Big Men Pace Ducks in Win Over Montana State

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon men's basketball team got back on track Tuesday night with a 30-point win over Montana State, defeating the Bobcats 81-51 in Matthew Knight Arena.
 
How it Happened: Oregon started out slow from beyond the arc before going on an eight-point run to take a 20-10 lead at the 10-minute mark. The run was led by Will Richardson's consecutive buckets, a driving layup and a step-back three that gave the Ducks some momentum. The Oregon big men kept the momentum with big buckets from Nate Bittle and Kel'el Ware. Ware net back-to-back slam dunks that got the Matthew Knight crowd on their feet.  The dunks, followed by a layup from Bittle, capped a nine-point run that gave the Ducks a 34-21 lead. After a flopping warning on Quincy Guerrier, the Bobcats hit one free throw to give Oregon a 34-22 advantage at the half.
 
The Ducks kept up the pace in the second half, scoring six points before a Montana State three pointer got the Bobcats their first points of the half. Oregon then went on a 12-point run on the shoulders of Keeshawn Barthelemy and Kel'el Ware. Oregon's strong shooting continued and five Ducks ended up scoring in double-figures: Ware, Richardson, Guerrier, Bittle and Barthelemy.
 
Up Next: Oregon hosts No. 3 Houston on Sunday (6:30 p.m., ESPN).