Valparaiso’s shooting struggles continued Thursday night at No. 4 Oregon.
But coach Matt Lottich was focused on other aspects of the Crusaders’ game after their 76-54 loss to the Ducks.
“The easy thing is to look at the shooting numbers,” Lottich said. “I know my guys aren’t trying to miss shots. I’ve said it the entire season — we’re going to make shots.
“We have to control what we can control. We gave up 10 fast-break points and 15 second-chance points. They only had two steals and we have to finish possessions defensively. Those are the things we can control.”
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The Crusaders (3-1) won each of their first three games by at least 14 points. Still, they knew they had to play considerably better to compete against a team the caliber of the Ducks (2-1), including with their shooting.
But Valparaiso shot 32.1 percent (18-for-56), including 4-for-21 from 3-point range. The percentage dropped to 23.3 (7-for-30) in the second half, including 2-for-13 from 3.
The Ducks shot 48.2 percent (27-for-56) and outrebounded the Crusaders 40-27.
Alec Peters scored 24 points, tying Tracy Gipson for second on Valparaiso’s career list with 1,785. Bryce Drew has 2,142 points.
A senior forward, Peters shot 8-for-18 against Oregon, including 2-for-8 from 3.
Tevonn Walker had 12 points and six rebounds in his return to the Crusaders’ lineup, having missed two games after getting hit in the mouth.
“He helped a lot with our depth, no doubt about it,” Lottich said of Walker. “He was energetic. He could match their athleticism, he did a great job guarding their guys.”
Foul trouble, particularly to senior Jubril Adekoya, demonstrated Valparaiso’s issues with depth.
After Peters’ 3-pointer rattled in and out, Adekoya picked up his third foul with 0.7 seconds left in the first half as the Ducks took a 37-30 lead. He got his fourth foul with 18:01 left and fouled out with 5:30 left.
“It’s a huge impact,” Lottich said. “We’re searching for some depth. We have a lot of young guys who have to grow up quickly.
“We have to get production from other guys.”
Valparaiso didn’t have any bench points until freshman Micah Bradford hit a 3-pointer with 21 seconds left, the last basket of the game.
The Crusaders had no answer for Chris Boucher, who totaled 25 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.
“Boucher’s great,” Lottich said. “He hit some shots — some tough shots. They have a lot of playmakers.”
Jordan Bell added 15 points and seven rebounds for the Ducks, who again were without Dillon Brooks after the preseason All-American underwent left foot surgery over the summer.
The Crusaders play Alabama at 11 p.m. Monday in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Main Event.
“We have to get better — the players know it, the coaches know it,” Lottich said. “We have to do the little things, dive on the floor, get loose balls, and we will. We’ll make shots. I’m not worried about that.”
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff