Pacific-10 Conference basketball in the Beaver State is leaving plenty to be desired.
Oregon and Oregon State meet
for an NCAA-record 322nd time
Saturday in Corvallis at 4 p.m. The Ducks enter the weekend’s Civil War battle having lost six of their last eight games, while the Beavers have dropped six of seven.
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said the Ducks (11-7 overall, 3-6 Pac-10) will use their “energy” players more often during the second half of the conference schedule as they attempt to move up in the standings and break an eighth-place tie with Oregon State (11-9, 3-6).
Flat starts and a lack of offensive productivity have Kent asking
players such as freshmen Malik Hairston and Bryce Taylor to step up their games. Since defeating the Beavers 73-64 during the teams’ first meeting on Jan. 8, the Ducks have yet to score 70 points in a game and are averaging just under 60 a contest.
Hairston, who scored 19 points last Saturday against Stanford, said he plans to get more involved in
the offense.
“I’m learning things,” Hairston said. “I’ve been watching and
seeing opportunities where I can help my basketball team, and
I’ve been told where I need to be more aggressive.”
Taylor is in the midst of a
3-of-25 shooting slump — including 1-of-9 from three-point range in that stretch — after an impressive
early-season shooting display. The Encino, Calif., native said it’s just a matter of regaining old faith in his shot before he’s back drilling perimeter shots.
“I haven’t been shooting the ball very well,” Taylor said. “I’ve been trying to get back into practice
and get extra shots and get my
confidence level where it was in the beginning of the season.”
Oregon has a chance to end its
offensive woes against an Oregon State team that has allowed more than 80 points a game during
its last seven contests. During
that stretch, the Beavers allowed Washington 108 points, Arizona
92 and California 91.
While Oregon could use a victory, Saturday’s game is of equal — if not greater — importance to Oregon State. The Beavers have had to
deal with head coach Jay John’s battle with hypertension, and close losses against Arizona and Stanford. The Beavers start the second
half of their Pac-10 schedule with three consecutive games at home
and could get things heading in
the right direction with a win against Oregon.
“We have to make sure we go over there with a lot of confidence,” Kent said. “With nine games to go,
I think there’s going to be a lot
happening in the second half of the season. Without overemphasizing that, I think we’ve both been
struggling. It’s important to play well regardless of (whether) it’s the Civil War or not.”
Oregon State is led by forward David Lucas. The senior from Tigard is averaging 16.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game — both team highs.
Oregon State has four other players averaging double figures, including Nick DeWitz (12.6), Sasa Cuic (11.1), Chris Stephens (10.3) and J.S. Nash (10.1).