For the first time in a 37-year collegiate coaching career that includes 788 wins, Dana Altman has lost 10 consecutive games.
The latest for his flailing Oregon men’s basketball team? A 92-74 thrashing on the road at Indiana on Monday night to fall to 1-12 in Big Ten play and 8-16 overall.
Lamar Wilkerson shredded the Oregon defense, scoring a team-high 41 points on 13 of 20 shooting for the Hoosiers (17-8, 8-6 Big Ten). Indiana shot 60%.
The Ducks were led by Wei Lin and Nate Bittle with 15 points apiece and Sean Stewart with 12. They shot 45% as a team.
Oregon started fast, as Drew Carter scored five points to lead 6-0. But as Carter picked up two quick fouls, Indiana took a 9-8 lead.
Advantages changed hands as the half rolled along, and Oregon’s matchup zone defense caused Indiana issues for a stretch. But the Ducks were not able to capitalize on stops as their own offense sputtered.
Finally, it was Lin who woke the Oregon offense from its slumber, leading a 7-0 run to take a 19-14 lead midway through the half.
Indiana responded with its own 7-0 run, and finished the half strong despite Lin’s shooting to take a 36-30 lead at the break. Wilkerson scored just 16 of his 41 points in the first frame, exploding in the second half.
The Hoosiers came out firing in the second half and quickly built the lead to 43-32 on a three-pointer by Wilkerson. Approaching the 15-minute mark in the second half, it was 52-36 as Indiana’s shooting percentage shot up to 54%.
Oregon struggled to get the game to single digits, falling behind 65-52 near the midpoint of the half. But a Lin three-pointer cut it back to 10.
Wilkerson’s hot night continued as he nailed a three-pointer to get himself to 31 points and give the Hoosiers a 70-56 advantage with nine minutes to go. He kept shooting, and kept burying the Ducks further.
A 7-0 Indiana run ballooned the lead to 77-59, as Oregon’s only offense seemed to be Bittle forcing himself to the free throw line. The Hoosiers’ shooting percentage reached 60%, and the deficit became too much for the Ducks’ struggling offense to cut into.
Next game: Oregon (8-16, 1-12 Big Ten) vs. Penn State (10-14, 1-12 Big Ten)
- When: Saturday, Feb. 14
- Time: 12:00 pm PT
- Where: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene
- TV Channel: Big Ten Network
