Takai Simpkins’ first game as a Duck won’t soon be forgotten.
The newcomer from Elon scored the game-winner with 4.2 seconds to play as Oregon survived a late collapse and the loss of one of its top players to beat Hawaii 60-59 in its season-opening men’s basketball game Nov. 4 at Matthew Knight Arena.
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With the Ducks trailing 59-58, Simpkins rebounded a missed 3-pointer by teammate Drew Carter and drove hard to the basket for the go-ahead layup. The Rainbow Warriors had one last chance, but Hunter Erickson missed a shot at the buzzer.
“You know, wasn’t as pretty as we wanted it to be, but we got the win,” senior center Nate Bittle said.
Simpkins, a senior guard, finished with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, though he was 1 for 6 from 3-point range.
Bittle opened his season with a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds. He also had four blocks.
But the Ducks also had 21 turnovers that led to 23 points for Hawaii and shot 36% from the field (21 of 58) and 13% from 3-point range (2 of 16).
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“Obviously, disappointed in where we’re at on Nov. 4,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “We were very fortunate to win the game, but that falls back on me, trying to get guys in position, get guys tougher on the defense end, tougher on the boards.”
Oregon guard Takai Simpkins puts up the winning shot with seconds to go as the Oregon Ducks host the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Nov. 4 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.
Oregon men’s basketball starter leaves with an injury
The win might have come at a heavy cost as junior forward Kwame Evans Jr. appeared to injure his left knee midway through the second half.
Evans left leg gave out and he buckled to the floor as he was attempting to aggressively back his way to the basket with 10:33 to play in the game.
He stayed on the floor clutching his left knee for a few minutes before being helped to the locker room by the training staff. He put no weight on his left leg as he left the arena.
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Altman didn’t have an update on Evan’s injury after the game.
Oregon forward Kwame Evans Jr. goes down in the second half as the Oregon Ducks host the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Nov. 4 at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene.
“He was walking (in the locker room) but I’m not sure,” Altman said. “I’ll talk to (trainer Clay Jamieson) when we’re done.”
Evans, who has played in 72 straight games for Oregon, started against Hawaii and had seven points, three rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in 18 minutes.
“He’s a big part of our team,” Bittle said. “… I seen him in the locker room putting a little bit of weight on it, but it’s probably going to be sore for a little bit.”
The Ducks were ahead 50-36 when Evans got hurt but Hawaii followed with a 14-0 run to tie the score. The Rainbow Warriors eventually went ahead 54-52 and a back-and-forth final 5:30 followed up to the very end.
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Oregon men’s basketball gets update on injured point guard
Jackson Shelstad met with his doctors on Nov. 4 and Altman said the all-Big Ten preseason selection could be returning to practice soon.
The junior has been out since breaking his right hand in a late September practice. He wasn’t wearing a cast or a brace on Nov. 4 as he watched the game from the bench.
“Everything looks good,” Altman said. “I think they’re going to talk with his parents and talk to the doctors again and maybe start doing some non-contact stuff. We obviously need him. He runs our stuff, he knows our stuff.”
What’s next for Oregon men’s basketball?
The Ducks will play Rice on Nov. 7 at Matthew Knight Arena, the second of four straight home games to begin the season. The Owls, who went 13-19 last season, opened their season with a 109-38 victory against College of Biblical Studies in Houston on Nov. 4.
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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: Oregon men’s basketball opens season with a win vs. Hawaii
