High-Flying No. 12 Oregon Crushes No. 13 UC Irvine; Will Face UVA in Sweet 16

No. 12 Oregon will be the lowest-seeded team in the Sweet 16 after a 73-54 win over No. 13 UC Irvine in Round 2 of the NCAA men's basketball tournament at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, on Sunday.

The Ducks remained one of the hottest teams in the country, winning their 10th straight game behind 18 points from Payton Pritchard. Louis King added 16 as the team reached the Sweet 16 for the third time in the last four years.

While it was close at one point in the second half, Oregon outscored its opponent 38-17 in the last 13 minutes to turn it into an easy win.

Robert Cartwright scored 14 for UC Irvine, but the Anteaters couldn't keep their dream season alive.

Just like in Round 1, Oregon used its energy and athleticism to gain the advantage against UC Irvine.

Kenny Wooten was a key part of this effort, making huge plays on both ends of the court:

The sophomore forward finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks.

When Wooten wasn't making plays, Ehab Amin often took over, grabbing three steals and six rebounds as well as several loose balls.

He was also 4-of-4 from three-point range.

These role players opened things up for the scorers to do their jobs, as Pritchard and King carried the load on the offensive end.

While Oregon led by 12 at the half, the squad appeared to be in trouble after UC Irvine scored the first 14 points of the second half:

It took over seven minutes for the Ducks to get on the board, and the Anteaters took the lead at 37-35.

However, the No. 12 seed found a way to get back on track before pulling away for the hard-fought win.

Oregon was rated highly to start the year before injuries and poor play seemed to derail the season. The team got back on track over the past month and earned a Pac-12 tournament title and now a trip to the Sweet 16.

Based on the level of play we have seen so far this tournament, this run seems far from over.

What's Next?

Oregon will face No. 1 Virginia in the regional semifinals in Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday.