • The Ducks were able to prevail despite their worst shooting game of the season, going .387 (24-62) from the floor.
  • Richard Amardi (14), Dominic Artis (12) and Damyean Dotson (11) reached double-figure scoring for the Ducks.
  • Mike Moser reached double figures in rebounding for the third time this season, pulling down 11 boards.
  • The Ducks were behind 32-28 at halftime, trailing at the half for just the fourth time this season.

Related News & Videos