The No. 9 Oregon men’s basketball team knew playing against Stanford’s pair of 7-foot players would create matchup problems.
But the Ducks’ tenacity helped them surge past the Cardinal in the final minutes of a 66-59 win.
Even with Oregon shooting 29.4 percent from the field, the team found a way to win.
“It turned into a dogfight of a defensive game,” Oregon coach Ernie Kent said. “It was a game where their size and our quickness were the two differences in the game and we continued to impose our will on them.”
Kent said his players’ ability to run up and down the court while playing tough defense and making free-throws gave Oregon the advantage.
“I don’t think there’s a team that we’ve played that has been as quick as us,” Kent said.
Senior guard Aaron Brooks recorded a double-double with 19 points and a career and game-high 10 rebounds. For Brooks, it was the first time in his four-year career that he’s beaten Stanford and although he was happy with the outcome, he won’t reflect on it until the season’s over.
“I wouldn’t say it’s special yet, but it can be,” Brooks said. “I don’t want to get too into it right now.”
And despite the shooting woes, Brooks, who was 4-of-13 from the field, hopes that the team will start shooting lights-out one of these days.
“Hopefully we’re saving all of our makes for a later game,” Brooks said. “We’re trying to get all of the misses out now.”
Junior forward Maarty Leunen matched up against one of the 7-foot Lopez twins for almost the entire game and although he had one of his worst offensive nights, shooting 2-of-11, his rebounds near the end of the game helped provide a spark for the Ducks.
“I finally started blocking out,” Leunen said. “That was pretty key for us.”
Robin Lopez blocked several of Leunen’s shots, but that did not stop him from taking the ball to the basket.
“They had a great (inside) presence so it always makes you second-guess, but we knew we had to keep on pounding it in there,” Leunen said. “We don’t really fear anybody who’s that dominant because no one’s going to block everything.”
Also key was junior guard Bryce Taylor’s defense on the reigning Pac-10 Player of the Week Anthony Goods. Taylor held Goods to 2-of-10 shooting and one rebound.
“I just tried to get low and try and stay in front of him,” Taylor said. “When he gave the ball up I tried to prevent him from getting the ball back.”
Despite being at a constant size disadvantage, Taylor said the team is willing to take on any strategy opposing teams throw at them.
“We’re confident regardless of whatever the team’s game plan is,” Taylor said. “We can counteract that with our style of play.”
Also helping the team was a voracious McArthur Court that loudly disputed any call that didn’t go Oregon’s way.
“It’s fun to play because they fuel you with energy and they stay loud,” Taylor said. “I feel like it really does make a difference. We feed off that energy the crowd gets us in and allows us to play a little bit harder.”
Oregon moves on to play a 12-6 Cal team Saturday at 5 p.m. Cal defeated Stanford 67-63 Jan. 3 and beat Oregon State 77-74 Thursday night.
“Cal beat Stanford so it’s going to be another tough game,” Taylor said.
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