The Beavers and Ducks have both had disappointing basketball seasons, but in very different ways.
The Ducks came into the season a top-25 team and projected Pacific-10 Conference contender but have been horribly inconsistent even on a half-to-half basis, blowing leads and failing to capitalize on several opportunities to come up with big wins.
The Beavers didn’t have high expectations coming in to the season and were picked by most to finish last in the conference. Still, winless in the conference can be considered a disappointment, and the firing of coach Jay John seems to have left the program in a state of limbo in the Pac-10.
That said, Sunday’s meeting between the teams, like most games this late in the season, could be a much-needed victory for either team.
Oregon (15-12, 6-9 Pac-10) was swept last week in Los Angeles, despite having opportunities to win both games, and needs to win these last three games in convincing fashion to have any hope of garnering an at-large bid. A loss now, especially to the hapless Beavers, would truly mean the end of the Ducks’ at-large ideas and put down all their hopes for a trip to the NCAA tournament on a Pac-10 Tournament championship.
With the flashes of brilliance the Ducks have shown this year, that’s not out of the question, but to not face that reality the Ducks must start winning now, and winning big.
The Beavers’ only goal at this point must be to get a conference win. The Arizona schools come to Oregon next week to finish out the regular season, and to have a win already in the bag against their in-state rivals would certainly take a load off the Beavers’ minds. Oregon State (6-21, 0-15 Pac-10) was swept in Arizona to begin conference play, losing 76-63 to the Wildcats and 72-53 to the Sun Devils.
Oregon State played Oregon close for much of the last meeting at McArthur Court and was down just six at half, 44-38, but Oregon started hitting shots to pull away late for a 79-63 victory. Sophomore guard Tajuan Porter led the way for the Ducks with 23 points and senior guard Bryce Taylor added 17. Porter was 8-of-13 from the field overall and 5-of-8 from the three-point line. He scored 10 points during a late 19-4 run by Oregon that turned a 57-56 lead into a 76-60 advantage with 2:27 to play.
“The big difference was Tajuan Porter,” said coach Ernie Kent after the game. “He hit the big shots for us.”
The Beavers were led by freshman guard Calvin Haynes, who had a career-high 17 points, and Calvin Hampton added 10 points.
“We need a break. I think everybody is pulling for us now to get a win,” said Hampton after the loss. “We had a lot of opportunities to take this game, but it didn’t go our way.”
The game, No. 329 between the schools, will be televised nationally by Fox Sports Net on Sunday at 7 p.m.
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Going the wrong directions
Daily Emerald
February 28, 2008
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