| 10 March 2011
Entering the Pac-10 Tournament, E.J. Singler was just a role player who excelled at the intangibles. The Oregon Ducks were in freefall, lacking energy and losers of four straight games. They've shown postseason basketball is a whole new ballgame as Singler once again revitalized Oregon, this time over heavily favored UCLA Bruins, 76-59.
Singler picks up where he left off against Arizona State as Ducks play intelligently
After scoring a career-high 22 points in the Ducks win over the Sun Devils on Wednesday night, Singler didn't miss a beat against the Bruins. He scored 11 points in the first half to go along with five rebounds and two steals. He was very efficient, not trying to do too much and playing within the offense. And that offense was as patient as possible, swinging the ball around and waiting for the highest-percentage shot. But Oregon didn't live from the perimeter alone, mixing aggressive drives with their perimeter jumpers to shoot 50 percent in the first half.
The Ducks took care of the basketball, too, committing only two turnovers in the first 20 minutes. It was yet another sign of how focused Oregon has approached the Pac-10 Tournament. The chemistry was incredible. They missed 18 of their 31 shots, but Garrett Sim's lunging three-pointer from 25-feet at the first-half buzzer exemplified how good life was for the Ducks. The seventh-seed facing the second-seeded Bruins, Oregon held a 14-point lead at intermission. And UCLA's deficit could have been much larger.
Ducks defense stifles Bruins, especially keeping frontline in check
To hold that lead, Oregon continuously made UCLA uncomfortable on offense. The Bruins shot only 24 percent from the field in the first half, making a measly six field goals. No one was able to get into a groove, and UCLA overall looked like a team playing with little confidence. The Bruins had no life, were a step slow to every loose ball, and were repeatedly frustrated by Oregon's aggressive defensive.
Sophomore forward Tyler Honeycutt had 11 points, but six of those came from the free-throw line. UCLA would have been in a much deeper hole in the first half without his energy. Yet, he couldn't sustain the production, and finished the game with five field goals -- a team-high for the Bruins.
Reeves Nelson and Joshua Smith were non-factors. The physical frontline duo combined to shoot 4-15 from the field. UCLA gave Oregon a scare early in the second half, but the lack of balance hurt their chances of making a comeback. Tyrone Nared, Joevan Catron, and Singler did a wonderful job guarding Nelson and Smith despite being overmatched size-wise.
Oregon does much of damage inside with fearless attitude
On top of struggling offensively, Nelson and Smith were no match for the Ducks' offensive intensity. Oregon cut to the basket at will, knifing in for layups while also making routine trips to the free-throw line.
Twenty-eight of their first 51 points were in the paint, an extraordinary number considering the size difference. Most of that production was done by Singler and guards Malcolm Armstead and Garrett Sim. That trio combined to score 47 points on 17-27 shooting.
Singler sets new high as Ducks look ahead
Of that trio's point-total Singler had 24, setting a new season-high. He "was just being in attack mode", and needed only nine shots from the field to accomplish the feat, and the rest of the Ducks fed off this efficient effort as no player reached double-figures in attempts. Thanks to that balanced effort, Oregon moves on to face Washington.
Singler didn't want to talk about his individual performance postgame. "It's just about us this weekend," he said. "Whoever we play, bring it on."
photo: daylife
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