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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1995)
Dancing Devils next on list for ailing Ducks Kris Henry ( VQibiy The Oregon men's basketball team will be looking for more than just aiding its cause for a NCAA tournament bid tonight against 15th-rankod Arizona State. The Ducks (15-fi overall and 7-5 Pac-10) will la> looking for a little revenge against the Sun i lev il> i 1M, 9 4) after month's impromptu dance recital by Arizona State In the Sun Devils post-game celebration after beating Oregon 79-76 on Jan. 2H, the team gath ered at mid-court and taunted the fans with an exhibition that only Chuck Harris of the Cong Show would have enjoyed. That scene upset many of the Oregon players, especially Jeff Hotter, who said after the game that he couldn't wait to play Ari zona State again for some redemption. The revenge factor is just one of a number of incentives Ore gon has for tonight's action in Tempo. After hitting rock-bottom against Washington State in one of Oregon's worst efforts in three years, the Ducks will attempt to get back to the team aspect of playing, which helped them to their best start in 20 years. "What we've com entrated on the last couple ol days in prac tice is trying to get a good shot and not just a shot," said Oregon head coach Jerry Green "We're trying to got back to playing team basketball, to moving the basketball and working the lias set Hall. The Sun l)«\ iIs have won 1! of the Inst 13 encounters between the two schools, and almost certainly will be offered a NCAA bid. An Oregon victory tonight will l*> a formidable tusk for the rebounding Ducks, whose road foes this Week make up the only state to have two teams rated among the top 15 in the nation Besides the 15th-ranked Sun Devils, the state can also claim l.lth-ranked Arizona, the Ducks next challenge "It's going to take everything we've got in the two basketball games down there.” Green said "We've got to play very well just to give ourselves a chance to win just because of how good those teams are We're not going to walk in and play sloppy bas ketball and come away with a win.” Arizona State is led by for ward Mario Bennett, the leading shot blocker in the league and part-time dance coordinator for the Sun Devils Bennett is also one of the league's top rebound ers and scorers, averaging nearly IS points and eight rebounds a game. With a 22-5 overall record, sophomore Scott Norton will play a pivotal role in the Ducks hunt for a Pacific 10 Conference wrestling title this weekend In Corvallis Ducks set for Pac-10 meet Trevor Kearney Qr000f> Dafzm&r&cf Looking to improve on it sub-par 4-n-l record, the Ore gon wrestling team heads to Corvallis on Friday for the Pacific 10 Conference Wrestling Championships The Ducks will have their hands full, as nine teams compete in the tournament including No 19 Oregon State. No. 17 Arizona State, and No 12 Cal State Bakersfield "I think this is a big week end,” coach Ron Finley said. “Everything points to this weekend Basically, tins is what we have been training for all year.” The Ducks have had a tough time with Oregon State and Arizona State this year, losing to the Beavers twice and by a si ore of 29-9 to the Sun Dev I Is. “I think Arizona State and Oregon State are the two toughest teams.” Finley said In fact. Oregon lost to all three of the ranked teams that will participate. But accord Turn to MEET, Page 10 Sonnen, Sprague look at meet as stepping stone Trevor Kearney dragon Oa#r fnwraM Going into the Pacific-10 Conference Championship, seniors Cory Son non and Matt Sprague are facing whnt could be their Inst meet as members of the Oregon wrestling team No matter, though, because with 10 years of college wrestling experience between the two of them, they know how to perform under pressure. in fact Sonnon. who is the fourth-ranked 142* pound wrestler in the Pac 10 and has an 81 .10 1 over all record at Oregon, isn l even considering losing as an option, “I plan on winning, so it won't be a big surprise if I do win," Sounen said, "it would \m a disappointment if I didn’t wm. The goals in my college career wouldn't Ixi complete If I didn't go to nationals "I wish there was more pressure on me." said Sonntm, who is looking to go to the national meet for the third year in a row Like Sonnet), the 15H pound Sprague — who was a two-time state cham pion at Benson High School in Portland. Ore., and has a .Vi-27 career record at Oregon — is far from satisfied After (Misting a strong 20 6 record last season, a shoulder injury has limited Sprague to only t2 npremr am.es this season, so he is looking forward to a suc cessful outing at the Pat:-10 meet and an appearance at nationals I-,J This King gives sports a good name Just when it Wilis like sports has gone to hell, there’s still hope Just when the Darryl Strawberry* and the Dennis Rodmans of the professional sports world seem to have spoiled its integrity for good, there’s still light at the end of the tunnel — at least for a cou ple more years The Ins Angeles Kings.' Wayne Gretzky, all he it in a silent manner, stands for all that’s right with sports, family and life in general. As a little shin-padded rink rat growing up in the frozen tun dra of the Midw est, myself and other kids just like rue were coached about a hundred differ mil ways of doing things, on and off the ic e. I c an still rmnemlier my coaches preac hing how we all needed to be like Wayne Gretzky. And that was in his rookie season Mis exploits on the ic e are well-documented, hut nonethe less inc redible lie's led the league in scoring 11 times in his Hi years in the NHL He also has won nine Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player And at last count, Gretzky had at least f>l all-time rec ords under Turn to GRETZKY, Pago 10 (tikis Mm/ February 23, 1WS \ i tltiitk* 'k\ Ismm: I O' Duck Notes Women finish 11th Ihe Oregon women's golf loam finished 111f'm a tough 19-team field at the Conqu % tadores/Chns Johnson Ari zona Invitational on Wei tries day Tim Ducks AcMi lod t,)y Shannon Ham, who Ted for ?6th with a 23? Chnslei Tomort was just one stroke behind with a 233 lien a ()><>",dod tied for 37th with a ?3S Anyone State cruised to the team Wav linishmg with a 48-stotoie advantage over second place South Carolina and Wake f orosl Arizona State s Heather Bowie toon lop individual honors with ,i two-unde' par ? 14 An live ASU team mom bers finished m the top nine individual finishers Oregon rackets hot m split action The Oregon men’s tennis team upped its record to 15 4. including eight straight, with wee. over Wu amotte Uri versify and the University of Portland on Monday Oregon's top si* players traveled to Portland and d»s posed Of the Pilots. t> t Jot!!I DeVorss notched his fifth straighi singles victory for the Ducks in the City of Hoses f he rest of !he Oregon squad stayed homo,to hosi Willamette The Ducks lost the No 1 singles match but took the rest of the day s matches to notch their sec ond vtclory over Willamette this season ON THE TUBE February ?3 \ / i i ■ 1 p.m. USA — PGA Golf, Los Angeles upon, »if»i rourxj. at Pacific Palisades. Caht. ■ 4 30 p m ESPN — NCAA Basketball. Texas at Texas Tech ■ 430pm PRIME NCAA Basketball. Virginia Tech at Va. Commonwealth ■ 5pm. TBS- NBA Basketball. Philadelphia at Denver ■ 6 30 p.m ESPN — NCAA Basketball, Massachusetts at Temple ■ 7 p.m. PRIME — NCAA Basketball, Southern Cal at Stanford ■ 9 p.m. ESPN NCAA Basketball. UCLA at California t Mf »Al
