Even without their top two scorers on the floor, Oregon is still showing fight. But that fight has its limits - and against a top-10 opponent like Michigan State, those limits were on full display down the stretch.
For the second game in a row, the Ducks went toe-to-toe with one of the Big Ten’s best into the second half, only to watch it slip away late. This time, it was No. 10 Michigan State pulling away with a 68-52 win at Matthew Knight Arena on Jan. 20, closing the game on a 33-14 run that turned a tight battle into a comfortable win for the Spartans.
Oregon, now 8-11 overall and 1-7 in conference play, has dropped five straight. And while the effort is there, especially for a team missing center Nate Bittle (lower leg) and point guard Jackson Shelstad (hand), the results haven’t followed. The Ducks’ 52 points marked their lowest scoring output of the season.
“We’re up three, and we turn it over three times in a row,” head coach Dana Altman said. “We miss four out of five free throws. Our margin for error is small - we just can’t make those mistakes.”
That margin was clear in the final 14 minutes. Oregon held a 38-35 lead before the Spartans kicked into gear, capitalizing on Oregon’s miscues and finding their rhythm offensively.
Michigan State shot a blistering 57.1% from the field while holding the Ducks to just 39.2%. The Spartans also won the battle on the boards, 31-24.
It was a familiar script for the Ducks, who just a week earlier led No. 2 Michigan at halftime before fading in the second half of an eventual 81-71 loss. In both games, Oregon showed flashes - but with Bittle and Shelstad sidelined, sustaining those flashes has proven difficult.
“When you’re missing a couple guys who can really score, you’ve got to get every point you can,” Altman said. “We had it where we wanted it.”
Takai Simpkins led the way for Oregon with 15 points and seven rebounds, continuing to step up in the absence of the team’s stars. But the supporting cast struggled to keep pace. Wei Lin, starting in place of Shelstad, finished with seven points, one assist, three turnovers, and no rebounds - a stat line that drew some postgame attention from Altman.
“Our guards have got to rebound on this team,” he said. “Defensively, he’s gotta make some progress.”
Sean Stewart, coming off a career-high 22 points against Michigan, was held to just five points on 2-of-5 shooting. The Ducks simply didn’t have enough firepower to keep up once Michigan State hit its stride.
The Spartans, meanwhile, looked every bit the top-10 team they’re ranked to be. Carson Cooper was a force inside, finishing with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds, and four blocks. Coen Carr added 15 points and eight boards, while Jeremy Fears Jr. chipped in 14 points and five assists.
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo acknowledged the uphill battle Oregon is facing without Bittle and Shelstad - two preseason all-Big Ten talents.
“I can’t believe what they’re going through,” Izzo said. “There’s like 36 points sitting next to me.
I still feel sorry for them. That’s a lot to overcome.
I thought those guys played their tails off.”
Oregon’s injury woes didn’t stop there. Kwame Evans Jr. and Ege Demir both exited late in the second half and didn’t return.
Evans took a shot to the face, while Demir was helped off the floor clutching his shoulder after diving for a loose ball. Altman said both were being evaluated postgame, with no immediate update on their status.
There was at least one encouraging sign for the Ducks: 6-foot-10 freshman forward Efe Vatan, who has been sidelined all season, went through pregame warmups for the first time. He didn’t play, but Altman said the team is hoping to ease him into the rotation soon.
“He’s ready to go,” Altman said. “We’ll try and get him acclimated, get him in there a little bit.”
Reserve guard Jamari Phillips also missed the game, serving the second of a two-game suspension after being late to shootaround before the Michigan game. Altman confirmed Phillips will rejoin the team on Thursday.
Up next, the Ducks hit the road for their shortest trip of the season - a noon tipoff Sunday in Seattle against Washington. The Huskies, sitting at 10-8 overall and 2-5 in the Big Ten, have dropped four of their last five and face No. 7 Nebraska on Wednesday before hosting Oregon.
It’s been a tough stretch for the Ducks, but with reinforcements potentially on the way and continued growth from their young core, they’re still fighting. The question now is whether they can turn that fight into wins before the season slips away for good.