SAN JOSE, Calif. – For the first time in five years, the Oregon Ducks return to NCAA Tournament action, taking on the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. The Ducks are the 12-seed, while the favored Cowboys hold the fifth-seed in Midwest portion of the 68-team bracket. Tipoff is set for 1:40 p.m. here at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. The game can be seen on TNT. Follow here for live blog updates throughout the game and then check out our post-game content including a couple of analysis stories as well as a detailed recap with reaction from Oregon head coach Dana Altman and his players. Also, for snapshots of the showdown, keep an eye out for photo posts following the game. Sports reporter Jackson Long and Photo Editor Alex McDougall are on site to catch everything, so follow and ask questions via twitter at @jacksonclong and @adougall. @ODEsports will have tweets by-the-minute.
To brush-up on the forthcoming contest, check out our scouting report on Oklahoma State and star player Marcus Smart, a primer on the coaching battle between Altman and Travis Ford and our primer for the game itself.
Pregame
Saint Louis defeated New Mexico State moments ago to advance in the bracket. The winner of Oregon and Oklahoma State will play Saint Louis.
Oregon will wear “Fighting Ducks” lime green uniforms for the contest. Starting lineup for the Ducks: Dominic Artis, Damyean Dotson, E.J. Singler, Arsalan Kazemi and Tony Woods.
14:53 left in first half
Oregon leads, 11-8. Active defense has been the boon for the Ducks early, beginning with a game-opening steal from Dominic Artis, which resulted in an easy Damyean Dotson layup. Oregon has hit three threes (two in a row from Dotson). Eight points for Dotson, which is a continuance of the hot first half shooting he had in the Pac-12 Tournament last week in Las Vegas. Marcus Smart has no points yet.
8:28 left in first half
Oregon leads 19-12. After giving up a pair of buckets, the Ducks are on an 8-0 run. Johnathan Loyd checked into the game to matchup with the beastly Smart. Loyd booked a quick floater, Kazemi added a layup and Artis continued his strong defensive effort, pilfering Smart for a quick two. Kazemi got the fans on their feet with a putback dunk, equating in a seven-point Oregon lead.
Halftime
Oregon leads 37-26. Dana Altman has to be happy with his team’s performance, as the underdog Ducks hold a double-digit lead. Dotson nailed another three around the seven-minute mark and shot 4-for-7 for 11 points in the opening act. Kazemi has been a menace under the hoop, almost notching a double-double, grabbing 10 boards and scoring nine points, mostly off putbacks. Big 12 Player of the Year and frosh sensation Marcus Smart has been held to six points for the Cowboys, as the Ducks have rotated between Artis and Loyd guarding the big point guard. Artis’ defense has been pivotal, finally looking like the January version of himself. He has three steals. Both teams have had trouble holding onto the ball in a body-busting contest. Oregon has been superior in the rebounding department, pulling down 24 against Oklahoma State’s 16.
15:48 left in second half
Oregon leads, 46-33. The Ducks have started the second half strong with Artis looking a bit more aggressive on offense. The Cowboys have made three of their last four shots, though, and if not for back to back stoppages in play, they could have turned the hot shooting into something. Two long timeouts have put that on hold.
7:08 left in second half
Oregon leads, 59-45. The Cowboys are holding steady, not allowing UO to pull away, but that won’t be enough if they want to prevent an upset. Dominic Artis has scored 10, the first time he has reached his early season average since mid-January. Kazemi has 10 points and 14 rebounds, leading an Oregon reign around the rim, as the Ducks lead the rebounding tilt 34-25. If OK State wants to comeback, they will need Smart to turn it on. He only has eight. The arena has gotten more quiet now as the excitement of a back and forth game has dulled to what fans now seem to be treating as an inevitable Duck win with just seven minutes to go.
Final
Oregon wins, 68-55. Rebounds and the play of Kazemi and Artis launch UO to a big opening win. Artis returned to offensive form while Kazemi was a monster with rebounds. The Ducks advance to play Saint Louis on Saturday.
Check the recap for more info.