Field Level Media
Dec 29, 2019
Chris Duarte scored a career-high 31 points to help No. 6 Oregon coast to a 98-59 win over Alabama State on Sunday in Eugene, Ore.
The Ducks won their fifth straight game and finished 8-0 at home in nonconference play. They head into their Pac-12 Conference schedule beginning Thursday at Colorado.
Duarte made 12 of 15 shots -- including 6 of 9 from 3-point range -- and added six assists and five rebounds. He scored 20 of his points in the second half, rattling in a 3-pointer with 40 seconds to play to end his day.
Anthony Mathis added 15 points for Oregon (11-2), which never trailed throughout the entire game. Leading scorer Payton Pritchard was held to five points but led the team with nine assists.
Oregon made 39 of 66 shots for 59.1 percent field goal shooting, including 13 of 26 from 3-point range.
Brandon Battle's 14 points and nine rebounds led Alabama State (1-12).
Alabama State scored just four points in the first nine minutes of the game, allowing the Ducks to take a 19-4 lead.
The Hornets made it 19-6 on a steal and dunk by Tobi Ewuosho, who had his team's first six points. Ewuosho, however, was called for a technical foul for hanging on the rim too long after the dunk.
Oregon led 48-24 at halftime, with 11 points in the half for Duarte and 10 for Addison Patterson, who finished with 12. All nine players to enter the game in the first half scored for the Ducks.
Battle had eight points and Leon Daniels added seven in the first half for Alabama State.
Duarte had 10 of his team's first 18 points in the opening five minutes of the second half. He hit two 3s in that stretch, and Oregon turned a 24-point halftime lead into a 70-31 advantage on a Duarte dunk with 13:54 to play.
--Field Level Media