By Jonah Bruneau

Eugene, ORE – In a game that was closely contested throughout the entire first half, the Oregon Ducks dominated the second half of action, outscoring the UTEP Miners 43-24. In another game without senior N’Faly Dante and junior Nate Bittle in the lineup, the Ducks still managed to take over the complexity of the game and were able to record a 71-49 victory over the Miners, kick-starting a three-game homestand for Oregon.

Oregon got off to a slow start in the first half, turning the ball over 12 times and going 0-6 from downtown. Senior Keeshawn Barthelemy was the leading Duck scorer in the opening 20 minutes, logging eight points while going 3-3 from the field and 2-4 from the free-throw line. Freshman Jackson Shelstad earned a starting five spot for the second consecutive game after his 14 point performance one week ago against Michigan, which included him knocking down the game-winning three in overtime. In 16 minutes of playing time, Shelstad racked up just four points in the first half. Senior Tae Hardy was the leading point man for UTEP in the opening half with 13.

The second half was when the Ducks came to life, clearly coming out of the locker room with louder energy and sharpness. They out-rebounded the Miners 20 to 11, led by freshman Kwame Evans Jr.’s five boards. Perhaps the biggest key differential in the second period was points courtesy of the defense for Oregon. The Ducks racked up 17 points off turnovers to the Miners’ modest two. Senior guard Jermaine Couisnard dominated the scoring for Oregon in the second half with 15 points, going 5-9 from the field and 2-5 from beyond the arc. For UTEP, junior Otis Frazier III led the Miners offense with 10 points, going 4-6 from the field.

For the game, Couisnard had the most points with 18 for the Ducks, going along with senior Mahamadou Diawara’s team-high rebound total of nine. Junior guard Brennan Rigsby limped off the floor late in the game for Oregon with an apparent left ankle issue, but Head Coach Dana Altman confirmed following the game that there is not expected to be any concern.

With the Ducks now at 6-2, they will look to reset and get ready to play host to another 6-2 team in California Baptist at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, followed by a neutral-site contest in South Dakota against Syracuse on December 17th.