Oregon is getting back to basics.
After a pair of 20-plus point losses in Arizona last week, the Ducks are concentrating on the minor aspects that go along with being a successful basketball team.
With only two regular season games remaining before the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament, Oregon knows it needs to improve quickly.
“We have to make sure that we are focusing on the short-term things,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “Like get ready and have a great practice and look after the little things that are still plaguing us.
“Footwork, spacing offensively and shot selection. Those are things we have to continue to work on that are going to help us, not only for the upcoming games (against Stanford and California), but for the Pac-10 Tournament.”
Oregon (12-14 overall, 4-12 Pac-10) experienced plenty of “little” problems Thursday when the Ducks managed to score only 40 points in a 25-point loss at Arizona State. Oregon didn’t have a player reach double figures in scoring and the Sun Devils closed the game on a 31-8 run.
Guard Brandi Davis finished with a team-high nine points.
“It was a very disappointing night,” Davis said after the game. “We didn’t step up to the challenge.”
Oregon lost to Arizona by 26 two nights later. The Ducks fell behind 43-20 by halftime en route to an 84-58 loss.
The Ducks close out the regular season with home games against No. 10 Stanford (20-5, 13-3) Thursday and California (10-15, 3-13) Saturday. There is a chance Oregon could face both teams a week later in the Pac-10 Tournament.
If the tournament started today, Stanford would enter as the No. 1 seed, Oregon as the No. 8 seed and California as the No. 9 seed.
The 8 and 9 seeds play Mar. 5 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., with the winner facing the No. 1 seed — likely Stanford — March 6.

Saying goodbye
Senior point guard Kayla Steen will play her final game at McArthur Court Saturday against California.
The Hillsboro native will be honored on senior night as the only player on the Oregon roster not returning for the 2004-05 season.
Steen has battled through pain in her left knee all year after never fully recovering from an injury sustained last season. The 5-foot-8 ball handler tore the anterior cruciate ligament and partially tore the medial collateral ligament in her left knee as she went up for a fast-break layup in the season finale against UCLA.
After spending playing two
seasons at Clackamas Community College, Steen has averaged 3.8 points and 1.9 assists per game in two seasons at Oregon.
“She’s been a great senior,” Smith said. “Given her season-ending injury last year, her ability to play 100 percent this year was really negated by that. Kayla didn’t wait until she was 100 percent to come back and try to help us. She helped us when she was 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 percent and did all that she could to be a part of this team and fill in at times.
“It should be a big senior night to appreciate her and what she’s done the last two years.”

Looking to the future
Three little-used freshmen — Jessica Shetters, Ashley Allen and Cicely Oaks — received extended playing time Saturday after Arizona built a large lead.
Allen scored a career-high six points on 3 of 4 shooting in 19 minutes. The 5-foot-10 guard has shown promise during her limited playing time this season.
Shetters scored six points — all in the second half. The 6-foot-6 forward played 18 minutes and also grabbed two rebounds.
Oaks dropped in a career-high four points in eight minutes. The 5-foot-7 guard has shown the ability to score during practice but hasn’t seen many minutes on the court.