Vikings lose to Ducks, ultimately, win respect
It was a game of runs, and the team that won was the team that was able to survive in the second half. The Vikings kept up with 19th-ranked Oregon for the full 40 minutes, however it was the Ducks that made the big plays down the stretch to maintain their lead, their composure and their spot in the top 25. Despite scaring the Pac-10 powerhouse in front of 5,443 fans at the Memorial Coliseum, the Vikings fell in the end, 69-63.
In the first half, it looked as though the Ducks might pull away with their first significant run halfway through the first half. They made a 13-2 push, trying to leave the Vikings behind for good, amplifying their lead to a 22-10 margin.
The Vikings stuck right with it, not letting the double-digit lead go into the 20s, then 30s. Instead they answered with an 11-2 run, crawling back into contention by halftime. With a big three-pointer to end the half by Jeb Ivey, the Vikings went into the locker room trailing by only seven points, 40-33.
Oregon shot a scorching 65.2 percent in the first half yet committed 11 turnovers to even out the hot shooting. The Vikings shot 46.7 percent in the first half to keep the lead under double-digits.
The second half went up and down like the first. The Vikings kept in striking distance and found themselves down by only one point with about four minutes remaining in the game, 42-41. From there, Oregon made a 12-2 run, which looked to end any hopes of an upset by Portland State.
But a relentless attitude showed in Portland State and its crowd. The team made a 7-1 run to stay alive with about a minute remaining. With the Vikings trying to cut the lead even more, Oregon’s Luke Ridnour went all the way to the rim for two points, washing away any final hopes of a Viking victory.
The Ducks shot 51 percent; the Vikings shot 49 percent. Portland State was able to out-rebound the Ducks, 29-27, for the game. In the points-off-turnovers category, it was the Vikings scoring 23 to the Duck’s 8.
Three players hit double figures for the Vikings: Seth Scott with 25, Kevin Briggs with 13 and Brandon Haughton with 11. Scott led both teams with 11 rebounds, as point guard John Glasier had seven rebounds and handed out four assists with no turnovers. On the other side, Luke Jackson had 21 points to lead his team, with Ian Crosswhite contributing 17 and Ridnour adding 15.
