With five games left in their season, the Oregon Ducks (14-11, 6-7 Pac-12) sit in seventh place in the Pac-12. Although it’s not what they would have scripted at the start of the year, Paul Westhead’s team knows there’s still enough time left in the season to move into the top half of the conference. @@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&KEY=&SPID=236&SPSID=4304@@ @@http://pac-12.org/SPORTS/BasketballW/Standings.aspx@@
“We’re in a place within the rankings of the Pac-12 where we know we still can climb,” senior forward Amanda Johnson said. “We’ve definitely had some ups and downs this year, but that is where we’re supposed to be.”
The Ducks return to Matthew Knight Arena this weekend for games against the California Golden Bears (18-7, 9-4 Pac-12) and the No. 3 Stanford Cardinal (22-1, 13-0 Pac-12) after a split against the Washington schools last week.
Jasmin Holliday said the Ducks see this weekend as an opportunity to make a statement against the Pac-12’s top two teams.
“These being the two top teams in the Pac-12 right now, it would be really nice to beat them,” Holliday said.
Although it’s an important weekend, Westhead said that it’s not necessarily do-or-die because the middle of the Pac-12 is so even, with just three games separating the second-place team from the seventh-place team.
“I think every weekend almost up until playoffs is going to twist and turn this late,” he said. “It’s that tight, and it’s that unpredictable.”
Westhead said he is looking forward to the challenge of facing the conference’s top teams.
“For me, this is just two big games,” he said. “I’m happy, I’m excited. I like to play big games, so this will be a fun weekend. Couldn’t ask for a better weekend.”
Earlier this year the Ducks lost to Cal 90-67 in a game in which the Ducks were badly outrebounded 63-26, including 28 offensive boards for the Bears. Cal’s 14.6 rebounding margin is the second-best mark in the country and the Ducks know that limiting second-chance points will be key to their success against the Bears. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=236&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205357623@@ @@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-women/d1/current/team/117@@
“They had 28 offensive boards down there against us, and that’s ridiculous,” Johnson said. “That’s giving them 28 more opportunities to score against us.”
Another strong area for the Golden Bears is their athleticism, but Oregon feels it can match Cal in that department.
“They are a really athletic team, but we’re pretty athletic too,” Holliday said. “As long as we’re physical with them and keep them off the boards, I think it will be a good game.”
Westhead said that Cal’s rebounding edge was only part of the story in the teams’ first meeting.
“It wasn’t a one-dimensional reason why we didn’t win,” he said. “On the offensive end they kind of jump us and we need to be a little bit feistier and I feel more confident that we can pull that off because that really is up to us rather than the rebounding, which is half up to us.”
Johnson didn’t play in the Ducks’ Bay Area roadtrip due to a wrist injury that has sidelined her for the better part of Oregon’s season. Johnson has been trying to aid her recovery by wearing a wrist brace, which she says she will continue to wear at least through this weekend.
The long layoff gave the senior forward a chance to watch the game from a different perspective. Johnson said the Ducks have a tendency to beat themselves up when their opponents get momentum and that’s something they can’t afford to do.
“When the other team gets momentum, we need to be more decisive in how we stop that,” Johnson said.
Oregon women’s basketball prepares to host California and Stanford
Daily Emerald
February 14, 2012
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