In the end, it was nothing more than another loss. The two technical fouls by head coach Ernie Kent, the seven missed free throws, and the 25-percent first-half shooting all added up to the Oregon Ducks (6-12, 0-6 Pacific-10 Conference) losing 74-62 to the Washington State Cougars (11-6, 3-2) Saturday afternoon.
“This is a game we should have won,” sophomore guard LeKendric Longmire said after the game. Longmire, who had 15 points, said the effort level by Washington State was just plain better than Oregon’s.
“In the Pac-10, every game is difficult; we just have to keep grinding,” he said. “When we get one win, hopefully that will lead us to more. I have no doubt that we will get a win, but when, I can’t tell you.”
The frustration of dropping to 0-6 in the conference was evident on all the players’ faces, but in this winnable game by Longmire’s standards, it was free throw shooting that was the ultimate difference.
Taylor Rochestie led the Cougars to a perfect afternoon from the free throw stripe, hitting all 16 of his foul shots, in part of an overall 28-for-28 day for Washington State. Rochestie also added four three-pointers and a field goal to his stat line, ending with 30 points and seven assists. Aron Baynes contributed 19 points (6-6 from the line) and 12 rebounds.
For the Ducks, junior forward Joevan Catron had 12 points and nine rebounds.
With the score 7-4 Washington State at the 17:01 mark in the first, the teams scored a combined eight points up until the 10:38 point in the half.
Just before the half, Baynes scored on a turnaround hook shot, followed by a long jumper from Rochestie. Two free throws from Baynes added to the halftime score of 24-17 Washington State.
The Cougars made a push in the second half, and their seven-point lead swelled to 17 points with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game. Those 10 minutes were a roller coaster for the Ducks.
Kent received two technical fouls and was kicked out of the game. He left the court amidst a standing ovation from the frustrated McArthur Court crowd, and he watched the remainder of the game from the locker room.
Junior guard Tajuan Porter, who was held scoreless in the first half, hit four three-pointers, and twice brought the Oregon deficit to nine points. He ended with 15 points.
Eighteen of Washington State’s last 20 points all came from the line, and Tony Bennett’s team again left Eugene with a victory.
Next up for Oregon is a trip to the Bay Area, where it plays Stanford Thursday, followed by California on Saturday.
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Cougs, Rochestie perfect from line, sink Ducks to 0-6 in Pac-10
Daily Emerald
January 19, 2009
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