In their first loss of the season, the Oregon Ducks experienced a tough battle against No. 21 Auburn, falling short with a score of 84-73 during the Players Era Festival at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. Turnovers and poor shooting proved detrimental for Oregon, as they committed 18 turnovers and managed only 37.7% shooting from the field.
Oregon’s head coach, Dana Altman, pointed to defensive mistakes as a key factor in the defeat. “We just made too many defensive mistakes. Our rotations really caused us some problems. Then the turnovers, we had 18 turnovers, they only had six,” he noted after the game.
Even though Takai Simpkins led the Ducks with 22 points, he struggled with ball control, contributing seven turnovers. Oregon’s defense struggled to contain Auburn’s efficiency in the paint, where the Tigers held a significant advantage, outscoring Oregon 38-24. Tahaad Pettiford shone for Auburn, scoring 24 points, while Keyshand Hall added 18 points and six rebounds.
The matchup was tightly contested at halftime, tied at 37-37 despite Oregon’s 10 turnovers that allowed Auburn to capitalize with eight points. While the Ducks managed to earn more free throws and made a larger number of three-pointers, they could not convert their rebounding advantage into points.
In the second half, Oregon was outscored 20-12 in the paint and struggled on fast breaks, with Auburn gaining an 11-4 edge. The Tigers managed only 21.7% from three-point range compared to Oregon’s 27.3%, but the Ducks’ Jackson Shelstad faced challenges from long range, hitting only 1 of 11 attempts.
Kwame Evans Jr. and Nate Bittle contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively, yet both struggled to find their rhythm, with Bittle shooting a disappointing 2 of 11 from the field. Despite leading midway through the second half, the Ducks could not maintain their edge as the Tigers launched a decisive 10-0 run, effectively sealing their victory.
Looking ahead, Oregon will attempt to rebound from this setback as they face San Diego State on Tuesday night. With their season still in its early stages, the Ducks have the opportunity to learn from this experience and come back stronger as they continue their journey.