Ducks Open With Win
Don Smalley

Teondre William's 19 points led the Oregon Ducks past Winston-Salem State 94-43 in the season opener Friday night at McArthur Court.

Using their full court press and substituting freely, Oregon jumped to a 56-15 halftime lead. Everybody except the two walk-ons - John Elorriaga and Nicholas Fearn - enjoyed double digit minutes.

Winston Salem State contributed 20 turnovers to the cause and were outclassed on the glass by nearly a 2-1 margin.

Just the sort of tune-up a team wants in an opener and head coach Ernie Kent understandably was pleased with the result. And with the play of Williams, his sophomore forward.

"The way he played tonight, he's been like this in practice. He just keeps getting better and better . He had a superb game . He took maybe one bad shot but everything else was right in rhythm. He is a great, great athlete when that body in shape."

"It felt really good," said Williams. "Came out strong, jumped on them early."

Garret Sim pitched in 13 points, hitting three of four from the floor and cashing in on free throws. With Malcom Armstead taking over at the point, Sim is enjoying the freedom to find an open spot on the floor in transition. "More confident in his shot," according to Kent, Sim hit both his three point attempts and didn't hesitate to drive to the hoop when the defender stepped out.

The defensive pressure and Oregon's transition game had the visitors on their heels after the game's first few minutes were spent getting acquainted with the intensity of a regular season contest. Once the Ducks adjusted, it was off to the races and Winston-Salem State had no answers.

Particularly for Williams. His full extension dunk midway through the first half had a murmur running through McArthur Court long after the rim had stopped rattling. Another in second half offered a glimpse of the athleticism Williams can offer the Ducks this year.

"I had a couple in practice," said Williams of his first dunk. "But it's not the same thing as in a game.

"Jamil Wilson . can do those things too," said Kent. "It is nice to have a couple of those guys."

The game was the first of the three game Basketball Travelers Invitational tournament being hosted by Oregon. The Ducks face UC-Davis at 2:00 pm on Saturday, then conclude on Sunday with a 3:30 tilt against Colorado State.