Wolverines dominate paint and surge in second half, clinching a hard-fought road victory against Oregon and bolstering their Big Ten title hopes.
EUGENE, Ore. — Behind a dominant presence in the paint and a steady second-half performance, No. 4 Michigan secured a crucial road victory over Oregon on Saturday, defeating the Ducks 81-71 at Matthew Knight Arena. The win keeps the Wolverines firmly in the hunt for a Big Ten regular-season title as they navigate their first West Coast road swing as conference rivals.
Wolverines Control the Paint
Michigan entered the contest as a heavy favorite against an Oregon team struggling through the worst season of the Dana Altman era. The Wolverines utilized their size advantage effectively, with 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara and athletic forward Morez Johnson Jr. making life difficult for a shorthanded Oregon front-court. Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan’s leading scorer this season, was instrumental once again, providing an overall good game with six points and 10 rebounds. Lendeborg did play the most out of the Wolverines with 34 minutes logged on the night.
The Ducks, already reeling from a 1-5 start in conference play, were further hampered by the absence of their top two stars. Both Nathan Bittle and Jackson Shelstad were officially ruled out before tip-off, leaving a massive void in Oregon's scoring and leadership. Despite these setbacks, the Ducks remained competitive for much of the first half, surprisingly leading the Wolverines 41-40.
Second Half Surge
Michigan’s depth ultimately proved too much for the Ducks. Point guard Elliot Cadeau orchestrated the offense with precision, finding open shooters and big men in transition to stretch the lead to double digits midway through the second half. Roddy Gayle Jr. and Nimari Burnett provided consistent perimeter defense, limiting Oregon’s scoring opportunities and forcing the Ducks into tough shots.
Oregon’s Takai Simpkins attempted to keep the Ducks within striking distance, delivering a strong performance that included several highlight-reel plays, but the lack of a secondary scoring threat without Bittle and Shelstad became evident as the clock wound down. Sean Stewart and Wei Lin contributed for Oregon, but they could not match Michigan's 93.8 points-per-game average, which ranks third nationally.
Big Ten Implications
With the victory, Michigan improves to 16-1 overall and 6-1 in the Big Ten, bouncing back from their lone loss to Wisconsin earlier this month. The Wolverines have now completed their Pacific Northwest trip with a sweep, having also defeated Washington on Wednesday.
For Oregon, the loss drops them to 8-10 on the year. The transition to the Big Ten has been difficult for the Ducks, who currently sit near the bottom of the conference standings.
Looking Ahead
The Wolverines will return home to Ann Arbor for a high-profile matchup against Indiana at Crisler Center on Tuesday, January 20. Oregon will look to break their losing streak as they continue a challenging conference schedule that has yet to see them at full strength.
Overall, this proves as another tough road rest that the Wolverines were ultimately able to pass. Even with Oregon’s top players out tonight, the Ducks put up a valiant fight, proving that each game in the Big Ten is earned the hard way. The closer wins as of recent, compared to the big blowouts, seem to serve more purpose and growth for the team and season moving forward.