Oregon Hosts Texas Southern Monday Night

The Oregon Ducks (6-3) ended a brief losing streak last week and will now look to build momentum before the start of conference play. Texas Southern (0-8) remains winless on the season as the Tigers have suffered lopsided defeats.

Coach Dana Altman’s message of playing physical on defense appears to be reaching the Ducks. Oregon took control in the second half against Colorado State and came away with a 95-65 victory at home.

Oregon capitalized on turnovers and second-chance opportunities off the boards to break the game wide open. Elijah Brown paced the Ducks with 20 points, a career-high as a member of Oregon after transferring from New Mexico. Along with Brown, five Oregon players scored at least ten points.

Payton Pritchard continues improving his game after an impressive freshman campaign a season ago. He currently leads the Ducks, averaging nearly 16 points per game.

The Ducks saw a tough stretch of dropping three of their last four games before the win over the Rams. Despite the tough time, Pritchard stood out, carrying the team offensively.

Pritchard and the Ducks got a boost last week after freshman, Troy Brown, returned to the lineup. Brown is averaging 11 points this season and leads the team in rebounds per game.

Texas Southern may not have a win but have been close in a few games. The Tigers nearly pulled a win out against Washington State. Unfortunately, a second-half rally by the Cougars proved fatal as the Tigers fell in overtime.

Demontrae Jefferson is the Tiger’s primary scorer, averaging 23 points through eight games. Oregon must also keep an eye on Donte Clark, who is averaging 17 points per game. On the boards, Trayvon Reed is grabbing nearly ten rebounds per game.

Mike Davis is the head coach at Texas Southern, having occupied the position since 2012. The Tigers are from the Southwestern Conference.

Monday’s tipoff starts at 7 p.m. with a telecast on Pac-12 Network.

Four games remain on the non-conference slate for Oregon before hosting Utah to begin Pac-12 play. For now, the Ducks’ focus is taking care of business against the Tigers.