As Oregon’s three senior leaders left their home floor for the last time, an audible — if underwhelming — cheer echoed through Matthew Knight Arena.
On a day intended to celebrate the cornerstones of the Ducks’ program, the team arguably had its worst offensive performance of the season. The Ducks shot an abysmal 25 percent from the field en route to a 68-53 loss to instate rival Oregon State. @@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/447831.htm?ATCLID=205386784&SPSID=4307&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
“(It’s) very hard to maintain your ability to win the game when you shoot 18 percent in the second half,” head coach Paul Westhead said. “That’s really hard.” @@https://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf8/827815.pdf?ATCLID=205386784&SPSID=4307&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
The defeat marked a season sweep for the Beavers over the Ducks and was their third-consecutive win in the series overall. Considering that Oregon State was left with only one player with Division I experience following a coaching change in 2010, the program’s quick ascension in the Pac-12 ranks (the team now sits at 9-7 in conference play) is more than notable. @@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/447831.htm?ATCLID=205386784&SPSID=4307&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
But on Saturday night, it was Oregon’s offensive inefficiencies — rather than the execution of the Beavers — that was most glaring. The Ducks used aggressive defense to net 14 steals and force the Beavers into 20 turnovers, resulting in 19 more field-goal attempts than the opposition. However, horrific outside shooting and an inability to get to the paint for the free-throw line doomed Oregon as it let an eight-point lead slip away late in the game. @@https://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf8/827815.pdf?ATCLID=205386784&SPSID=4307&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
“I really think the pressure and the emphasis is on what we didn’t do,” Westhead said. “It’s not like, ‘Gee, coach, you got trapped and double-teamed, and you were falling out of bounds.’
“I think we had reasonably good looks. That kind of adds to the disappointment. We should be able to make more shots that that.”
Senior forward Jasmin Holliday thought the team’s unselfish nature actually contributed significantly to its poor offensive output. How?
“Sharing a little too much,” Holliday said. “No one really wanted to step up and say, ‘I got this shot.’ We were looking for the extra pass, but it was one too many extra passes.”
The game was characteristic of a program that has seen late-season decline in all three seasons of the Paul Westhead era. Despite championing a fast-paced style purported as equally enthralling for both players and fans, Westhead’s teams have faded late in conference play and failed to deliver in season-defining games. Currently the team has lost four of its last five Pac-12 games with two road contests still remaining, at Colorado and at Utah.
Saturday’s defeat was particularly painful for Amanda Johnson, Nia Jackson and Jasmin Holliday, the team’s senior leaders and three of the squad’s most consistent players this season. Jackson denied that the team’s struggles were related to physical fatigue, instead contending that the blame lies in other areas.
“The past years we were having way more intensive practices, I would say,” Jackson said. “We were running a lot more and towards the end of the season we were getting pretty beat down. I think it’s more of a mental thing right now. I think that we have to make some adjustments during the game and really fight back.”
Johnson admitted that while the team did a good job of pushing the ball early, multiple factors contributed to a stagnant second half in which the Ducks scored only 24 points while allowing the Beavers to rally and recover from a seven-point deficit at intermission. @@https://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf8/827815.pdf?ATCLID=205386784&SPSID=4307&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500@@
“(The second half) was slower,” Johnson said. “There were more dead balls, more fouls. I mean, they went to the line for 28 shots … I think it really slowed the pace down.”
Though senior day could be considered a disappointment, Holliday said the team must stay focused on its final two games and any potential postseason considerations before reflecting on what went wrong down the stretch.
“We can definitely make a run in the Pac-12 Tournament,” Holliday said. “It’s definitely not over yet.”
Westhead was adamant that while Oregon’s trio of veteran players went out on a sour note, their legacies still remain untarnished.
“One game is not what they’re here for,” Westhead said. “They’ve had great careers. They’ve been terrific players day in and day out for me and for this University. All three of them have helped this program immensely. They’re a credit to the University and to themselves and to their families, so it was a very appropriate celebration for them, and a big win or a hard loss doesn’t impact that.”
Oregon State rallies to claim victory over Oregon on Senior Day
Daily Emerald
February 25, 2012
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