| 02 April 2011
It might not have happened the way Dana Altman would have liked, but his Oregon Ducks sent senior Joevan Catron out with a win by defeating the Creighton Bluejays 71-69 in Game 3 of the College Basketball Invitational final. Fittingly, Catron scored a career-high 29 points in his last collegiate game.
The victory, which was ultimately sealed by E.J. Singler's game-winning bank-shot with two seconds left, was made possible because of a Macolm Armstead-induced call on Creighton with 17 seconds remaining. The Ducks guard was defending Antoine Young, who had 21 points and seven assists, when he noticed the Bluejays guard step over the minimal white half-court line as he dribbled down the clock. He pointed to the infraction, and the referee heard his exclamations and signaled for a deflating turnover.
“This is a beautiful building, a great atmosphere,’’ Creighton coach Greg McDermott said, according to The Omaha World Herald.
“You just wish there was a visible halfcourt line. Tough way to lose this game."
Similarly, Altman disliked the way the game ended. He called Young's over-and-back violation "unfortunate" and said that he doesn't "feel as good as I should for winning," according to The Oregonian. Whether Armstead's attention-drawing gesture is good basketball or not, Oregon capitalized and took home the trophy current Final Four participant Virginia Commonwealth University did last season.
The Ducks were outrebounded by ten and missed 15 of their 19 three-pointers, but they shot 48 percent from the field and received a terrific outing not only by Catron but Singler as well. The junior forward had 15 points on 6-9 shooting as the only other Oregon player in double figures, saving his best for last in the form of aggressive penetration towards the rim and an acrobatic finish.
As in the Ducks case, Young wasn't the only Bluejays player to make a significant impact. Doug McDermott scored was one of three others to score in double-figures, and the trio of him and centers Gregory Echenique and Kenny Lawson Jr. combined to shoot 13-21 from the field en route to 36 points. Creighton committed 14 turnovers to Oregon's six--none bigger than the one called on Altman's recruit--and missed seven free-throws. Even still, they had an opportunity to come out on top because of their offensive balance.
All four played an integral role in Creighton's success, but their defense had no answer for Catron. He had 19 of his points in the second half, including 11 in the final seven-plus minutes. His final points as a Duck tied the score at 67 with a minute remaining, a jumper that was followed by teammate Garrett Sim's to set up the enticing finish.
Catron was named the tournament's MVP, and, driven to tears, was thrilled to go out with a victory. As documented in the aforementioned article by The Oregonian's John Hunt, "When Catron was asked how he would remember his final collegiate season, he thought for a moment and smiled. 'Winning,' he said. 'Just to go out on a win.'''
To win the College Basketball Invitational, the Ducks won seven of their last nine games and finished with a 21-18 record. Creighton's season was similarly successful. Altman's new and old teams lose some pivotal pieces, but they will be out to play in another tournament next season, with the hope that they can have the chance to do what VCU has improbably done.
photo: goducks.com
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