Dana Altman Gets Emotional After Oregon Beats Washington Before Big Ten Tournament

With two back-to-back losses on the road plaguing the Oregon Ducks men's basketball team leading into senior night, there was doubt the 11-19 Ducks squad could take on the 15-14 Washington Huskies at home. That doubt continued when the Huskies clipped through Oregon's nearly 21-point early lead in the second half till they clinched the lead with less than 30 seconds on the clock.

However, through the quick work of Kwame Evans Jr. starting with a three pointer and barreling through foul-given free throws, the Ducks punched in an 85-79 win over their Big Ten rival, with coach Dana Altman giving a quote during the postgame press conference that put a bow on a tumultuous regular season.

Oregon head coach Dana Altman, center, talks to his team before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies on March 7, 2026, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dana Altman Gets Real About Oregon Ducks Comeback Victory

"There are quicker ways to kill me, if the guys really want to do that. I know that," Altman said in jest.

Altman admits that "there's been a few" games in his career that culminated in a chaotic finish, but this particular scratch-by win manifested through the problems Oregon faced throughout this season.

"Those timely turnovers that [Nate Bittle] and [Takai Simpkins] had there. And then the rebounds. You know, we were up at half on the board and really got killed on the boards in the second half. Second chance points, you know. That second half really made a big difference, you know," Altman said.

The crowd cheers on a last-second foul call as the Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies on March 7, 2026, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Breaking Down the Shooting in the Second Half

The Huskies shot 51.7 percent in the second half with 14 shots from the free throw line to boot after putting up 46.6 percent in the first half. On the other hand, the Ducks went from a 57.7 (15-26) percent field goal shooting in the first half of the contest to a 48.4 (15-31).

Putting up three consecutive three pointers to start the game put the Ducks up to a strong start, but the drift off after the half felt like the stamina struggles Oregon wrestled with throughout the entirety of a rocky regular season.

"Those were inside-out threes," Altman said. "They were zone in. We got the ball to the free throw line and kicked them out. They were all assisted and none of them were off the dribble. And then we got a little aggressive and started taking some off the dribble and other than the last one KJ [Evans Jr.] hit, we went oh for. We didn't hit any threes off the dribble. We got so excited that we hit a few that we took some very questionable ones and again, the percentages just aren't there."

According to teamrankings.com, which tracks seasonal data for teams across the nation, the Ducks' second half points per game for the 2025-2026 season rounds out to 36.8. The Ducks' opponents put up on average 39.1 points per game this season.

"I was really disappointed just the way that game turned defensively for us," Altman added.

Oregon guard Wei Lin, center, drives to the basket as the Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies on March 7, 2026, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For Altman, the defensive slack in the second half of games will be a potential thorn in the side of this squad entering the Big Ten tournament, where the Ducks are ranked No. 16 of the 18 teams in the conference. The Ducks will take on No. 17 Maryland as their first opponent, a midday match-up at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, with tip off at 2 p.m. PT on Tuesday, March 10.