Oregon wrapped up nonconference play in emphatic fashion on Sunday, torching the nets for a season-high 12 three-pointers en route to an 80-57 win over Omaha at Matthew Knight Arena. Behind a dominant performance from Nate Bittle and a second-half surge that left little doubt, the Ducks head into Big Ten play with momentum - and a reminder of what they’re capable of when everything clicks.
Let’s start with Bittle, who was the engine, the spark, and the finisher all in one. The junior big man poured in 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and swatted five shots - a stat-stuffing night that showed just how much of a mismatch he can be when he’s locked in.
He shot an efficient 9-of-15 from the floor and knocked down 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, showing off the kind of inside-out versatility that makes him such a tough cover. After dropping 28 in a loss to Gonzaga last week, this felt like a continuation of that momentum - only this time, it came with a win.
Takai Simpkins chipped in 15 points, including three triples of his own, while Jackson Shelstad added 13 more. The Ducks didn’t just lean on one guy - they spread the floor, moved the ball, and let it fly. When the threes are falling like they were Sunday (12-of-30 overall), this Oregon team can stretch a defense thin and put up points in a hurry.
Early on, the Ducks wasted no time setting the tone. Dezdrick Lindsay, Bittle, and Simpkins each hit from deep during a 9-0 run that gave Oregon an 11-3 lead. That early rhythm from the perimeter opened up the floor, and Bittle took advantage with a pair of layups to push the lead to 20-8 midway through the first half.
Omaha, to its credit, didn’t fold. The Mavericks clawed back to within four points twice before halftime, but Oregon closed the first half with an 8-2 burst, capped by a clutch three from Wei Lin with just two seconds left on the clock. That gave the Ducks a 39-29 lead at the break - and they never looked back.
In the second half, Omaha again tried to make it interesting, trimming the deficit to single digits a couple of times. But each time, Oregon had an answer. Bittle and Simpkins hit timely threes, Lindsay sliced through the lane for a layup, and the Ducks kept control.
One of the game’s defining plays came with just over 13 minutes to go. After a missed free throw, Ege Demir tracked down the offensive rebound and found a cutting Bittle for a thunderous dunk that pushed the lead to 14. It was the kind of hustle play that doesn’t always show up in the box score but shifts momentum in a heartbeat.
Demir wasn’t done - he followed it up with two layups and a smooth jumper, extending the lead to 59-41. Omaha tried to respond with back-to-back threes from Paul Djobet and Tony Osburn - who led the Mavericks with 18 points - but Shelstad’s three on the other end kept the Ducks comfortably in front.
From there, Oregon poured it on. Simpkins hit his third triple, Shelstad added a layup, and Sean Stewart punctuated the night with a put-back dunk that pushed the lead to 80-55. The Ducks had turned a tight first half into a blowout, thanks to sharp shooting, active rebounding, and a defense that held Omaha to just 18 points in the paint.
Oregon owned the glass with a 47-33 rebounding advantage and outscored the Mavericks 36-18 inside. It was a complete performance - the kind of game that reminds you why this team still has plenty of upside heading into conference play.
With the win, Oregon moves to 7-6 overall and now shifts its focus back to Big Ten action. The Ducks will travel east to face Maryland on Friday - both teams entering that game 0-2 in conference play and hungry to get on the board.
If Sunday was any indication, Oregon might just be finding its rhythm at the right time.