Fifth-seeded Oregon dominated No. 12 seed Liberty 81-52 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, with Jackson Shelstad scoring 17 points to lead the Ducks. Oregon will now face Arizona in the East Region on Sunday, setting up a second-round meeting between the former Pac-12 schools. The Ducks’ 7-foot center Nate Bittle also had a strong performance with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Liberty struggled, making just 8 of 37 3-point attempts and posting their lowest scoring output of the season. Oregon’s size advantage allowed them to jump out to an 18-2 lead early in the game. Coach Dana Altman praised their defensive activity for disrupting Liberty’s rhythm and building a commanding lead. Shelstad, who scored eight points in the first five minutes, credited his teammates for getting him open looks. Altman, who has led Oregon to the NCAA Tournament nine times in 15 years, stressed the importance of experience, with four players returning from last year’s tournament. The Ducks traveled less distance for the NCAA Tournament than for the Big Ten Tournament, highlighting their road warrior mentality. This victory sets up an exciting matchup between Oregon and Arizona, with tip-off set for 6:40 p.m. at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on Sunday.
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