Oregon head coach Ernie Kent and Stanford’s Chris Hernandez engaged in a heated exchange after Saturday’s game at McArthur Court.
Hernandez responded to some verbal taunts from the Pit Crew by mocking fans after the game. Kent took exception to this and decided to voice his displeasure toward the Cardinal point guard.
Other than that confrontation, it was a game full of more of the same for the Ducks.
Oregon (13-12 overall, 5-11 Pacific-10 Conference) choked away another potential victory amidst a cloud of missed free throws,18 turnovers and a scoreless streak for the game’s final three minutes and 39 seconds. These factors combined equaled a 58-56 loss to Stanford in front of 9,087 spectators for the Ducks’ final home game of the season.
The Cardinal (16-10, 10-6) grabbed a two-point lead when forward Matt Haryasz dropped in an 8-foot floater with 14.1 seconds remaining. Oregon had three chances to tie or take the lead in the closing seconds but couldn’t convert.
“We just ran one of our normal plays (called) five up,” Haryasz said. “I took a couple dribbles, then (Oregon forward Maarty) Leunen stepped up, and I just let it go.”
After a timeout, Aaron Brooks got the ball and launched a 25-foot three-pointer from the left wing that bounced high off the rim with about seven seconds remaining. Malik Hairston had a clear shot at the rebound but missed a tip-in attempt rather than coming down with the ball and trying to go back up again. A scramble for the loose ball ensued, leading to a jump ball and one final possession for the Ducks with 1.9 seconds remaining.
However, Oregon failed to get a decent look as Brooks threw an off-balance inbound pass to Hairston, whose wild shot from the left corner drew nothing but the top of the backboard.
Brooks said he thought about bouncing the ball off Hernandez’s back but changed his mind at the last moment, causing him to lose his balance.
“(Hernandez) wasn’t paying attention at all,” said Brooks, who was noticeably distraught after the game. “It was wide open, I just didn’t have the guts to do it. At the end of the game I kicked myself for it because Malik wasn’t open.
“Maybe it would have worked, but I didn’t want to chance it.”
Brooks carried Oregon late in the second half, scoring seven of the Ducks’ final eight points. The sophomore finished with a team-high 14 points but dished out only three assists, while committing six turnovers.
Brooks has a 3-to-2 turnover-to-assist ratio during Oregon’s last four games, turning the ball over 27 times while dishing out 18 assists.
Hairston was the only other Duck to score in double figures, finishing with 12 points. But the shots the freshman didn’t hit had a bigger impact on Saturday’s outcome. Along with missing the game’s final two field-goal attempts, Hairston missed a pair of costly free throws down the stretch. With less than four minutes remaining and Oregon leading 56-54, Hairston twice missed the front end of a one-and-one, allowing Stanford to tie the game at 56 on a pair of free throws by Jason Haas with 1:11 remaining.
Hairston is shooting 48 percent from the foul line this season, connecting on only 39 of 81 free throws.
“I take full responsibility for the free throws,” Hairston said. “It’s just a learning experience for me. It’s kind of been my Achilles’ heel all season.”
Kent said Hairston’s free-throw shooting will improve with experience.
“His form is great,” Kent said. “He makes them in practice on a regular basis. But the intensity of a ball game, with the money on the line (makes it tough). The fatigue factor is huge — mentally and physically. For freshmen, it just takes them time for their body and minds to handle that.”
Haryasz had another big game against Oregon. After dropping 20 points and grabbing 20 rebounds against the Ducks at Maples Pavilion in late January, the 6-foot-11 junior scored 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds. Hernandez was held in check, hitting only 2 of 13 field goal attempts, but still scored 16 points by going 10 of 10 from the foul line.
Oregon needs some help if it is to qualify for a berth in the Pac-10 Tournament. The Ducks are tied for eighth place with California, but the Golden Bears hold the tiebreaker over Oregon. Cal plays Washington and Washington State — which is a game ahead of Oregon — at home next week, while the Ducks travel to face Southern California and UCLA to close the regular season.
The top eight teams in the conference qualify for the tournament.
