Oregon will look for Will Richardson to maintain his overall outstanding play Wednesday night when the Ducks host UC Riverside in Eugene, Ore.
Richardson had 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds Sunday to post the program’s first triple double in 20 years as the Ducks beat visiting Nevada 78-65.
Quincy Guerrier added a season-high 26 points and nine rebounds for the Ducks (5-5), who have recovered from a dismal start to the season by winning three of their past four games.
UC Riverside (6-3) is coming off a 76-74 win over host Idaho (4-6) on Sunday. It was the Highlanders’ first game since Nov. 30, when they had a four-game winning streak halted by a 65-60 loss at California Baptist.
A first-team all-Pac-12 preseason selection, Richardson has taken control for Oregon in the past five games, averaging 19.2 points, 8.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds on 52 percent shooting from the field.
“This five-game stretch by Will has been as good as anyone has ever done in my tenure here and I’m just really happy for him,” said Oregon coach Dana Altman, who is in his 13th season in Eugene. “I’m happy that he put a game like that together.”
Richardson posted the team’s first triple-double since Luke Jackson had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists against Florida A&M on Dec. 20, 2002. It was the fourth triple-double in Oregon history — Ron Lee had the team’s first such performance in 1972, in a victory over Montana State, and Jackson also had another one against Washington in 2001.
“It feels good, it’s exciting,” Richardson told the Oregonian. “I’m out here trying to be a leader and change who I am as a person and my team is rocking with me to the end. That’s the more exciting part other than the triple-double.”
For UC Riverside, Zyon Pullin’s short jumper from the corner with a second remaining lifted the Highlanders to the win over Idaho.
Pullin finished with a game-high 26 points, including 18 in the second half, to go along with five rebounds, while Lachlan Olbrich added 18 points.
“We were so focused on Idaho all week,” UC Riverside coach Mike Magpayo said. “We had a sour taste in our mouths after losing to California Baptist 11 days ago, so it wasn’t hard to motivate the guys in practice. It showed up today and they fought the fight. We always talk about finding a solution and they found a solution.”
–Field Level Media
