What Dana Altman Said After Oregon Ducks Beat Ohio State Buckeyes In Pivotal Big Ten Win

It was another come from behind victory during the final minutes for the Oregon Ducks in Columbus, 73-71. This is the sixth time this season that this group has ended up winning a game when trailing at halftime. Oregon's Jackson Shelstad and Nate Bittle combined for 45 points and eight made three-pointers.

Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) shoots the ball Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) in the second half at Value City Arena on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. / Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some revenge over the Ohio State Buckeyes was in order for the sanity of the Oregon Ducks athletic department. For the sixth time this season, the Ducks have come back from a halftime deficit to end up winning a college basketball game.

Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad ended up dropping Ohio State's Micah Parrish to the floor and then hit the biggest three-pointer of the night with 1:34 left on the game clock to take the lead, 68-67. That was the first lead for Oregon since it was 16-15 in the first half. He would also hit two clutch free throws with 7.5 seconds left to take back the lead for the Ducks.

Jan 9, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Jackson Shelstad (3) dribbles the ball past Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) during the first half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

MORE: Are Oregon Ducks Transfer Portal Winners or Losers? Dan Lanning's Big Commitments

MORE: Oregon Ducks 2026 Recruiting Class Ranks No. 1, Raves About Coach Dan Lanning

MORE: No. 1 Transfer Portal Running Back Makhi Hughes Commits to Oregon Ducks From Tulane, Alabama

Shelstad would finish with 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 on three-point looks but it was the team's overall effort on the defensive end down the late stretch that wrapped up this Oregon victory.

"That's what really won us the game. I mean, that first half, you know, we've just been starting out kind of slow this season, and I feel like we haven't been together on defense really out the gate all year. So I mean, second half, we've been, you know, finding our way, sticking together towards the end of the end of the game. But I think, you know, we got to start coming out early, like how we finish games."

- Jackson Shelstad on Oregon's defense

Oregon center Nate Bittle also put in 21 points on 7-for-14 field goals, 4-for-8 three-pointers. He also would snag eight rebounds and collect three blocks. His effort with his rim protection was inspiring the rest of his teammates to lock in on that side of the floor.

"Nate (Bittle) was such a presence in there. He did a tremendous job. He challenged so many shots. It made it tough every time somebody came in. He really made a difference. He was he was really good and stayed out of foul trouble."

- Dana Altman on Nate Bittle

Jan 9, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) backs down Ohio State Buckeyes forward Aaron Bradshaw (4) during the second half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Shelstad and Bittle have made headway as one of the top lead guard-big man duos in the nation. Bittle's frontcourt presence turns stops into more scoring opportunities for his teammates. Shelstad then leads the offensive pace and finds ways to score over and over again off the bounce. The two have a strong tandem building with one another.

Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton tried his best to disrupt the chemistry between these two but came up short. He ended up finishing with 20 points on 8-for-16 shooting plus three assists and one steal. The Buckeye is officially in the Big Ten Conference's Player of the Year conversation and a name to keep an eye on.

Congratulations are in order for Oregon guard Keeshawn Barthelemy after eclipsing 1,000 career points during the win in Columbus. The senior spent time with the Colorado Buffaloes from 2022-22 before joining the Ducks.

Jan 5, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Keeshawn Barthelemy (9) shoots the ball over Maryland Terrapins guard Selton Miguel (9) during the second half at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Oregon's win at Ohio State was its sixth Quad 1 victory of the season. Across college basketball, only the Auburn Tigers have more at seven Quad 1 wins. The NCAA Tournament resume for the Ducks continues to build up and a No. 1 or No. 2 seed is still not out of the question if their strong play can continue on through conference play.

The starting lineup of Shelstad at the point, TJ Bamba, Jadrian Tracey, Brandon Angel, and Bittle manning the middle has been working all season long. Coach Dana Altman has no need to mess with what is working at this point.

The No. 15 Ducks (14-2, 3-2) continue on this road trip to Happy Valley to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (12-4, 3-2). Tip-off is set for Sunday, Jan. 12 at 1 p.m. PT.

MORE: Washington Commanders' Marcus Mariota Replaces Jayden Daniels, Earns Game Ball in Win

MORE: Oregon Ducks Receiver Ryan Pellum Enters Transfer Portal: Former 4-Star Recruit

MORE: College Football Analyst Critiques Comparisons of Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Nick Saban

MORE: Denver Broncos Rookie Bo Nix Breaks NFL Record, Clinches Playoffs vs. Kansas City

MORE: Oregon Ducks' Tez Johnson Declares For NFL Draft: Thanks Biological, Adopted Family