Dorsey, Ducks Won't Be Denied

Sunday, March 19

Sacramento, Calif.

4:10 PM

University of Oregon

31-5

Rhode Island

25-10

Rhode Island

Oregon

Photo by: GoDucks.com

03/19/17 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score: Oregon 75, Rhode Island 72 Oregon Ducks Season Stats

Tyler Dorsey's game-winning three in Sunday's NCAA Tournament second-round win was just the biggest of a number of huge plays in Oregon's second-half comeback.

By: Rob Moseley

SACRAMENTO — The play we'll all remember, the one perhaps we'll still be talking about five, 10, 20 years from now, is of course the game-winning shot.

Less than a minute to go, after spending the previous 48 hours hearing his coach preach sharing the ball, and drive-and-dish, and "make plays for your teammates!", Tyler Dorsey lived up to his new "Mr. March" moniker yet again.

The Oregon sophomore pulled up at the top of the key, well back of the three-point line. His shot Sunday in a sold-out Golden 1 Center was pure, Oregon thus led Rhode Island, 75-72, and that would end up being the final score as for the second straight year, the Ducks moved on to the Sweet Sixteen, against Michigan on Thursday in Kansas City.

When Dorsey got back to the locker room, after doing the requisite TV interview postgame, his teammates mobbed him. But as that celebration ensued, assistant coach Kevin McKenna walked up to head coach Dana Altman, whispering quietly about the importance of two offensive rebounds by Jordan Bell that kept the ball in Oregon's hands for Dorsey to hit the three-pointer that tied it, 72-72.

And the Ducks were ecstatic for freshman Keith Smith, whose energy in Oregon's press during three scant minutes of second-half action changed the tone for the team defensively, they felt.

"Everybody did what they had to do," Smith said in the postgame locker room. "It was a total team win."

Back to the shot, of course. Dorsey, who went the entire regular season without hitting 20 points in back-to-back games, suddenly can't help but do so. He led the Ducks with 27 on Sunday, on 9-of-10 shooting, and Altman had to joke afterward about "what the heck you were doing on that one shot you missed?"

Truth be told, Dorsey actually was thinking about a shot he missed when it was time to hit the game-winner — two, in fact. With 3:36 to play and the score tied, 68-68, Dorsey had two free-throw attempts coming out of a timeout. He missed both.

The sophomore atoned for those misses with his three-pointers that tied the game and put the Ducks up. His reaction was jubilation, but also relief.

"I was thinking about those free throws; I would have never been able to live that down," he said minutes later in the locker room.

Dorsey's first clutch three came with Oregon down 72-69, after Dylan Ennis made the first of two free-throw attempts but missed the second. Junior Jordan Bell skied for the offensive rebound, Dillon Brooks missed a three, Bell collected yet another offensive board and Dorsey tied it up.

Bell put it simply: "When it's winning time, that's when it's time to rebound."

At halftime Sunday, Oregon trailed 46-38, and Rhode Island was shooting .594 thanks in large part to nine straight makes late in the half. Altman made no bones about challenging the Ducks in the halftime locker room — the Rams had showed up for a fight, and the Ducks hadn't answered in kind.

The Ducks' biggest deficit was 11, after Rhode Island hit a three on the opening possession of the second half. Midway through the half the deficit remained eight, 60-52. But Oregon's ability to win close games this season — the Ducks were 9-4 in games decided by less than 10 points — had made an impression on their coach.

"Lotta teams would have given up," said Altman, whose Ducks improved to 31-5, tying the year-old school record for wins. "But when you have a program like this, competitors like you, I knew you wouldn't quit. You haven't all year."

Smith, of all players, provided an improbable spark. He entered with 13:50 and Rhode Island up nine. Playing at the top of Oregon's press, Smith was on the court for just three minutes, in which the Ducks clawed back to within six.

He was done playing for the night, but teammates said the tone of the game had changed; the Ducks went on to hold URI to .407 shooting with seven of their 11 total turnovers after halftime.

"I didn't know when I was going to get in," a somewhat incredulous Smith said postgame, after being lauded by his coaches and teammates. "But Chris Boucher told me at halftime, 'You've had an up-and-down year, and I know it hasn't been easy. But we believe in you. Be ready." And he was right. And I was ready to go."

Smith's role in the zone is to be "the energy guy; just run around and cause havoc." Even after he left the floor, his teammates continued to do so.

Smith left with the score 58-52, and URI still led by six a few minutes later, at 66-60. Then, Brooks made three free throws out of a timeout. And Dorsey followed with two defensive rebounds that felt in hindsight about as big as his three-pointers, if that's possible.

Brooks' free throws made it 66-63. Rhode Island's E.C. Matthews missed at the other end, Dorsey wrestled away the rebound, then fed Bell for a layup. One-point game.

The Rams in-bounded, Hassan Martin missed, the 6-foot-4 Dorsey again went up and won the battle for the ball, and Brooks made a three-pointer. Oregon had its first lead since late in the first half.

"I knew I had to give it all," Dorsey said of those rebounds. "There were five minutes left. Gotta do what I gotta do for the team.

"It's all or nothing right now. It was pure determination."

Up and down the roster, that was the attitude that fueled Oregon's second-half comeback Sunday. It wasn't a perfect performance, but it was just enough.

"We've got some things to clean up," Altman said. "But the good thing is, we get a chance to clean them up."

Sweet Sixteen, here comes Oregon, which proved Sunday it's more than one or two big-time players.

NOTES
* Oregon's 31st victory of the season tied the school record set just last year.
* Oregon has advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second straight year (a program first) and for the third time in the last five years.
* Tyler Dorsey recorded his fifth straight 20-point game.
* Dillon Brooks passed Blair Rasmussen (1,554/1981-85) for 10th in UO career scoring. Brooks now shows 1,573 career points.
* Brooks also became Oregon's career leader in NCAA Tournament scoring. With 19 points against Rhode Island, Brooks now shows 123 points in eight NCAA games. He passed former teammates Elgin Cook (117) Joseph Young (105) on Sunday.
* Brooks is now Oregon's career leader in NCAA Tournament scoring, field goals made (45) and field goals attempted (96), while Jordan Bell is the UO career Tournament leader in rebounds (72) and blocked shots (19).