In a season of missed opportunities and last-second losses for the Ducks, the loss at McArthur Court to USC was a crucial one, as it cemented a sweep of Oregon on its home floor by the Los Angeles schools and extended its conference losing streak to four games, which put the Ducks squarely behind the eight-ball in the race to the NCAA tournament at two games below .500 in conference play.
Fast forward to the present and the Ducks have gained little ground at 6-7 in conference play. For “bubble” teams like USC and Oregon, as the conference schedule nears its end, the stakes, and thus the intensity, of every game go up.
The Ducks know this, and though they have played in what has seemed like several “must-win” games already, these final five games, starting with USC Thursday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, are perhaps the most important of the season.
“There’s a feeling that it’s now or never for us. We’re always confident going into the next game, but we just want to make sure that we don’t let the season slip away,” said senior guard Bryce Taylor. “Our spirits are high but at the same time we realize what’s going on.”
Senior forward Maarty Leunen echoed Taylor’s sentiments that this weekend in Los Angeles is where the Ducks must take a stand, and erase the memories of close losses and missed opportunities this season.
“We’ve got some big games coming up, so if we can capitalize on these then no one will think about those games,” he said. “We know we’ve still got a shot, we’ve just got to capitalize on these upcoming games.”
Last time around against USC, Oregon fell behind early and didn’t find its offensive rhythm until late in the second half. Though they were able to push the game to overtime, a full 40-minute performance by the Ducks in that game would have probably led to a convincing victory. Players admitted after the game that they came out flat, but have said this week that the energy level will be there from the opening tip tonight.
“We have really no choice at this point,” said Leunen. “Our season will be cut short if not, so we’ve got to make sure to come out with lots of energy and get the job done.”
“We would hope to not let that (slow start) happen again, just with where we’re at and with how important this game is for us,” said Taylor. “They’re coming off a tough, low-scoring loss, so I’m sure coach Floyd is going to have them motivated and ready to play, so it will be big for us to get off to a fast start.”
Leunen also said that there is no chance that the Ducks will get caught looking past USC to their matchup with No. 6 UCLA at Pauley Pavilion Saturday.
“I think it’s important to just look at the first game first, and make sure that we come with complete confidence and a lot of energy and make sure that we try to beat USC first,” said Leunen. “People would say UCLA would be tougher just because they’re ranked higher but USC is extremely talented and athletic, so we’re only worried about USC at this point.”
And while most Duck fans would probably be happy with a split, the players aren’t taking that mindset.
“It’s just going in with confidence and playing our game, and I think we can win both games,” said sophomore forward Joevan Catron. “We gotta win these games, that’s how I’m looking at every game from here on out.”
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