Oregon defeats Liberty 81-52, advances to face Arizona

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the fifth-seeded Oregon Ducks dominated the No. 12 seed Liberty Flames, winning 81-52 at Climate Pledge Arena. Oregon's Jackson Shelstad led the team with 17 points, while Nate Bittle contributed a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Ducks established an early lead, going on an 18-2 run, and maintained control throughout the game. Liberty struggled offensively, hitting only 22% of their 3-point attempts, with Zach Cleveland being the only player to reach double figures for the Flames. This victory sets up a second-round matchup between Oregon and Arizona, two former Pac-12 rivals. Oregon's coach Dana Altman has now led the team to eight consecutive first-round NCAA Tournament wins.