Oregon’s Pritchard Named Pac-12 Player of the Week

Oregon guard Payton Pritchard was named Pac-12 Player of the Week on Monday after leading Oregon to an historic win at No. 5 Michigan.

The senior from West Linn, Ore., scored 15 of the Ducks’ final 17 points to lead Oregon to a 71-70 win in overtime. Pritchard led all players with 23 points, including 19 in the second half and overtime Saturday in Ann Arbor.

The Wooden Award, Naismith and Robertson Trophies and Cousy Award nominee went 6-of-8 from floor for 13 points in the second half and 3-of-4 for six points in overtime to will the Ducks to victory. This is Pritchard’s first career Pac-12 Player of the Week honor.

The upset was Oregon’s third top-15 victory this season – all of which have come away from home, the only school in the country with such a résumé.

From an historical standpoint, the win over No. 5 Michigan was the program’s first regular season non-conference win over a top-five opponent in school history. The Ducks’ previous best was an 86-73 win against No. 10 Providence on Jan. 4, 1975, in Eugene.

It was also the program’s first road win over a top 5 team since Oregon defeated No. 5 UCLA 65-45 on Feb. 21, 1976, in Pauley Pavilion. That win by the Ducks snapped UCLA’s 98-game home winning streak, the third-longest home winning streak in NCAA history.

Oregon is No. 8 in this week’s Associated Press poll, which is the Ducks’ highest ranking since being No. 5 in the March 6, 2017, poll.

Oregon hosts Montana Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.