Oregon Knocks Off No. 12 UCLA 68-63 for Season Sweep

The fans stormed the court as the Ducks held on for the massive win.

Author:
Billy Spotz
Publish date:
Feb 25, 2022 12:52 AM EST

First Half

Heading into the night, the looming question around the Ducks was centered around whether they could correct a horrid stretch of three-point shooting. Early on, it seemed like those issues would persist as the Ducks began the game shooting 1-6 from deep.

The three-point struggles had a limited impact on the Ducks' offense however, as the combined efforts of Jacob Young and De’Vion Harmon granted the Ducks an 11-6 lead.

Consecutive baskets from Jules Bernard and Tyger Campbell tied the game at 11-11, but would be immediately answered by an Eric Williams Jr. three and Young’s layup. The rebound battle was in Oregon’s favor early, as the pairing of Franck Kepnang and N’Faly Dante proved to be too much for the Bruins down low.

UCLA’s offense rested on the shoulders of its tournament heroes from last season in Johnny Juzang and Campbell as they would answer every successful offensive possession the Ducks would have.

With five minutes left in the first, Juzang exited the game after being fouled by Williams Jr. in transition, leaving with a noticeable limp. This galvanized the Bruins, cutting Oregon’s lead down to two with under four minutes left.

Campbell knotted the game at 27-27 at the three-minute mark off of a quick pick and pop jumper, but Kepnang and Harmon refused to let the UCLA momentum grow. Kepnang’s dunk and Harmon’s mid-range jumper gave the Ducks the lead once again at 31-27.

Kepnang’s defensive presence sent the home crowd into a frenzy as he swatted three shots at the end of the quarter and stalled consecutive possessions for the Bruins. A timely Will Richardson three put the game back in Oregon’s favor. Cody Riley responded with a layup of his own, but the Ducks would still lead 35-30 at the break.

Jacob Young

Quincy Guerrier

Eric Williams Jr.

Second Half

The legendary names of the past will stick in Ducks’ fans minds forever, but there are very few players that feed off of the energy in Matthew Knight as much as Franck Kepnang. Every dunk, block, basket, and rebound by the man called ”Big Franck” sets the arena on fire, and tonight was no different.

On Thursday night, his hot streak was undeniable. Once he entered in the second half, he scored six straight for the Ducks alongside five rebounds in the first 10 minutes of the half to extend possessions for Oregon and shut down UCLA’s hopes at second-chance opportunities.

The three-point shooting was still an issue for the Ducks, with the team still struggling to connect consistently from deep. When the team needed those shots to land the most, however, Williams Jr. answered the call, including a big three to give the Ducks a 10-point lead.

The Ducks' seemingly constant scoring slowed to a crawl toward the middle portion of the second half, as they had a scoring drought that would last three and a half minutes.

Slowly but surely, the Bruins whittled down the Ducks' lead until what was once a double-digit deficit became a manageable three-point margin with seven minutes left. As swiftly as the Ducks built their lead, they lost it. Campbell and Jaime Jaquez Jr. helped regain the lead for UCLA with a 12-1 run.

Once the scoring drought ended for the Ducks, the floodgates were opened. Six straight from the Ducks' backcourt of Harmon, Young, and Richardson placed Oregon back in the driver's seat with three minutes to go, leading 59-54.

Jaquez fouled out on a charge, putting more pressure on an already short-handed UCLA lineup missing Juzang. With the Bruins down one of their best players, the Ducks took over.

A 13-3 run materialized sealed the deal for the Ducks, who then led by nine with a minute to go, rubber stamped by a Young to Williams alley-oop slam. The Ducks were in complete control of a game that was dangerously close to spiraling out of control.

As Young and Harmon hit the needed free throws to put the game out of reach, the student section rushed the court to congratulate the team on sweeping the Bruins in emphatic fashion.

The Ducks will play their final regular season home game Saturday night as they’ll celebrate senior night against the USC Trojans.