By Andrew Bailie Posted on

Washington dominates Oregon in a 72-57 bounce-back win

The Washington Huskies (10-9, 2-5 in conference) battled the Oregon Ducks (8-11, 1-7 in conference) on Sunday at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Huskies were searching for their first win over their cross-state rivals since 2023. Washington was looking to end a three-game losing streak. The 318th meeting between the two rivals gave the Huskies a prime opportunity to get right. Oregon came into Sunday’s contest losers of five straight and three games under .500. Behind improved three-point shooting, superb rebounding, and tough team defense, the Huskies earned a much-needed win by crushing their rivals.

Washington takes control early

The Huskies controlled the first 20 minutes of the game behind a balanced scoring attack. Quimari Peterson led the team with seven points, while four other teammates each had six. The Dawgs also improved their shooting from the three-point range making 6/13 shots from beyond the arc. Having Jacob Ognacevic and Wesley Yates on the floor together helped improve Washington’s three-point shooting (Yates had missed the Huskies’ previous game against Nebraska). Yates and Ognacevic combined to hit four of Washington’s six first-half threes to build a big early lead.

Washington crashes the glass, and suffocates Oregon with tough defense

The Huskies were ferocious at the rim in the first half, keeping the Ducks off the offensive boards. Oregon had just one offensive rebound in the first 20 minutes of action. Washington did a tremendous job of boxing out, as Franck Kepnang led the way with four defensive rebounds. The Huskies’ defense also stifled the Ducks, holding them to just 28% from the field. Behind a complete first-half performance, Washington led Oregon 34-19 at halftime.

Huskies stick to effective first-half formula to finish off the Ducks

Ognacevic and Yates continued to stay hot from three in the second half. The duo combined to go three for three from deep. Danny Sprinkle spoke after the game about what Yates and Ognacevic’s three-point shooting did for the offense:

“I think they (Yates and Ognacevic) combined for six threes tonight. Is that right? Seven threes. That’s almost twice as much as we made in a lot of games this year. And so, like that, it’s a huge difference, but just the ability for those guys to space the floor and you know, open up the game for other guys too. That certainly helps out”, said Sprinkle.

Yates and Ognacevic were a combined 7/9 from three-point range for the game. Their ability to space the floor opened up driving lanes for Zoom Diallo and for the Huskies’ bigs down low. Diallo scored a team-high 12 second-half points, while Franck Kepnang, Bryson Tucker, and Hannes Steinbach combined for eight paint points. The Dawgs dominated the Ducks inside and outside to maintain a big second-half lead.

Washington seals a win behind a dominant rebounding performance

The Huskies denied the Ducks any second-chance opportunities in the final 20 minutes of the game as the Dawgs dominated the boards. Danny Sprinkle praised his players’ ability to get the ball off the rim in his post-game press conference:

“Like I said, It all started, their I think, third or fourth in uh, offensive rebounding in the conference. And we held them to one offensive rebound. And you know, I thought I was watching our guys box out and we were physical with our box outs and going and getting it, which you have to do to beat an Oregon team. So really proud of our guys, I thought Franck and Hannes were tremendous on the offensive glass. You know, combining for 15 offensive rebounds”, said Sprinkle.

In the second half, Washington out-rebounded Oregon 21-8. The Huskies closed the game with an 11-0 advantage on the offensive glass. Washington’s rebounding advantage gave them far more shots than Oregon. The Huskies attempted 34 shots while the Ducks attempted just 17 in the second half. Though Oregon shot a slightly higher shooting percentage (47%-44%) for the half, Washington closed the game with seven more made field goals than the Ducks. The Huskies’ dominant rebounding performance helped them cap a convincing 72-57 win over Oregon.

What is next for the Huskies

Washington’s next game will be against the No. 9-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini on Thursday in Champaign, Ill. Following that game, the Huskies do not have a ranked opponent remaining on the schedule. Even though Washington is currently tied for 12th with the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Big Ten, the Huskies’ win on Sunday is an encouraging sign. With 11 conference games left and a relatively soft schedule, Washington still has time to make a late-season run.

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