No. 11 Oregon Now 4-0 After 85-61 Victory Over Portland

The Ducks were without starting guard Bryce Taylor, who sprained his right shoulder in practice on Thursday.

Playing without Bryce Taylor, No. 11 rallied to run away from Portland in the second half. Photo courtesy: goducks.com

PORTLAND, Ore. - Malik Hairston scored 24 points and the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks beat the Portland Pilots 85-61 on Saturday night.

Maarty Leunen added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Ducks, who have opened the season with four straight victories.

The 24-point margin of victory represented Oregon's largest win on the Pilots' campus in 38 years, since a 43-point decision (121-78) on Feb. 16, 1970 -- a game in which Oregon established the school's single-game scoring record.

The Pilots (1-3) were led by Taishi Ito with 13 points in their home opener, but trailed by as many as 26 points to Oregon.

The Ducks were without starting guard Bryce Taylor, who sprained his right shoulder in practice on Thursday.

He was held out Saturday as a precaution, but is expected to play in Oregon's next game Tuesday at Saint Mary's.

The Pilots went up 18-14 on Robin Smeulder's layup in a crowd under the basket. The lead was short-lived, and Oregon came back 19-18 on Hairston's 3-pointer.

Oregon extended the lead to 29-22 on Leunen's jumper. But Portland answered with a 9-0 run, tying it at 29 on Smeulder's layup.

Leunen scored again at the buzzer to give the Ducks a 31-29 lead at the break.

Oregon began to pull away from the smaller Pilots early in the second half, and Tajuan Porter's 3-pointer made it 35-44 with 16:12 left. Porter made a school-record 110 3-pointers as a freshman last season.

Hairston's 3-pointer made it 63-46 and the Pilots could not keep up.

Hairston is averaging 22.5 points through Oregon's first four games.

Porter finished with 15 points for the Ducks. Kamyron Brown, who started in place of Taylor, had 10 points and 10 assists, both career highs.
Story by: The Associated Press
Courtesy: goducks.com

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