It’s been a long three weeks, but the Oregon Ducks are back, and they’re hungry for more! After a five-game losing streak, Oregon (17-8, 6-8 Big Ten) snapped out of their funk with an electrifying 81-75 victory over Northwestern at Matthew Knight Arena on Tuesday.
The Ducks stormed ahead early, dominating from start to finish and showing that they’re ready to make some serious noise. It was a much-needed win, and Coach Dana Altman couldn’t be happier. “We had to win this game,” Altman said. “Our confidence was shot, but we found a way to get it done.”
Leading the charge was point guard Jackson Shelstad, who exploded for a career-high 26 points, including four scorching 3-pointers, in one of the most dominant performances of the season. Shelstad has been on fire lately, averaging 20.5 points in his last four games, and he’s fueling the Ducks’ renewed confidence. “This is a huge boost,” Shelstad said. “One win, and we’re back on track. We know we can play even better.”
Keeshawn Barthelemy also showed up big with 19 points, hitting four clutch 3-pointers, while Nate Bittle contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. Oregon shot an impressive 47.1% from the field and dominated the boards, winning the rebounding battle 33-27 — a stat they hadn’t seen in five games.
Even though the Ducks were in control for most of the game, Northwestern made things interesting late. With 7:30 to go, K.J. Windham came out of nowhere, drilling three 3-pointers in just 2:30 to cut Oregon’s lead to five points. But the Ducks held their ground, and with some ice-cold free-throw shooting (25-of-28), they closed it out in style.
Despite the late scare, Shelstad wasn’t worried. “It got a little ugly at the end, but we got the win, and we’ll keep the momentum going,” he said. Oregon’s defense still has room to improve, but this victory was exactly what they needed to get back on track.
What’s next? The Ducks return to Matthew Knight Arena on Sunday to take on Rutgers and their sensational freshmen duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. These two stars are tearing it up this season, but with Oregon finding its rhythm, they’re ready to keep the streak alive.
Oregon’s back in business. Now, it’s time to keep the fire burning!
