Ducks’ Pritchard propels huge road win NO. 10 OREGON 71, NO. 5 MICHIGAN 70, OT
ANN ARBOR, MICH.» In a stellar matchup of senior point guards, Payton Pritchard prevailed in the end.
Pritchard scored 19 of his 23 points after halftime, and No. 10 Oregon outlasted No. 5 Michigan 71-70 in overtime Saturday. With the game on the line, Pritchard repeatedly drove past Michigan’s Zavier Simpson, and although Simpson had eight points and 11 assists, the Wolverines lost their second straight game.
“I thought the intensity was really high. When they started hitting shots in the second half, their intensity went way up,” Oregon coach Dana Altman said. “I thought the guys fought it off just enough to win.”
Oregon (8-2) built a 16-point lead in the first half, then had to withstand an extended Michigan charge. Anthony Mathis nearly won it for the Ducks with a long 3-pointer at the end of regulation, but a replay showed he released the shot just after the clock ran out.
Simpson’s calling card has been his defense during his Michigan career, but the Wolverines
(8-3) had no answer for Pritchard late. He scored 13 of Oregon’s points in a row at the end of regulation and the start of overtime.
“With a point guard, you just kind of pick and choose what’s the time to go and when to not,” Pritchard said. “I felt throughout the game, I could’ve hit those gaps, but you’ve got to wait for it to open up. They started not collapsing as much, and that’s when I was able to get to the rim.”
Pritchard scored the Ducks’ final points of the game on a driving layup that put Oregon up 71-68. Then David Dejulius made a baseline jumper for the Wolverines and forced a turnover on the inbound pass.
Michigan’s final possession lasted a while. Dejulius missed a driving shot, and the ball went out of bounds after a scramble near the basket. The Wolverines kept possession after a lengthy review, but Simpson missed a driving hook shot in the final seconds, and a tip-in attempt by Brandon Johns wouldn’t drop.
“We got the ball in the hands of the right person we wanted to have it,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said. “I love the look that we had.”