The Oregon Ducks defeated No. 9 Alabama 83-81 and won the Players Era Festival final on Saturday night in Las Vegas on to a putback slam from Nate Bittlet with 4.5 seconds remaining.
As the Ducks won the exciting men’s basketball game, Keeshawn Barthelemy led the way for Oregon with 22 points, making 7 of 11 shots and making 4 of 5 three-pointers.
Despite losing a six-point lead in the last minute, Oregon (8-0) prevailed because to Bittle’s 19 points and nine rebounds.
With 31 seconds remaining, Barthelemy made two free throws to put Oregon ahead 81-75. Mark Sears of the Crimson Tide got a steal and was fouled by Brandon Angel of Oregon after Aden Holloway of Alabama responded with a three-pointer. Mouhamed Dioubate of Alabama collected the rebound after Sears missed the second free shot after making the first one, and the Ducks fouled him. With 19 seconds remaining, Dioubate converted both free throws to level the score at 81-81.
Bittle was there to dunk Barthelemy’s running jumper after it rolled off the backboard and rim during the Ducks’ subsequent possession. Following the buzzer, Alabama’s last attempt was waved off.
TJ Bamba scored 12 points, Supreme Cook scored 11, and Barthelemy contributed 4 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals.
Five players finished in double figures for the Crimson Tide (6-2), led by Labaron Philon, who scored 15 points.
KEY LESSONS
Alabama: To keep the game close, the Crimson Tide made 12 of 38 three-pointers.
Oregon: In addition to the $1 million guaranteed for every team in the field, the Ducks got an additional $500,000 in NIL money as a result of winning the tournament. Second place won the Crimson Tide an additional $250,000.
A crucial moment
With 3:50 remaining in the game, Barthelemy forced a foul and scored two free throws to trim the deficit to two points, bringing Oregon’s deficit down to 74-70. That sparked a run in which the Ducks led 81-75 after outscoring the Crimson Tide 12-1.
ESSENTIAL STAT
The Ducks only committed seven turnovers, while the Crimson Tide committed thirteen. On turnovers, Oregon scored 17 points.
UPCOMING
At 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oregon will visit USC to begin Big Ten play (Big Ten Network).
— Based on wire and staff reports
Latest Ducks news
-
What Dan Lanning said after No. 1 Oregon football defeats Washington
-
Dan Lanning earns another $200,000 bonus for Oregon s 12th regular season win
-
No. 1 Oregon Ducks dominate Washington to finish regular season undefeated
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
