In a season filled with disappointment, Oregon has a chance to create a small bright spot.
The Ducks will go for back-to-back wins when they tip off against Minnesota in a Big Ten Conference matchup Tuesday night in Eugene, Ore.
Oregon (9-16, 2-12 Big 10) is coming off an 83-72 win at home against Penn State on Saturday. That snapped a 10-game losing streak for the Ducks, who have endured a trying season that has been filled with injuries and inconsistency.
Ducks coach Dana Altman said the victory likely took a weight off the shoulders of his players.
“The guys were feeling it,” Altman said. “It had been a long six weeks, that’s for sure.”
“Injuries are tough. It hurts the team, but guys want to play. They want to play their best. It’s awfully difficult when you’re banged up.”
Minnesota (11-14, 4-10) knows the feeling. The Golden Gophers also have played most of the season short-handed, and they did not have key starter Jaylen Crocker-Johnson in their most recent contest, which resulted in a 69-57 loss at Washington on Saturday.
It is uncertain whether Crocker-Johnson will be able to return from his foot injury to play against Oregon. He is averaging 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Golden Gophers.
“We had a poor shooting night and we had too many live-ball turnovers,” Minnesota coach Niko Medved said after the loss against Washington. “We have high-character guys. We just have to regroup. This is what life throws at you. We have to respond.”
Altman said the Ducks still felt some pressure to win despite snapping their losing streak.
“Without a doubt, there’s pressure on the guys,” Altman said. “They know we’re losing. Our expectations coming into the season were a lot higher than where we are now, which adds a lot more pressure to us. We had a decent run in the last few years and the expectations were to do the same thing this year, and it hasn’t happened. So, yeah, the guys are feeling it.”
–Field Level Media
