This season of firsts for the young Oregon men’s basketball team rolled on through another first Saturday, as head coach Ernie Kent was ejected from the game for the first time as a head coach.
Kent doesn’t get whistled for technical fouls as often as some of his more irate coaching counterparts. In fact, before Saturday’s game at McArthur Court, he had only received two technical fouls in his entire 19-year career as a head coach at St. Mary’s and Oregon, Kent said.
The first came while Kent was as St. Mary’s, he said, when he refused to sit down following the game’s initial tip-off, despite being urged to do so by the official. The second came two years ago against the Washington Huskies.
He doubled that 19-year total in just more than two game clock minutes Saturday.
Oregon had pulled to within five of the Cougars, 31-26, on a Joevan Catron fadeaway jumper from the left baseline with 14:48 left to play. On the ensuing Washington State possession, senior guard Taylor Rochestie drove the lane and several Ducks converged. Freshman forward Josh Crittle was whistled for the foul.
“When I asked the refs they said ‘I know the guy got fouled, someone needed the foul,’” Kent said. “I say then call it next time on the littlest guy, not the biggest.”
Kent exploded off the bench and the official who called the foul on Crittle promptly called a technical foul on Kent.
Rochestie hit all four free throws (he was 16-of-16 from the line in the game) and a missed three by freshman guard Garrett Sim led to a Klay Thompson left-wing jumper to put the Cougars up 37-26. A missed three by junior guard Tajuan Porter then led to a DeAngelo Casto breakaway bucket for a 39-26 lead.
On the next Oregon possession, freshman center Michael Dunigan was whistled for his fourth foul while going for a rebound, prompting Kent to pull him from the game. Less than 20 seconds later, with 12:11 left in the game, Kent was whistled for his second technical and ejected from the game.
“He believed that this game was reffed unfairly, and he did what he had to do,” said Porter. “As a team we were able to come together, and I think it brought us closer.”
Rochestie hit both free throws and then connected with Daven Harmeling on an alley-oop to put the Cougars up 43-26. That would prove to be the Cougars’ largest lead of the game as the Ducks, with Kent watching from the locker room, would fight their way back to within 10 points in the closing minutes before settling for the final 12-point margin.
“He showed passion, and that sparked us,” said sophomore guard LeKendric Longmire. “Hopefully, it will continue to spark us. Everyone needs to work a little harder.”
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