Oregon Pit Crew

By Ruben Garcia, Pit Crew Sports Media Feature Writer

The Pac-12 home opener for the Oregon Men’s Basketball team marked the beginning of winter term with an impressive showing from the Ducks’ crowd.

Oregon Men’s Basketball (No. 17) was looking to rebound with a victory vs. the California Bears, coming off their first loss of the season against Colorado last week. The animated Oregon Ducks fan base was quick to steal the show. Student tickets sold out hours before the game. 

The student section was packed 30 minutes prior to tip off and as the clock winded down the excitement grew greater and greater. Fans began dancing around in their seats waiting for their Ducks to rush the court. As fans kept pouring into the stadium it was definite that the game was going to be special.  

“I want people to see something interesting when they come to games,” said Henry O’Dell, a senior at the University of Oregon.

O’Dell has been a lifelong Duck fan and has attended games since his freshman year. In true Super Fan fashion, O’Dell wears a dinosaur suit to every game.

The student section at Matthew Knight Arena was one of the loudest ever, and dozens of fans ran into the Oregon locker room to welcome the players with a pregame tunnel. As the players entered the court, fans gave them high-fives, shouting words of encouragement.

Five minutes into the game, Cal led 15-11. The Oregon defense looked powerless against the California Bears offense. Multiple wide-open three-point attempts from the Bears elicited many shouts of frustration from the crowd.

Waverly Austin shifted those boos into thunderous cheers, however, when a Cal player drove through the lane only to be met with a monstrous block. Soon after, Dominic Artis was also able to execute a dirty spin move that had one fan shout: “Russell Wilson!”

The game went back and forth for most of the first half—neither team was able to sustain momentum for an extended period of time.

Perhaps the most comical part of Thursday’s game came was when Richard Solomon was at the free throw line. The Pit Crew started chanting “Safe Assign”, considering recent episodes of academic dishonesty from Solomon, including a plagiarized paper.

The half came to an end with California up 46-42, but with Oregon desperate to gain back momentum.

Fatheads of the ghosts from Pacman emerged behind the rim, with fans waving them in an attempt to distract Cal players shooting free throws. To honor the famous Florida State ball boy Frank Grizzle-Malgrat, fans made a fathead of “Red Lightning” as well. It was not long until a redheaded fan in the Pit Crew put his face next to the head, when fans noticed that the two looked comically similar.

Unfortunately, however, the fatheads did not aid the Ducks and the California Bears finished 26-of-29 from the free throw line.

At least one positive emerged from the night; this team has a fan base that does not quit. 

Click here to follow @OregonPitCrew on Twitter

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For more stories by Ruben Garcia, click here.

By Kailla Coomes, Pit Crew Sports Media Feature Writer 

The Oregon Men’s Basketball game in Portland at the Moda Center on Saturday night was a nail biter until the very end. 

With a final score of 71-64, the Ducks are now 9-0. The team played Illinois and welcomed over 10,000 fans. It was a new court and new environment but that didn’t stop the Ducks from being the victors. The first half was in favor of Illinois but the Ducks came back in the second half and truly showed a display of their full potential this season. 

Mike Moser, a Portland native who recently transferred from UNLV, came to impress in his hometown and put up 14 points with 9 rebounds. 

The game’s hero, however, was senior guard Jonathan Lloyd. He showed his leadership and ended with authority, scoring 2 free throws and one breakaway lay-up in the final 16 seconds. 

Oregon fans definitely showed off their yellow and green. The student section may have been small for those on winter break able to make the trip to Portland, but they made up in sound. Cheers echoed through the stadium, bringing up everyone’s sprits. 

Oregon leads 67-62 with 21 seconds left. Illini w/ the ball when we get back. Crowd here on its feet - they've been going nuts last 10 mn.

— Oregon Basketball (@OregonMBB)

December 15, 2013

“I really enjoyed seeing them so up close, it was also nice seeing them in a different venue,” said University of Oregon senior Alisa Lee, on her game experience. 

In the second half, Oregon fans were on their feet the whole time. The game was close until the end. Many Oregon fans made sure that the Illinois fans knew that the NBA stadium was indeed Oregon’s home for the night. 

“I noticed during the second half, the student section, it really got loud, as the game was really intense,” said UO senior Kirsten Resdorf. “It felt like we were back in Matthew Knight again in the Pit Crew.” 

Portland’s crowd was at its loudest when Lloyd scored the final points right at the buzzer, when the whole crowd went wild. 

The Oregon Men’s Basketball team has their next game against UC Irvine on Tuesday December 17, at 7:30pm. The game will be at Matthew Knight Arena, and will feature the season debut for Dominic Artis and Ben Carter (suspension). 

Click here to follow @OregonPitCrew on Twitter

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For more stories by Kailla Coomes, click here.

By Oregon Pit Crew, University of Oregon Student Section

Our blog was nominated for the eCollege Athletics Blog Award of the Year. With this award, eCollegeFinder seeks to provide a comprehensive list, nominated by readers and staff, to give our readers and staff the best college athletics blogs on the web. These blogs cover their respective universities sports teams with detailed reports and analysis, and most importantly giving readers that team spirit that vibrates through campuses nationwide. These are the Top College Athletics Blogs of 2013!

Your Name: Bryan Kalbrosky (Media Director)

Your Blog’s Name: Oregon Pit Crew: Student Voices. Student Stories. Student Section.

Your Blog’s URL: www.uopitcrew.com

How would you describe your blog to readers of our site? Oregon Pit Crew is the student section for all Oregon Ducks varsity sports on campus, and our blog represents the voice from the student section. We provide a unique angle on Oregon sport and the fan experience; if you can get the same story from a local newspaper, we wouldn't write it. Instead of trying to feign objectivity, we embrace our fandom to create our voice as the student section. We have developed partnerships with Nike, Red Bull and our campus radio station and we continue to take active strides to become the leading sports media presence on campus, reflecting the emotions and traditions of the student section.

What about your University’s athletics team makes you proud? (or college sports in general) At the University of Oregon, we pride ourselves on a culture of uniqueness and innovation. While the Oregon Ducks may lack the "tradition" that many leading athletic departments boast, the students and staff at the University of Oregon have worked to create an exciting product at each athletic event. Last year, the Oregon Ducks won their second consecutive BCS Bowl Game in college football while also appearing in the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship game and in the NCAA Men's Basketball Sweet Sixteen. In addition, the Acrobatics and Tumbling team have won the national championship in all three of its years of competition. As a student section, it's a privilege to join these teams at all home games.

How do you stay on top of all the latest news and happenings surrounding your teams? As well as our staff meeting on Tuesday evenings, our student section holds an open forum meeting on campus every Wednesday night. We work on collecting "dirt" from opposing teams for our newsletter (Pit Crew Post) distributed at home basketball games, strategizing chants for upcoming key games, and other news on campus. We also have a staff Facebook group and use crowdsourcing and create an atmosphere of user-interactivity on Twitter, where we have now collected over 6000 followers.

For more info on the award, click here.

By KWVA Sports, University of Oregon Campus Radio

As KWVA Sports builds toward the beginning of Quack Smack 2.0 on January 6th, the department is also expanding its partnerships with other groups around the sports world. As such, KWVA Sports is pleased to announce a new partnership with Oregon Pit Crew, the well-known student section at the University of Oregon.

As part of the partnership, Pit Crew representatives will make a weekly appearance on the new Quack Smack to keep Eugene updated on a variety of Pit Crew happenings. KWVA Sports will also be more involved with Pit Crew events and hopes this partnership will give students an even louder voice in the Eugene athletic community.

By Cody "The Chef" Karlin, Oregon Pit Crew VP of Operations

This Saturday, November 23, the Pit Crew is teaming up with our friends at Sixth Street Grill to present the Pancake Pigout! This tag-team eating contest will begin at 10:30 a.m. and is offered to us COMPLETELY FREE! Winners and runners up will receive Pit Crew and Sixth Street Grill prize packs. 

The event will take place at Sixth Street Grill, located just off campus at 55 W 6th Ave, Eugene, OR. If the lot behind the restaurant is full, there is extra free parking in the garage across the street. 

Do you think you have what it takes to be the Pit Crew's fastest pancake eater? Grab a friend and sign up now!

Send an email to [email protected] including the names, phone numbers, and UO ID numbers of both team members, as well as a team name. Space is limited, so register now! Email [email protected] with any questions or call Cody Karlin at (650) 504-0716.

Click here to follow @OregonPitCrew on Twitter

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For more stories by The Chef, click here.

(Design: Jake Mehringer/Pit Crew)

By Kelsey Fuson, Pit Crew Sports Media Feature Writer 

When Oregon Men’s Basketball defeated Utah Valley on Tuesday night, the fans innovative chants and boisterous cheers were heard through Matthew Knight Arena. 

Perhaps it was the Nike promotional video being filmed, or lingering thoughts of the impressive triple-digit score the Ducks had put up in their most recent home game. Amongst the sea of vibrant yellow Pit Crew t-shirts, of course, fans had an extra spring in their step as they packed the Pit to watch the Oregon Men’s Basketball team take on Utah Valley for the first time ever.  

Shortly after the first Pit Crew “tunnel” of the season to welcome the team, it became very clear that, despite the ever-active crew filming for Nike, the student section was in no way any different or more exuberant than they would be at any other game. Many members of the student section were even found in The Pit before the game, rehearsing cheers like “Phil It Up” and “Go! Ducks! Go! Ducks!” to an otherwise near-empty arena. 

That energy, of course, is what consistently sets the Oregon Pit Crew apart from other college fans—the very reason the Oregon Pit Crew had been selected as the subject of their promo video in the first place. 

Early in the game, the student section and Oregon Marching Band also celebrated Oregon PA Announcer Don Essig with a thunderous “Happy Birthday” song to the arena. 

With the support of the student section, the Ducks started off strong, even scoring 17 unanswered points early in the first half. But without this stretch, the team seemed to have struggled mightily. To close the half, Oregon suffered a 19-4 run to Utah Valley. At the end of the first half, Oregon displayed a lead of just two points with a score of 27-25. 

While the delivery from the Pit Crew could have fooled many that this game was just as impressive as the last, coaches and players were less than pleased. 

“Coach [was] not happy; guys are not happy… If we want to be good, that’s not good enough,” reflected guard Jason Calliste, according to GoDucks.com. 

It was the exceptionally notable plays from those like Calliste and his teammates, however, that kept fans on their feet. Midway through the first half, University of Houston transfer and fan-favorite Joseph Young (Mighty Joe Young) had back-to-back dunks off of stolen balls. 

Young then repeated the play once again in the second half. With 20 points, he marked his third consecutive game (out of three total games) as the leading scorer for the Oregon Ducks. 

The fans seemed to be at the wildest after Richard Armardi slammed down a tremendous alley-oop, as roars of excitement echoed throughout the student section and beyond at Matthew Knight Arena. 

Despite this minor hiccup in the performance of the team during the first half, the applause was awfully loud when the Pit sung out: “If you’re winning and you know it, clap your hands!” to close the game. And in return, the Wolverine’s were painfully silent when it was their turn to clap at “If you’re losing and you know it clap your hands!” 

The Ducks will go into their fourth game of the season on Sunday against San Francisco at home.

Click here to follow @OregonPitCrew on Twitter

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For more stories by Kelsey Fuson, click here.

By Ruben Garcia, Pit Crew Sports Media Feature Writer

When the No. 18 Oregon Men's Basketball team takes on Utah Valley on Tuesday, Nike will be filming a promotional video in the student section.

The video will be part of the "Phil It Up" campaign to establish and continue a sellout streak at the beautiful Matthew Knight Arena. Doors open to Matthew Knight Arena for the 6:00 p.m. game at 5:00 p.m. for students. If you are wearing your new Oregon Pit Crew shirt for this year, you will be allowed into the arena at 4:50 p.m. to make your way into student section.  Be sure to arrive early and get ready to be LOUD for this game. Folks from Nike will join us in the student section for this game and capture some of our energy on camera for a promotional video. Once the video is produced and completed, it will be shared on multiple platforms (including statewide commercials) to help ticket sales. Fans who attend will also be able to watch Oregon Pit Crew Player of the Week Joseph Young in just his second game at Matthew Knight Arena.

Last season, Young averaged 18.0 points per game at University of Houston. This year, after being granted a wavier to play at the University of Oregon, he is ready to compete against new and talented Pac-12 opponents.  

Before he can do that, however, he needed to assert himself as a premier scorer for the Ducks, who have loads of experience and depth in the backcourt. 

Young had his first coming out party in the Duck’s second game of season.

After scoring 24 points in his first game against Georgetown, he came firing back and dropped a career-high 36 points in a 107-83 victory against Western Carolina University. The most impressive thing about his 36 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists is that he only recorded 8 of his 36 points in the first half. 

Oregon was in a tight one with the Catamounts at the half, only leading by a score of 41-39. 

All that quickly changed once Young came out of the locker room. He began his scoring rampage with a 3-point shot in the opening minute of the half and after that he was lights out. Young made all seven of the shots he attempted in the second half and was also nearly perfect from the free throw line, going 15-for-16. 

Young's performance against the Catamounts means a lot for the Ducks going forward.

Prior to his scouring outburst, no Oregon player had scored more than 36 points since 2006. The Ducks may have found the one thing they have been missing for a long time: a pure shooter and scorer.

While Arizona may be the favorite to win the Pac-12, things could get very interesting come February if Young continues his stellar play. 

Click here to follow @OregonPitCrew on Twitter

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For more stories by Ruben Garcia, click here.

(Photos provided by Jem Panganiban/Pit Crew)

By Bryan Kalbrosky, Oregon Pit Crew VP of Media Relations

It was a great day to be a part of the Oregon Pit Crew on Wednesday, as the Oregon Men's Basketball team returned to Matthew Knight Arena with a triumphant 107-83 victory over Western Carolina.

The student section, outfitted in brand new Nike t-shirts for the 2013-14 Men's Basketball season, trickled in well over an hour and a half before the 8:00 p.m. tipoff for the home opener. After the first five hundred students received their t-shirts, the arena was filled with a sea of yellow that gave the Oregon Ducks an immediate home court advantage vs. Western Carolina. Soon, a noticeably rowdy Oregon crowd had filled the stands and the game was underway.

Joseph Young, in his first regular season game at Matt Knight, led the charge for the No. 18 Oregon Ducks in this match. Young scored 36 points in 32 minutes of play, shooting 9-for-12 from the field and 15-for-16 from the free throw line.

Young was also 3-for-5 from long distance, prompting an eruption of "Mighty Joe Young!" chants from the crowd with each three-pointer sunk.

Fellow transfer Mike Moser, also in his Matt Knight regular season debut, became a quick crowd favorite as well. Moser added 26 points, 5 rebounds and three assists in the match, displaying dominance from all over the court. Moser attacked the basket and drained multiple three point attempts.

While Western Carolina may have jumped out to an early lead, the antics of the student section quickly made Matt Knight a challenging place to play.

Favorite cheers included: chanting "twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are!" during free-throw attempts for Catamounts guard Tom Tankelewicz; chanting "how old are you?!?" when senior Tawaski King went to the free-throw line; and most notably, booing guard Trey Sumler (who was recently arrested for assault with a deadly weapon) every single time he had the ball.

Other actions that got a rise out of the opponent included a false shot clock chant from the student section. As students shouted "Three! Two! One!" with eight seconds left on the shot clock, Western Carolina players consistently took an early shot attempt.

Western Carolina, clearly flustered, committed 34 fouls (Oregon: 19) in the game. Torrion Brummitt fouled out in the second half, receiving the rambunctious "Left! Right! Left! Right!" chant with each step closer to the bench.

After an incredible second half performance for the Oregon Ducks where they outscored their opponent 66-44, it was a final score of 107-83 on the scoreboard to end the game.

Congrats to @OregonMBB on their home opener win. I know @OregonPitCrew killed it like always. #Istillremembermyfirstgame #GoDucks

— Arsalan Kazemi (@kazemiworld) November 14, 2013

The Oregon Pit Crew received praise from the Oregon Men's Basketball and the Oregon Cheer account on Twitter after the game, as well as starting center Waverly Austin and former Ducks star Arsalan Kazemi after the game ended. 

Be sure to get your tickets on GoDucks.com for the next Oregon Men's Basketball game vs. Utah Valley on November 19 at Matthew Knight Arena.

Click here to follow @OregonPitCrew on Twitter

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For more stories by Bryan Kalbrosky, click here.

By Kelsey Fuson, Pit Crew Sports Media Feature Writer

With memories of their record-breaking performance from their season opener lingering throughout the arena, the Oregon Women’s Basketball team was ready to deliver their fans another captivating show.

Oregon took on the Portland Pilots on Tuesday evening. When students filed into The Pit, many were dressed from head-to-toe in all black and with glow sticks in honor of the “Lights Out” game. Even "The Chef" traded in his customary garb for his original black apron.

Each student that entered the arena Tuesday evening was also given priority to receive the long-awaited 2013-2014 season Pit Crew t-shirts, which will be distributed to those fans at the Men's Basketball game this evening. They will be let into the arena at 6:30 PM, an hour and a half before the 8:00 PM tipoff.

Once those students are let in, the first 500 students to enter Matthew Knight Arena tonight to watch the Oregon Men’s Basketball team take on Western Carolina at 8:00 PM will also receive free Pit Crew shirts.  

Bouncing back from their loss to Portland last year, the Ducks took the court by storm. They matched the student section, sporting all-black uniforms as well.

Major ups to the @OregonPitCrew for showing love tonight ! It's only gona grow & get bigger from here 👌 . Give us your best ! @tannerfaris

— Alleyne (@SuperrJaay)

November 13, 2013

Sophomore Jillian Alleyne was perhaps the most notable players in this game. In the first half, she had a scoring streak of eight straight baskets, securing their permanent lead at 25-21. She completed her evening with 25 points and 13 rebounds, notching her fourteenth career double-double.

“The 2-0 start is great. I love to see my teammates smile and laugh. It’s the best feeling to get a win and work hard,” said Alleyne, according to GoDucks.com.

Alleyne, Chrishae Rowe and Katelyn Loper accounted for the majority of the score displayed on the JumboTron at the final buzz, racking up a combined 70 points.

Rowe led the team to their biggest lead (27 points) in the second half with just two minutes left in the game.

Head coach Paul Westhead was just as pleased as the fans with the outcome of the game.

“We really struggled last year with our perimeter shooting. Now we are really strong with our threes, and then we have Jullian, who is really strong inside," said coach Westhead. "That combination is really hard for opponents to defend.” 

The team finished off the Pilots with another set of triple digits on the scoreboard: 111-86. With their undefeated streak and their spirits high, the women’s basketball team will confidently take on Sacramento State on November 17 at Matthew Knight Arena.

This Pit Crew, of course, will be be back at it tonight to cheer on the Men’s Basketball team. Matt Knight will be speckled with fresh Pit Crew gear, as the dedicated early birds will be rewarded with their long-awaited shirts.

Click here to follow @OregonPitCrew on Twitter

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For more stories by Kelsey Fuson, click here.

(Main Photo: Eric Evans Photography)

(Design: Jake Mehringer/Pit Crew)

(Game Photos provided by Jem Panganiban/Pit Crew)

By Kailla Coomes, Pit Crew Sports Media Feature Writer 

The Oregon Men’s Basketball team will have their home opener against Western Carolina on November 13 at 8pm at Matthew Knight Arena. 

Wednesday will be a special night because it is when we will be distributing our Pit Crew t-shirts. As explained in our article about the Oregon Women’s Basketball team, t-shirt priority will be given to the first 500 students who attended the women’s basketball game on Tuesday. They will have early access to the arena on Wednesday.

The following round of shirts will be given before the game will be to the first 500 students in attendance for the Oregon Men's Basketball game this Wednesday. 

Larry Hunter, who is in his 8th season coaching Western Carolina, will be Oregon’s foe in this match. Their previous games both ended in a victory. Now, they are headed to Oregon to face off with the Ducks. 

Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks just got home from South Korea to compete in the Armed Forces Classic, where they defeated Georgetown in an impressive 82-75 victory. 

Joseph Young, who recently transferred to Oregon, was the star of the game. He scored 24 points and had 5 rebounds. Another star of the night was Jason Calliste, who scored 16 points and made all of his free throws. 

While Georgetown was ahead at halftime, the Ducks came back to win the game in the end. 

The Oregon Pit Crew also made a surprise appearance at the game. Oregon fan Martin Fisher spotted our shirts on TV during the game. He then went to Twitter and posted the amazing photo of Pit Crew representing Oregon all the way in South Korea. For other photos from the Oregon Pit Crew Watch Party at the EMU during the Armed Forces Classic, click here. 

Oregon is hoping to keep this momentum heading into the game on Wednesday. They are ranked No. 19 in the nation, and hope to move up in the polls once their season is underway on Wednesday. 

Shirts are limited for fans before the game, so if you want one be sure to either attend the women’s game on Tuesday or arrive early on Wednesday to get your official Oregon Pit Crew shirt.  

Make sure to get your tickets now at GoDucks.com. 

Click here to follow @OregonPitCrew on Twitter 

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 For more stories by Kailla Coomes, click here.

By Jem Panganiban, Pit Crew Sports Media Feature Writer

Oregon Women's Basketball had a season opener for the record books. Literally.

Not only did the Oregon Ducks cruise past CSU Bakersfield 131-91, they broke multiple Pac-12 and school records for points (131) and three-pointers made (20). The previous Pac-12 record (122) was last set in 1993 and 1994 by Stanford against Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton. The previous school record (121) was held for 34 years and set against Hawaii in 1979.

Oregon also broke the school (15) and conference (18) record for most three pointers in a game, by passing Washingtonʼs record which was set last season.

Junior guard Katelyn Loper shot 60% from beyond the arc, contributing a game high 29 points to the win. Loperʼs currently tied with former Oregon star Taylor Lilley for most three- pointers in a game, which was set at USC in 2010.

Sophomore forward Jillian Alleyne documented her 13th career double-double with 24 points and 16 rebounds, while freshman guard Chrishae Roweʼs 66% from downtown put her on the board with 27 points.

The Ducks return to Matthew Knight Arena for their “Lightʼs Out” (#WearBlack) game at 7pm on November 12th vs. the University of Portland.  The first 500 students who scan their IDʼs at this game will receive a confirmation email that guarantees both an Oregon Pit Crew shirt and early entry (6:30 pm) to the Oregon Menʼs Basketball game at 8pm against Western Carolina the following night (November 13th). 

Bear in mind, this email only confirms your reserved shirt/early entry and does NOT double as your ticket to the game, so be sure to redeem your student ticket on GoDucks.com. For students who want to receive their Oregon Pit Crew shirt but canʼt make it to the womenʼs game, the next wave of distribution will be given to the first 500 who show up and scan their IDʼs an hour before tip off (7 pm) for the Oregon Men's Basketball home opener.

For more information, click here.

Click here to follow @OregonPitCrew on Twitter

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For more stories by Jem Panganiban, click here.

(Photos provided by Jem Panganiban/Pit Crew)