Oregon Rolls Over Pepperdine

In an attempt to motivate his star player, Oregon Coach Ernie Kent benched senior guard Frederick Jones at the start of Friday night’s game against Pepperdine.

The tactic worked, as Jones entered four minutes into the first half and sparked the Ducks to an 88-64 victory against the Waves, stopping a three-game losing streak.

Jones, who had started 20 consecutive games, had team highs of 21 points and six assists, and was tied for the team lead with nine rebounds.

Luke Ridnour had a career-high 20 points for Oregon (5-3).

Luke Jackson put in 12 points in the Ducks’ first game at McArthur Court since Nov. 17.

Jimmy Miggins led the Waves (4-4) with 17 points.

Oregon dominated Pepperdine in rebounding, holding a 54-28 advantage. The Ducks also were superior on defense, holding Pepperdine to 31.7% shooting.

“If you can’t shoot it and can’t rebound it, it’s going to be a long night against a team like Oregon,” said Pepperdine Coach Paul Westphal, who has led his team to victories against UCLA and USC this season.