Maarty Leunen's 23 points led Oregon to a 93-66 win over Sacramento State Tuesday night at McArthur Court. Four other Ducks joined Leunen in scoring double figures, including a career high 20 points for sophomore forward Joevan Catron.
Oregon's leading scorer Malik Hairston and LeKendric Longmire both sat out the contest for precautionary reasons and both are expected to return for Oregon's next contest.
The Ducks were sluggish in the beginning, allowing the Hornets to find back door cuts and uncontested perimeter shots through most of the first half. Trailing 29-27, Oregon fashioned a 19-8 run to close out the opening stanza with a 46-36 lead with Leunen contributing eight points to the spurt.
Leunen and Catron were each 8 for 10 from the floor on the night and hit the boards for 11 and 8 rebounds respectively as the Ducks pulled away in the second half.
With Hairston on the bench, transfer Frantz Dorsainvil picked up 16 minutes of playing time and offered a glimpse of his court prowess, grabbing six boards, 11 points and a block.
Tajuan Porter (17 pts.) and Bryce Taylor (15 pts.) were the other Ducks to hit for double figures as the team shot nearly 51% from the floor.
"Maarty Leunen took it upon himself to score," said Oregon coach Ernie Kent. "He had a fantastic first half and a fantastic game. Eventually, our size, athleticism, and skill allowed us to rise above them."
"I knew I needed to come out and be aggressive and score a little bit more," said Leunen. "Opportunities weren't there in the beginning. I was just making shots that I would normally take."
Catron first noted that had he made his free throws - something the Ducks as a team have struggle with this season - he would have scored 26 points but was pleased with his new career mark. "It was nice to score 20 at the collegiate level," he said. "Hopefully, there will be a lot more to come."
The Ducks are now on the road until after Christmas. First a stop in Omaha to repay Nebraska for their visit last year to the Pape Jam, then to Detroit to face Oakland. Mt. St. Mary's will conclude the non-conference schedule when they visit McArthur Court on Friday December 28.
