In the end, it was nothing more than another loss. The two technical fouls by head coach Ernie Kent, the seven missed free throws, and the 25-percent first half shooting all added up to the Oregon Ducks (6-12 Overall, 0-6 Pacific-10 Conference) losing 74-62 to the Washington State Cougars (11-6, 3-2) Saturday afternoon.
“This is a game we should have won,” sophomore LeKendric Longmire said after the game. Longmire, who had 15 points, said the effort level by Washington State was just plain better than Oregon’s.
“In the Pac-10 every game is difficult; we just have to keep grinding,” he said. “When we get one win, hopefully that will lead us to more. I have no doubt that we will get a win, but when, I can’t tell you.”
The frustration of dropping to 0-6 in the conference was evident on all the player’s faces, but in this winnable game by Longmire’s standards, it was free throw shooting that was the ultimate difference.
Taylor Rochestie led the Cougars to a perfect afternoon from the free throw stripe, hitting all 16 of his foul shots, in part of an overall 28-for-28 day for Washington State. Rochestie also added four three-pointers and a field goal to his stat line, ending with 30 points and seven assists. Aron Baynes contributed 19 points (6-6 from the line) and 12 rebounds.
For the Ducks, Joevan Catron had 12 points and nine rebounds.
With the score 7-4 Washington State at the 17:01 mark in the first, the teams scored a combined eight points up until the 10:38 point in the half.
Just before the half, Baynes scored on a turnaround hook shot, followed by a long jumper from Rochestie. Two free throws from Baynes added to the halftime score of 24-17 Washington State.
The Cougars made a push in the second half, and their seven-point lead swelled to 17 points with just over ten minutes remaining in the game. Those ten minutes were a roller coaster for the Ducks.
Kent, who disagreed with the calls the officiating crew had been making the entire night, finally had enough with 14 minutes left in the game, and loudly spoke out over a foul call on Josh Crittle. The technical foul he received for that outburst was closely followed two minutes later by another technical, this time in disagreement over a non-call. Being kicked out of the game, Kent left the court amidst a standing ovation from the frustrated McArthur Court crowd, and he watched the remainder of the game from the locker room.
“In 19 years of coaching I’ve never been kicked out of a game,” Kent said after the game. “I think that should speak for itself in terms of the officiating. Everyone makes mistakes, and I felt like I had to stand up for my team.”
Kent’s ejection did spark a comeback, but the Cougars stopped each Oregon rally. Tajuan Porter, who was held scoreless in the first half, hit four three-pointers, and twice brought the Oregon deficit to nine points. He ended with 15 points.
On Kent, Porter said his coach’s display was the reason for the upped intensity to close the game.
“(Kent) believes that this game was refereed unfairly and he did what he had to do. As team we were able to come together, and I think it brought us closer.”
But the spark Kent had ignited was started too late, and the impeccable free throw shooting of the Cougars could not be overcome. Eighteen of Washington State’s last 20 points all came from the line, and Tony Bennett’s team again left Eugene with a victory.
Next up for Oregon is a trip to the Bay Area, where they play Stanford Thursday, followed by California on Saturday.
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