CORVALLIS – In a must-win game for Oregon to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive, the Ducks nearly threw it away to Oregon State, who will keep searching for its first conference victory as the Beavers lost 80-68 on Sunday night at Gill Coliseum.
As the Ducks (16-12 overall, 7-9 Pacific-10 Conference) saw their lead give way to the Beavers (6-22, 0-16), senior forward Maarty Leunen bailed Oregon out and was nearly unstoppable from long range, scoring a career-high 32 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, including 7-of-8 from beyond the arc.
“We knew it was big game. We had three games left and we wanted to go 3-0. So it started tonight,” Leunen said. “At spurts we didn’t play very well but other than that, at times we played great.”
Leunen said he feels like he’s one of the best players at the catch-and-shoot, as long as his body is square.
“I can shoot it with the best of them,” he said.
Oregon coach Ernie Kent said the Ducks may have finally found their go-to scorer, though it may be late in the season, it’s still good to have found a guy to rely on if a crucial shot is needed.
“Hopefully, it is a turning point and it’s obviously coming at the right time,” Kent said.
Leunen made that crucial shot multiple times throughout the game. The Ducks clung to a one-point lead entering the second half and Leunen was the only Duck to score in the first four and a half minutes as the Beavers tied it at 42.
Oregon built another lead that crumbled when Oregon State brought it within three points at 68-65 with 3:27 left in the game. Then Malik Hairston found Leunen wide open from long-distance again. Leunen drilled it and the Beavers scored three more points before the game ended.
Leunen wasn’t the only one who received credit for the victory. Redshirt freshmen LeKendric Longmire scored a career-high as well, chipping in 14 points off the bench and shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor. His energy on both sides of the floor seemed to spark Oregon when they went on scoring runs and created stops.
“It’s just about getting the confidence to take the shots,” Longmire said. “I’m a high-energy guy. I’ve got to do what it takes to get that win.”
The night started off well enough for the Ducks, as they had a 20-10 lead in the first eight minutes of the game, but turnovers and second-chance points allowed the Beavers back into the game before the end of the half.
No one on Oregon’s roster was surprised with the intensity Oregon State showed. Kent said that no matter their record, the Beavers always play the Ducks differently than they do against any other team.
“They’re just such battles,” Kent said of the Civil War games. “I thought they played extremely hard. They were aggressive, they shot the ball well, they stayed in attack mode.”
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