LOS ANGELES — Jackson Shelstad delivered an impressive performance, scoring 21 of his career-best 24 points in the second half, leading the No. 12 Oregon Ducks to a 68-60 victory over USC in their inaugural game of the Big Ten Conference on Wednesday night.
Shelstad found success at the charity stripe, converting 12 of 14 free throw attempts. Additionally, reserve player Keeshawn Barthelemey played a significant role, contributing 18 points with an excellent 4-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Despite their strong performances in previous games, Oregon’s top players, Nate Bittle and TJ Bamba, were held to just five points each. Bittle had been averaging 14.6 points per game, while Bamba was posting an average of 13.
Oregon, with this victory, improved its record to 9-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference. They managed to shoot 21 of 55 (38.2%) from the floor, including a 34.8% (8 of 23) success rate from three-point range. For USC, Desmond Claude was a standout, scoring 20 points, with Chibuzo Agbo adding 18 points, making all 10 of his free throw attempts.
In the second half, Oregon was able to overcome a deficit that they trailed for much of the game. A pivotal moment occurred when Shelstad drained a three-pointer with just 4:10 left on the clock, giving the Ducks a crucial lead after a 55-55 tie. This was their first advantage since they initially led 2-0.
On the USC side, Coach Eric Musselman relied heavily on his starting lineup during the game, with only four players coming off the bench—one of whom played merely a minute. The bench’s overall contribution was limited, with all eight points coming solely from Kevin Patton over 50 minutes of playtime.
A significant moment in the match came when Bamba, who struggled throughout the game and missed his first 11 attempts, finally hit a corner three-pointer to narrow Oregon’s lead to 49-44 with eight minutes remaining. Following that, the Ducks exploded with a 10-0 run, capitalizing on five turnovers committed by the Trojans in the final stretch.
An important statistic to highlight is that Oregon dominated the final 6.5 minutes, outscoring USC 22-7, which played a crucial role in clinching their victory.
Looking forward, Oregon will host UCLA this upcoming Sunday, while USC prepares to face Washington on Saturday.