TUESDAY
Nov. 17,1998
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Montreal at Carolina
4:00 p.m., ESPN
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Oregon 70, Colorado State 72
Runge rung up in Oregon basketball loss
Fouls were a deciding factor
in the loss, causing the
ejection of coach Jody Runge
and two Oregon forwards
By Joel Hood
Oregon Daily Emerald
Jody Runge has made a million great
coaching decisions in her five-year ca
reer at Oregon. On Monday night she
made a poor one.
With the Ducks leading 39-28 and less
than one second to go in the first half,
Oregon guard Natasha O’Brien fouled
Colorado State point guard Becky Ham
mon as she drove to the basket with just
.4 seconds remaining
on the clock. The refer
ees tagged O’Brien with
a flagrant foul and
awarded Hammon
with two free throws
and returned the ball to
the Rams.
Runge challenged
the call made by official Tom Little, who
swiftly charged Oregon’s head coach
with a technical foul and awarded two
more free-throw attempts to Hammon.
With Runge, and nearly all the rau
cous 3,198 fans in attendance at
McArthur Court still disputing the call,
Little hit Runge with a second technical
foul and ejected her from the game for
the first time in her coaching career.
Hammon went on to sink five of her
six free-throw attempts to shave Ore
gon's 11-point lead down to just six at
the half as the Rams came away with a
hard-fought 72-70 victory to advance to
the semi-final round of the Women’s Na
tional Invitation Tournament on Thurs
day night.
“The whole thing could have been
avoided if we would have just let them
score at the end of the half,” said assis
tant coach Fred Litzenberger, who took
over for Runge in the second half. “Even
if she would have gotten the lay-in it
would have only been two points. I’d say
it made a difference.”
Trailing by five at the half, Colorado
State chipped away at the Ducks’ lead
and took the lead for the first time with
just two minutes to play. Following two
missed free throws by Sonja Curtis that
could have given Oregon a two-point
lead, Colorado State’s Kate Cronin
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In a scramble for the ball, the Duck’s forward Natasha O’Brien
ball out of bounds in Monday nights' game at McArthur Court.
Man Hanking Emerald
forced the Rams' Heather Haanen to loose the
Ducks unable
to overcome
Rams’ defense
The Ducks lost their 12 point
lead because of heavy
pressure by Colorado State in
the second half
By Allison Ross
Oregon Daily Emerald
For a team that
prides itself on its abili
ty to play defense, Ore
gon sure had the tables
turn on them Monday
night.
For the Ducks it was
business as usual in the
iirsi nan oi tneir /2-/U (V10WE
toss against Colorado
State, holding the Rams to just 9 of 32
shooting from the field and allowed them
just two successful three pointers on 10
attempts.
But Colorado State pressured the Ore
gon offense and despite leading most of
the way, the Ducks seemed to fall under
the pressure in the second half.
With 11 minutes, 55 seconds remain
ing in the game, Oregon center Jenny
Mowe powered over two defenders to
put the Ducks up 60-47.
But that's when Colorado State's de
fense shifted from nuisance to sure-fire
threat.
The Ducks turned the ball over six
times before they would score again, with
the exception of free throws by Mowe
and forward Brianne Meharry.
"I think when we had the 12-point lead
we relaxed off of them," Mowe said.
They had the double team down pat.
There was definitely a momentum
change out there."
With Oregon stalled at 61 points, the
Rams exploited Oregon's defense for 10
points to narrow the gap 61-60. Colorado
State guard Becky Hammon fueled th#
comeback with a three pointer and a lay
up, in which she was fouled by Oregon
defender Sonja Curtis.
Turn to DANCING, Page 8
Ducks may know bowl fate after Saturday’s Civil War game
Oregon is a good bet to play in either
the Sun Bowl or Holiday Bowl in late
December
By Joel Hood
Oregon Daily Emerald
It’s difficult to know for sure, but the Ducks could
know as early as Saturday if they should pack their
bags for either El Paso, San Diego or Honolulu for the
holiday break.
Norwest Sun Bowl officials also said Monday that
while Oregon would be a solid pick for the Dec. 31
Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, the Ducks may move
into a tie for second in the Pacific-10 Conference if
Arizona loses to Arizona State on Dec. 5.
The Culligan Holiday Bowl, played in San Diego
on Dec. 30, is scheduled to select the Pac-lO’s No. 2
team and the Big 12 Conference’s No. 3 team. How
ever, if Oregon finishes in a second-place tie with
Arizona, it could still get a Holiday Bowl invite on
the condition that UCLA finishes first or second in
the Bowl Championship Series rankings and is se
lected to play in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 4.
The Bruins currently rank second in the BCS stand
-—.. ings, but have two regular season
— games lelt on their schedule, Nov.
I 21 against Southern California and
Dec. 5 against Miami.
ii remains no. L in the
BCS, the Rose Bowl would proba
bly take a 10-1 Arizona team and
Oregon would go to the Holiday
Bowl,” said John Folmer, chairman of the football
committee for the Norwest Sun Bowl. “Oregon’s a
good football team — we’ve tried to get them in the
past. They travel with a lot of people and are an ex
citing team to watch. ”
However, even if UCLA does get an invitation to
the championship game on Jan. 4, the Rose Bowl has
its choice to select either the next-highest ranking Pac
10 team (Arizona) or an at-large team like Notre Dame
or Florida. What is known for sure is that the Big-Ten
Conference champion (either Michigan or Ohio State)
will be in the Rose Bowl because neither team will fin
ish the season ranked No.lorNo.2inthe BCS.
“We think that [the Rose Bowl committee] will
certainly take into account their long relationship
with the Pac-10,” said Jim Muldoon, assistant com
missioner of Public Relations for the Pac-10.
Southern California only enters the picture if it
beats UCLA next week and Oregon loses its Civil
War game with Oregon State. If Oregon gets an invite
to the Norwest Sun Bowl, it will match-up against
the No. 5 team from the Big-Ten, possibly Purdue,
Penn. State or Michigan State. This weekend, Pur
due (7-4 overall, 5-2 Big-Ten) hosts Indiana (4-6, 2
5), Penn State (7-2,4-2) plays at Wisconsin (9-1,6-1)
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(( We think
that lthe Rose
Bowl
committee]
will certainly
take into
account their
long
relationship
with the Pac
10. ”
John Folmer