The packed house of 10,024 fans at McArthur Court Thursday Night erupted when Oregon’s Henry Madden nailed the game-winning shot with two seconds remaining in overtime.
Victory: Ball movement was key
■ Continued from Page 11
“Most of the games that we have lost we started
out slow,” Kenya Wilkins said. “Although we
fought for those 25-30 minutes, we could never
make up for that first ten minutes that got us be
hind. So us getting up at the beginning had to be
one of the reasons we were successful tonight.”
Another reason Oregon was so successful was the
emergence of Wilkins in the second half. After go
ing scoreless in the first, the Ducks’ point guard
scored 18 points in the second.
But although Wilkins’ point total made him,
along with Lawrence, the team’s scoring leader, he
will be remembered for his assists. Coming into the
night, Wilkins needed only two assists to tie the all
time school record of 572 set by Ron Lee in 1976.
His four assists Thursday night gives him 574 career
assists, two more than the old record.
“I like it,” Wilkins said of his new record. “But 1
think I will appreciate it more after the season when
I can look back and reflect on what I’ve done. Right
now, I’m concerned with the team record.”
Oregon also was able to return to its offense that
created so much success early on in the season:
constant ball movement to break down the defense
instead of holding on to the ball or taking quick
shots. This led to a 52 percent shooting night for the
Ducks' offense.
“We moved the ball a lot more as an offense
tonight,” Green said. “We picked at the defense and
got a little bit better shot.”
Which is starting to look a whole lot better. The
Ducks have struggled in the Pac-10 this season and
needed this win desperately to get back on track
both in terms of conference standings and team
confidence.
“A win like this can’t do anything else but pull us
together,” Wilkins said.
“I hope we can build on things from this point
on,” Green said. “This was a good win for us and
how much it helps we will find out when we play
Saturday night. I would have to think that will give
us some more confidence.”
Oregon, now 3-5 in the conference and 12-5 over
all, will play against the surprising Trojans Satur
day night at Mac Court. Southern Cal squeaked by
Oregon State Thursday night 71-68.
MARK McTYRE/Emerald
Oregon’s Kyle
Milling attempts
to put back a
missed dunk in
the first half by
hanging on the
rim. Milling was
charged with a
technical foul
by the referees for
his monkey-like
antics.
MARK Me TYRE/ Emerald
Kenya Wilkins came on strong in the second half of the game, scoring
18 points and helping the Ducks beat the Bruins in overtime.
Turnaround: Bruins’ defense forgot Wilkins
■ Continued from Page 11
“Coach [Mark) Turgeon men
tioned to me that I needed to be
more of a scoring threat,” Wilkins
said, “because I was getting into
the lane well both the first and sec
ond half. But I wasn’t really look
ing for my shot in the first half. I
was trying to get others involved.
In the second half as soon as he
said I needed to be more a scoring
threat I think I got a lay-up and a
jump shot.”
UCLA guard Toby Bailey said
the Bruins made a mistake by for
getting about Wilkins.
“Jamal [Lawrence] was so effec
tive in the first half that we started
concentrating on him,” Bailey
said, “and Kenya began to be more
a part of the game because we
weren’t concentrating on him.”
Although the special attention
on Lawrence kept him to six
points in the second half, the Bru
ins may have had too much to
handle on the one-two punch of
Oregon’s guards.
“I thought their defense maybe
got a little tired,” Oregon head
coach Jerry Green said. “That’s not
taking anything away from Kenya,
but I think Kenya took a little more
of an aggressive attack against
their zone.
“He had some good looks in the
first half, he just didn’t make it. I
thought the zone was a little bit
wider [in the second half], we
moved the man where the pene
tration came and he had a better
look at it. He finished some shots
he didn’t finish in the first half.”
Wilkins may have also adjusted
to the fact that he was playing
against the 6-foot-5 Bailey, who
towers seven inches over him.
“That was a surprise to me,”
Wilkins said. “I didn’t expect to be
matched up against him. But he
was my guy. I look forward to
match ups like that. He had a good
game, but 1 think I did a good job
on him also.”
UCLA head coach Steve Lavin
said Wilkins is a special player.
“Kenya Wilkins is like a lot of
tremendous point guards — he’s
going to pick his spots,” Lavin
said. "He’s very difficult to guard.
He has the ability to get into the
seams or the gaps of your defense
and to be able to finish, despite his
size. He has an unbelievable sense
of where he is on the floor.
“Players like that are known to
step their game up and take over
and lead.”
Lavin also thought Wilkins’ sec
ond-half spectacular may have
had something to do with the fact
that he is from Los Angeles.
“Playing against UCLA tends to
bring out the best in him,” he said.
Wilkins said performing well
with his family in the crowd was
an important partsof the game.
“It’s a win against UCLA,” he
said. “It’s a win when we needed
one, and it’s a win in front of my
mom and my sister. ”
Even if it did take more than 20
minutes for Wilkins to warm up,
the Ducks were grateful he did.