Oregon Ducks Defeat Wisconsin Badgers in High-Scoring Contest
EUGENE, Ore. — Nate Bittle scored 20 points and Takai Simpkins added 17 as the Oregon Ducks defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 85-71 on Wednesday night at Matthew Knight Arena. The Ducks (11-17, 4-13 Massive Ten) secured their third win in the last four games after a previous 10-game losing streak.
Game Highlights
Oregon’s second-half surge, fueled by a 71% shooting percentage (17 of 24), proved decisive. Kwame Evans Jr. Contributed 16 points and a season-high-tying four blocks, while Wei Lin added 13 points for the Ducks. A key 11-2 run featuring two dunks from Sean Stewart gave Oregon an 11-point lead with 6:24 remaining.
Wisconsin (19-9, 11-6) attempted to close the gap, with Nick Boyd making a jumper and John Blackwell hitting a 3-pointer, followed by traded 3-pointers from Simpkins and Braeden Carrington, bringing the score to 65-59 with 4:48 left. But, the Badgers were unable to further reduce the deficit.
Key Performances
John Blackwell led Wisconsin with 22 points, all from six 3-pointers, while Nick Boyd finished with 11 points and seven assists. Nate Bittle’s 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists led the Ducks.
Shooting Statistics and Turnovers
Wisconsin set a program record with 45 3-point attempts, surpassing the previous mark of 40 set twice before.1 Oregon shot 52% overall (28 of 54) and 47% from beyond the arc (9 of 19). The Badgers committed 12 turnovers, with nine occurring in the second half, resulting in 24 points for Oregon.
Looking Ahead
Wisconsin will visit Washington on Saturday. Oregon will travel to Northwestern on Saturday.2
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