The Oregon men’s basketball team’s timing couldn’t be better as
the Ducks grounded the Pilots 92-67 Tuesday night in their last tune-up before the Pacific-10 Conference season begins.
Led by freshman Malik Hairston’s 20 points and sophomore Aaron Brooks’ 17, the Ducks (8-1 overall) put up their best offensive output of the season.
Hairston’s offensive production once again seemed effortless as he
shot 9 of 13 from the field and added six rebounds and three assists. He said he isn’t being anymore aggressive offensively, it was just his night.
“There’s going to be nights were Bryce (Taylor) or Aaron dominates or I me or Crossehite plays well,” the 17-year-old Detroit native said.
“That’s just the kind of basketball team we are. I might of got the better end of it tonight, but the next night it might be someone else.”
Most of Brooks’ offensive production came in the second half, as in
the first half he was showing some effects of a cold he had over the holiday. “I’m battling a cold,” the Seattle native said of his slow first half. “I was out with no coat on and caught something.”
He would recover in the second half and finish the game with a
team-high six assists.
Brooks play has seemed to improve after struggling a bit earlier in
the month.
“We sat him down and had a series of talks with him about point
guard play,”
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said. “To his credit he has responded
and has
gotten himself ready to practice and is mentally tougher.”
Kent also believed that the defense as well as the offense was
excellent
Tuesday night.
“It was our most complete game of the season and at the right
time,” Kent
said. “Our confidence is starting to build.”
The Ducks raced out to an early 45-19 lead over the Pilots (9-4) with
three
minutes left in the half and played, what Kent said, was their best
half of
basketball.
“I thought we were outstanding in the first 16 minutes of play, both
in the
zone and the man-to-man,” Kent said of his defense. “We got them
out of
their comfort zone.”
Portland head coach Michael Holton said the Pilots just ran into a
good team.
“We paid for everything we did and tried to do in the first half,”
Holton said.
“They put a clinic on tonight and executed extremely well.”
The Pilots would respond with a 12-0 run to the end the half and cut
the lead
to 14 points.
Kent said his squad just lost focus during the Pilots’ run.
“We relaxed and allowed turnovers and let them go on a run,” Kent
said. “We
gave them some confidence in the end (of the half) that shouldn’t
have been
there.”
Holton said they finally felt comfortable in the last few minutes of
the half.
“We felt like we finally settled into the game and started to play
with a
rhythm,” Holton said. “The hope was to come out of halftime and
build on
that.”
Portland wouldn’t come any closer and Oregon would wrap up their
fourth
consecutive win.
The Ducks will now face Southern California to open their Pac-10
season
Friday night at Mac Court.
