The Oregon Ducks weren’t expected to make a lot of noise in the Pac-10 Tournament, especially with the UCLA Bruins waiting for them in the second round. But the Ducks took control early at Staples Center in Los Angeles, smacking the Bruins in the mouth and never taking their foot off the gas in a 76-59 win.
Oregon was unconscious from the field at times, shooting 50 percent while holding the Bruins to a 34.5 percent shooting. The Ducks took a 14-point lead into the half and never looked back, outplaying UCLA throughout and pulling off the upset over the second-ranked Bruins.
E.J. Singler finished with a career-high 24 points on shooting, including from beyond the arc and from the free throw line. Malcolm Armstead added 13 points and Garrett Sim chipped in 10. Singler also finished with a team-high eight rebounds for the Ducks.
Tyler Honeycutt was about the only threat for the Bruins on the offensive end, scoring a team-high 19 points. Reeves Nelson added seven points, with Jerime Anderson chipping in eight off the bench. Malcolm Lee, hampered by a knee injury, finished with just six points.
Oregon moves on to face the winner of Thursday night’s late game between Washington and Washington State. The Bruins are still safely in the tournament, with time to rest as they head home following Thursday’s loss.
First round: Wednesday, March 9
No. 9 Oregon State Beavers def. No. 8 Stanford Cardinal, 69-67
No. 7 Oregon Ducks def. No. 10 Arizona State Sun Devils, 76-69
Quarterfinals: Thursday, March 10
No. 4 USC Trojans def No. 5 California Golden Bears, 70-56
No. 1 Arizona Wildcats def No. 9 Oregon State, 78-69
No. 7 Oregon Ducks def. No. 2 UCLA Bruins, 76-59
No. 3 Washington Huskies vs. No. 6 Washington State Cougs, 8:30 p.m., FSN
Semifinals: Friday, March 11
USC vs. Arizona, 6 p.m., FSN
Oregon vs. Washington/Washington State, 8:30 p.m., FSN
Finals: Saturday, March 12
Semifinal winners, 3 p.m., CBS
For more on the tournament, including the latest news and bracket updates, check out the rest of our 2011 Pac-10 tournament StoryStream.