Ducks Struggle in Loss to Saint Mary’s

LAS VEGAS – After a slow start, the Ducks never got it going offensively and fell 62-50 to Saint Mary's on Tuesday.
 
"Bad turnovers," said head coach Dana Altman. "Bad ball movement on the offensive end. We just didn't make plays for each other. The ball is getting stuck, we are really having a difficult time getting it moving."
 
How it Happened: The Ducks struggled early, but held their own defensively to keep the game close. Oregon scored 15 first half points but trailed by only eight after forcing nine first half turnovers. Franck Kepnang got his first start of the season and scored five early points to keep the Ducks in contention.
 
The Gaels started strong in the second half and pushed the lead to 16, before the Ducks fought back and closed to within eight points. A potential and-one situation for Jacob Young was called an offensive foul with seven minutes remaining, which proved to be the turning point in the contest. Saint Mary's kept their foot on the gas and hit key shots down the stretch, to keep the Ducks at a distance until the final buzzer.
 
Who Stood Out: Kepnang finished with nine points in his first start of the season and blocked three shots on the night. Eric Williams Jr. again led the Ducks in scoring with 13.
 
Up Next: Oregon will face Houston in the third place game of the Maui Invitational at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The game will air on ESPN2.