The Oregon Ducks seem to be quite at home in absolutely nail-biting games. This season, they’ve won five games by just one possession. Sunday afternoon was no different, as Dana Altman’s team marched into University Park and escaped a strong upset bid by the Penn State Nittany Lions, who showed tremendous fight despite being down their best player. Oregon was down by 6 with just five minutes left, but showed the poise and character to grit out another tough victory, winning 82-81.
Oregon Keeps Showing That They Have the Ability to Win Tough Games
Oregon’s trend of winning close games as well as road games are two things that should immediately make them a trustworthy team in the postseason. The Ducks’ only losses on the year were a two-point defeat against UCLA and a humbling home loss to Illinois, where the Fighting Illini made 16 threes and shot 57.5% from the field. Despite these results, Oregon has one of the best resumes in college hoops.
At 15-2, Oregon already has stacked up several impressive wins on the year. They beat a physical Texas A&M team by 10, in Their route to winning the Players Era Festival tournament in Las Vegas included a 10-point victory over a physical Texas A&M team, a relatively comfortable win over a talented San Diego State squad, and a championship game duel with currently-#5 Alabama, where they again erased a multiple-possession deficit in the last four minutes.
Oregon Has Depth, Balance, and Star-Power
Against Penn State, Oregon showed their signature composure once again. Senior guard Jadrian Tracey made multiple big shots down the stretch, talented sophomore Kwame Evans Jr. recorded huge buckets on the inside, and sophomore point guard Jackson Shelstad finished off a night of high-level shot-making with the go-ahead jumper that gave Oregon the lead for good.
Jackson Shelstad came up clutch for Oregon as the Ducks defeated Penn State 82-81 💪💪
The @jerseymikes Naismith Men’s College POY candidate dropped 17 points and tallied eight assists 🔥#JerseyMikesNaismith2025 | @OregonMBB | 🎥: Big Ten Network pic.twitter.com/x8YbVNkLIl
— Naismith Awards (@NaismithTrophy) January 13, 2025
Shelstad has been on a heater recently, averaging 23.5 points in his last two games before his 17 against the Nittany Lions. He’s now made 10 of his last 15 three-point attempts, many of which have been difficult shots. Shelstad has displayed range, making multiple deep bombs from several feet behind the college three-point line, and versatility, demonstrating capable catch-and-shoot ability in addition to making tough jumpers off the dribble. Shelstad has the potential to become a solid player in the NBA.
Although Shelstad led the team in scoring and carried the team towards the end of the game, Oregon has depth like few other teams in college basketball do. Although many starters play heavy minutes, head coach Dana Altman has multiple reliable bench players. Sixth man Keeshawn Barthelemy is fifth on the team in minutes and delivered 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals against Penn State.
Ducks up 10!
Kee hits again to give him 8 points in the half on Shelstad’s fourth assist. #GoDucks
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/WKu9Qco84v
— Oregon Men’s Basketball (@OregonMBB) January 12, 2025
The aforementioned Evans has 10 big points as well, 4 of them coming in the last two minutes. After a tough paint finish that tied the game, Evans ran the floor in transition, beating the entire Penn State team down the court for the layup. Shelstad would then knock down a tough jumper on the following possession before Tracy secured the comeback with two big free throws.
Penn State Continues to Have Stock as a Bubble Team
Penn State has now suffered three losses in a row. After a close battle with Indiana and a massive letdown against Illinois, the Nittany Lions have now let another close game slip away, missing another opportunity to earn a resume-defining win. State is currently projected among ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s “Next Four Out.”
Health is paramount for head coach Mike Rhoades. Against Oregon, his team was missing two key contributors. Starting guard Ace Baldwin was unfit to play against the Ducks, having suffered a back injury in their recent loss to Illinois. Starting wing Puff Johnson, who missed the Illinois game completely, was questionable for the Oregon matchup, but fought his way through an undisclosed injury and played 36 minutes. Baldwin has been Penn State’s best player on the year, averaging 14 points and 8 assists per game.
Freddie Dilione V did his best to make up for the absences, scoring 21 points. Fellow guard Nick Kern Jr. added 19, but it was ultimately not enough. Penn State’s bench only contributed 4 points, far behind Oregon’s 28. Frankly, Penn State’s fight despite being shorthanded was impressive, and they were close to pulling off a huge upset.
Fell just short in a back-and-forth battle.#WeAre pic.twitter.com/GVRx3q7Goq
— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) January 12, 2025
However, at a certain point, close is not good enough. Penn State has work to do if they want to find themselves in a good position come March. They are back in action against #15 Michigan State on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Oregon has a massive clash with #20 Purdue looming on Saturday.
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