NCAA News Wire
Cook returns home to lead Oregon’s opening win
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
MILWAUKEE — It was a happy homecoming for Elgin Cook, who scored a season-high 23 points as Oregon beat BYU 87-68 on Thursday afternoon in an NCAA Tournament second-round West Regional game at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
Cook, a Milwaukee native who was a City Conference player of the year as a junior at Hamilton High School, hit 6 of 7 shots from the field in the first halfand was 8 of 9 in the game.
“It was exciting to play in front of my hometown,” Cook said. “I’m glad we got the win. Whenever we get a win, that makes everything a lot better.”
Oregon advances to face second-seeded Wisconsin in a third-round game on Saturday.
Cook was one of three Oregon players to score in double figures. Guard Joseph Young added 19 points and guard Jason Calliste added 14.
The seventh-seeded Ducks shot 55 percent from the field for the game and were 15 of 27 from the field in the second half.
Oregon led by as many as 14 points in the first half. The Ducks held BYU to 28 percent shooting from the field and dominated down low, where Oregon had a 18-5 scoring advantage in the paint.
The Ducks got 21 points off the bench in the first half and led 39-31 at intermission.
BYU guard Matt Carlino sank a 3-pointer with 11:55 to play, getting the Cougars within three at 56-53, but the Ducks responded with a 17-7 run and led 73-60 with 7:42 to play.
“We had a really exciting week as far as our invitation to the tournament, but it was extremely difficult with the injury to Kyle (Collinsworth, torn right ACL),” BYU coach Dave Rose said.
“Our ability to fight through some real adversity and we cut it to three there in the second half and had some real momentum. I thought we could maybe fight through that, but Oregon was too good.”
Guard Tyler Haws led the Cougars, the No. 10 seed in the West, with 19 points. Carlino and forward Eric Mika finished with 15 each.
NOTES: Oregon and BYU faced off in a non-conference game this season. The Ducks won that meeting 100-96 in overtime on Dec. 21 in Eugene, Ore., to improve to 11-0 this year. … BYU has made the NCAA Tournament field seven times in eight seasons. … The Ducks are making their second consecutive tournament appearance for the third time in program history. … Oregon G Elgin Cook was born in Milwaukee, where his father, Alvin Robertson, played for the NBA’s Bucks from 1989 to 1992.
