Box Score I Video Highlights
PORTLAND, Ore. --- Nik Raivio scored a game-high 24 points and the Portland Pilots erased an eight point halftime deficit in an 88-81 victory over the Oregon Ducks Saturday night at the Chiles Center. A crowd of 3,386 watched as the Pilots improved to 3-0 on the season and handed the Ducks (3-1) their first defeat of the year.
Senior forward Robin Smeulders added 17 points and eight rebounds, while senior point guard T.J. Campbell finished with 16 points, including a thunderous breakaway dunk in the closing seconds to put an exclamation point on the win.
Portland opened the second half with a 15-1 run, which included three three-pointers. Smeulders capped the run with a tip-in to put Portland ahead, 52-46. The Pilots would push the lead to 10 points at 66-56 on a Raivio lay-in and seemed in control of the game.
But the Ducks would rally behind reserve guard Malcolm Armstead, who drilled a three-pointer and then stole the inbounds pass and converted a layup to cut the margin in half. Armstead drilled another three-pointer to make it a one-possession game.
Oregon would regain the lead on a pair of E.J. Singler free throws with 6:53 remaining and Armstead hit another three for a 72-70 Oregon lead with 5:18 left.
Two free throws by Smeulders tied it up and then Jared Stohl nailed a three-pointer on the fast break to give the Pilots another lead. This time, Portland would not allow the Ducks back in the game. The Pilots closed the contest with a 13-4 run as Campbell got the crowd roaring with his dunk.
Armstead finished with a team-high 21 points, 17 coming in the second half for Oregon. Senior guard Tajuan Porter was on fire early and finished with 15 points, but 13 of those came in the first half.
Portland shot a blistering 67 percent from the field in the second half en route to 51 points after the break. The Pilots also made 6-of-7 three-pointers in the half and 11-of-19 for the game. The Pilots shot 53 percent for the game, compared to Oregon’s 45 percent.
Senior Ethan Niedermeyer was the fourth Pilot in double figures with 11 points. Portland outrebounded the Ducks 37-33.
The Pilots will now face a stiff challenge at the 76 Classic in Anaheim, Calif. Portland will take on UCLA in the first round game on Thanksgiving night at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPN2. Other participating teams in the event, which runs through the weekend, include No. 8 West Virginia, No. 11 Butler, No. 22 Clemson and No. 24 Minnesota. Portland will face either Butler or Minnesota on Friday night.
Head Coach Eric Reveno Post-Game Quotes
On Oregon…
“The Ducks are a good basketball team, very athletic and they play hard.”
On the Pilots…
“It’s amazing to have a veteran team. We can adjust quickly and we executed the game plan well, which was to run offense, handle pressure and make them pay early, throwing it over the top. The players are always a joy to coach… it’s about trying to figure out what to give them to be successful.”
On half-time adjustments…
“We got used to their athleticism and we had to begin to guard better, moving from zone to man-to-man, so we adjusted to their personnel. Much credit goes to the players for having poise throughout.”
