Dana Altman: Ta'Lon Cooper buzzer-beater won't change halftime message
As time ticked away, it looked like Oregon was going to take an eight-point lead into halftime of Thursday’s NCAA Tournament opener against South Carolina. But Ta’Lon Cooper pulled up from just over half-court and banked in a three-pointer to cut the Oregon lead to 34-29.
However, Ducks coach Dana Altman said his message won’t change after the momentum swing.
“It doesn’t,” Altman told TNT’s Evan Washburn, when asked if his halftime thoughts would change. “It was a big shot. A little momentum for them.”
Oregon got off to a bit of a sloppy start to the game with eight turnovers in the first seven minutes, but cleaned things up the rest of the way with just two over the last 13 minutes of the first half. The Ducks got a strong performance from Jermaine Couisnard, who had a game-high 14 points at the break against his former team to go with four assists.
But beyond the turnover issues, the biggest area Altman wanted to see improvement was at the free throw line, where Oregon went 3-for-6 in the first 20 minutes.
“We played a good first half,” Altman said. “Our defense was pretty solid. Just too many turnovers, missed some free throws that would’ve helped us. We played pretty good. I’d have liked to seen an eight-point lead, but they’re gonna hit some shots. That’s just one of them.”
Dana Altman explains why Oregon is using different looks on defense vs. South Carolina
The defense was strong for Oregon, holding South Carolina to 9-for-28 shooting in the first half and just 4-for-12 from three-point shooting. Altman said the Ducks changed things up – largely due to personnel – but N’Faly Dante is still the straw that stirs the drink. The Oregon big man took eight points, four rebounds and a steal into halftime.
Altman added it was a team effort, and he hopes that success continues into the second half.
“We’ve sat back,” Altman said. “We haven’t trapped as much as we usually do just simply because of our numbers. But the guys have done a pretty good job rotating. Dante’s a presence in there. All in all, they’ve done a pretty good job.”
The defense was solid, but the Oregon offense was also firing on all cylinders. The Ducks shot 60.9% from the field and 3-for-9 from downtown with eight assists on 14 made baskets as Couisnard and Dante led the way.