Oregon overwhelms Holy Cross

[March 19, 2016]  SPOKANE, Wash. -- Top-seeded Oregon took a while to really get rolling Friday night in its NCAA Tournament opener against 16th-seeded Holy Cross, but when it did, it easily overwhelmed the Crusaders, 91-52.

Oregon spread its offense around, with four players scoring in double figures and two others hitting for nine. Chris Boucher scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting in just 17 minutes of play, and Elgin Cook scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

"(Boucher) was extremely active tonight, flying all over the place," Oregon guard Casey Benson said. "We've come to expect that of him."

Robert Champion did all he could to keep the Patriot League champion Crusaders in the game, scoring 22 points, but Holy Cross could not overcome Oregon's firepower.

"We're all disappointed we didn't give a better accounting of ourselves," Holy Cross coach Bill Carmody said. "Oregon had something to do with that. They're a No. 1 seed for a reason."

The Ducks opened the second half on a 23-4 run, building their lead to 42 points at one point. Holy Cross did nothing to help itself at the free-throw line, hitting just six of 15. The Crusaders were also outmatched on the glass as Oregon outrebounded them 44-28.

Holy Cross (15-20) had finished ninth in the Patriot League regular season before winning the postseason tournament. The Crusaders won a First Four game against Southern on Wednesday to advance to Spokane. Oregon (29-6), meanwhile, won the Pac-12 regular season and tourney titles and now advances to the Round of 32 for the fourth consecutive year. The Ducks play Saint Joseph's next after it beat Cincinnati.

NOTES: The game marked the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 return of Holy Cross coach Bill Carmody after a 17-year absence. The Crusaders' first-year coach last made it with Princeton in 1998, when the Tigers advanced to the second round. He spent the past 13 years coaching Northwestern, which he took to the NIT four times, but could never break the school's NCAA Tournament drought. ... The Ducks' win gives the Pac-12 a second team in the Round of 32, as only Utah joins Oregon in to the Round of 32 after seven Pac-12 teams received NCAA Tournament berths. Spokane has not been kind to Pac-12 teams thus far as fourth-seeded Cal was upset earlier by No. 13 Hawaii.

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