Dana Altman said earlier this week his team needed to show improvement on offense – both shooting the ball and pushing the pace.
Oregon gave him both on Wednesday, Nov. 12 against South Dakota State
The Ducks made 15 3-pointers with most coming in the second half as they pulled away from the Jackrabbits to win 83-69 in a nonconference men’s basketball game at Matthew Knight Arena.
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After beginning the season shooting 9 for 44 from 3-point range, Oregon (3-0) made that many in the second half against South Dakota State (2-2) as the Ducks went on a 3-point barrage, setting a program record for 3-pointers attempted at 40. The previous record of 39 was set twice during the 2017-18 season.
“That wasn’t the plan,” Altman said postgame as he lamented the Ducks’ inability or unwillingness to get the ball into the paint. “We got a lot to work on. Glad that we won the game. The guys finished the game strong and hit some shots.”
Oregon had a one-point lead, 61-60, with 8:19 to play but finished on a 22-9 run to put South Dakota State away. The Ducks made four 3-pointers to begin that run.
Oregon, which had been shooting 20.5% from 3-point range after its first two games, and 34.5% from the field overall, shot 37.5% from 3 against South Dakota State and 45.2% overall (28 of 62).
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Oregon gets big night from its guards
The Ducks were led by Jackson Shelstad and Takai Simpkins, who scored 22 and 20, respectively.
Shelstad, who missed the first game of the season with an injury that also sidelined him for all of the preseason practices, shot 8 of 19 from the field and 4 of 13 from 3-point range. He also had eight assists, three steals and zero turnovers.
Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad had a team-high 22 points in the Ducks’ win against South Dakota State.
“I got my legs under me a little bit more after a few days of practice,” Shelstad said. “You know, still getting comfortable. … I still feel like I haven’t really found my rhythm shooting the ball, but I’m just trying to go out there and run the offense and make plays for other guys.”
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Simpkins was 6 for 11 from the field and made 5 of 10 3-point attempts.
Oregon’s Dana Altman wants better offense in the paint
Center Nate Bittle had 14 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
But his opportunities inside were limited as the Ducks settled for perimeter shots, much to Altman’s dismay.
“I’m not pleased with our physicality,” Altman said.
Oregon was outscored 26-18 in the paint, only had four more rebounds than the opponent and took just two more free throws.
“We need to attack the basket a lot more,” Altman said. “And we need to be more physical.”
What’s next for Oregon men’s basketball?
The Ducks will host Oregon State in the first game against the Beavers at Matthew Knight Arena since Oregon joined the Big Ten Conference. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on FS1.
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Oregon State (3-0) opened the season with three straight one-shot wins at Gill Coliseum. The Beavers have beaten North Dakota State, 67-65, Illinois-Chicago, 76-73 and North Texas, 66-64.
Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Takeaways from Oregon men’s basketball’s win vs. South Dakota State
