The final 20 seconds played out like a crystallizing moment, slowly waning away and leaving 14,000-plus in disbelief as each time tapered off.
In 20 seconds, the body language of the Oregon Ducks went from one end of the spectrum to the other, with some experiencing LaMichael James Roller Coaster Syndrome.
Fortunately for them, the Ducks’ train of cars pulled into the station with the riders’ fists stretched to the sky in victory.
Saturday’s win over Arizona embodied all that is Oregon’s basketball season thus far – from hot shooting to cold, turnover-littered stretches.
Still, the Ducks return to Eugene with only their second desert sweep in 34 years and its first since the 2006-07 season and just one game out of first place in the Pac-12.
Oregon holds a 13-5 overall and 4-2 conference record as it reaches the season’s halfway point and has taken seven of its last nine games, but while that looks good on the surface, this program remains a sitting duck – vulnerable and on the verge of collapse.
Just three players average double figures with only one pulling down more than five rebounds per game. Oregon averages a mere 69.2 points per contest while allowing 66.2. What’s worse, the Ducks have seen leads of 17, 11 and seven points disappear in its last three wins, but scrappy play and better conditioning has propelled them to victory.
That won’t last. That won’t cut it. What’s the age-old adage? It’s not how you start, but how you finish.
If that’s the case, Oregon is the quick-off-the-blocks sprinter who, halfway through, trails off, only to have it chasing the back of the man in front.
Turnovers. Missed free throws. Defensive meltdowns. These things have allowed Duck opponents to scratch their way back into contention.
Head coach Dana Altman needs to put the overalls on, grab his tool box and repair this malfunctioning machine that lasts just 30 minutes instead of the full 40.
The second half is pivotal. It’s where game-changing moments take place, and it’s a time where Oregon has failed to show up in four of its six Pac-12 matchups, getting outscored 89-66 in the final 10 minutes of those games.
“We’ve just got to be more consistent as a team,” E.J. Singler said after the Arizona win. “That’s been our downfall, we play good on game and then not so good.”
Truth.
There have been nights when the Ducks shoot the lights out (season-high 69.4 percent from the field against Washington State). There have been nights when they flat out don’t (season-low 32.3 percent the next time out). Oregon’s shown the ability to start out hot like against Arizona State when 11 of its first 15 shots went down, while also displaying the possibility of implosion (e.g., California’s 23-5 run).
For now, Altman will take what his team can get, especially when the Ducks rank below the Pac-12 median in nearly every category.
“You just find a way to win… and our guys did that,” Altman said after defeating Arizona.
“We were a little fortunate, but those are things that have to happen… to get a win like that.”
Call it luck. Call it being in the right place at the right time, but the Ducks are just a game out of first place in the Pac-12 despite numbers that, on paper, portray Oregon as a mediocre club at best.
Luckily, the Ducks head back to Matthew Knight Arena for a three-game homestand and face five clubs struggling to stay afloat in the Pac-12 with a combined record of 41-46 overall and 8-18 in conference play.
This is the make-or-break moment. This is the time to position yourself for a postseason run.
The Ducks haven’t posted more than seven wins in conference play since 2007-08. Make the necessary adjustments, find any form of positive consistency, and that will change come three weeks from now.
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