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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2000)
Women continued from page 7B teams who returned key players, the Huskies lost two of their most valuable starters in all-time lead ing scorer Jamie Redd and all time leading rebounder Amber Hall. However, junior guard Megan Franza has stepped up to lead the Pac-10 in scoring with 20.9 points per game, followed in third place by teammate Loreee Payne (17.3). Freshman Kellie O’Neill has filled Hall’s shoes by pulling down a fourth-in-the-conference 7.5 re bounds per game. 7. California Golden Bears (5-5) Head Coach: Marianne Stanley Playerto watch: Paige Bowie, G The Golden Bears’ 1998 99 season was its best in six years with an overall record of 12 15. But the absence of four sen iors, including starters Jennie Le ander and Sherrise Smith, renders this team inexperienced. Senior guard Paige Bowie aver aged 11.9 points per game last season. Junior guard Courtney Johnson is a bright spot on de fense with a conference-leading 3.1 steals per game, but that’s about it for California. 8. Southern California Trojans (5-5) Head Coach: Chris Gobrecht Player to watch: Danielle Golay, F ' Injuries that hampered last WF season’s starting lineup could prove to be a blessing in dis guise for this season’s group of players. Four young starters who saw significant playing time re turn to lead the Trojans. Can you say, “rebuild”? Senior forward Danielle Golay ranks eighth in the Pac-10 in scor ing (13.4 ppg), 12th in rebounding (6.2) and seventh in field-goal per centage (.522). Senior forward Tiffany Washington is contributing 5.0 boards and 3.8 points per game. 9. Oregon State Beavers (4-8) Head Coach: Judy Spoelstra Player to Watch: Sissel Pierce, C Remember the Colorado team that Ore gon beat by 32 points? That team beat Ore gon State 68-60. The Beavers’ limited success has been shouldered by seniors Sissel Pierce and Reda Petraitis. Pierce ranks seventh all-time in the Pac-10 with 126 career blocked shots, while Petraitis ranks third in the conference in rebounding (8.1) and steals (2.58) per game. However, center Tammy Arnold left the team with nagging medical issues. It’s not a big loss, but it still hurts. 10. Washing ton State Cougars (3-7) Head Coach: Jenny Przez was Player to Watch: Alke Dietel, F The chances of Washington State having much success be came even smaller last Tuesday when junior guard Tricia Lamb left the team. “We are sorry to see Tricia go,” head coach Jenny Przekwas said. “She has been an integral part of the women’s basketball program for two and a half years and her loss will be felt.” At least the Cougars had noth ing to lose. Scales continued from page 2B “He has the creativity to really electrify the crowd, and in doing that, he certainly gives us an air of confidence and allows the guys to rally around him and play a lot better.” Scales, who said his junior-col lege team’s style was to “try to score as many points as possible,” admitted that he loves the up tempo game, one in which the Ducks — in no small part because of Scales — often excel. But Scales contributes to Ore gon’s success in many facets, not just by providing highlight-film material. Last season, he led the team in scoring at more than 14 points per game and was second in rebound ing at almost six per outing. Scales also paced the squad in steals and was second in both as sists and blocked shots. Kent said Scales improved con siderably during the second half of the season, when he helped the Ducks to a 6-3 mark in the Pacific 10 Conference and a postseason run to the semifinals of the Na tional Invitation Tournament. “I was nervous at the start be cause you’re playing against these top-notch players who are sup posed to be the best players in the Pac or in the nation,” Scales said. “But once things started to click, there was no difference. It’s just like going out there and playing with regular people in pickup ball.” This season, Scales has picked up where he left off. In Oregon’s first meeting with a ranked opponent, then-No. 19 Wake Forest in the first round of the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii on Dec. 28, Scales exploded. He scored a career-high 26 points through a barrage of dunks and three-pointers, and it was his leaning jump shot with 4.7 sec onds left that gave the Ducks a 67 66 upset win. In the games since those hero ics, Scales has struggled, going a combined five for 31 from the field. But he still is second on the team in scoring and rebounding, and both Kent and Scales expect the co-captain to be back in usual form starting with Saturday’s Pac 10 opener at Oregon State. Scales, a reluctant leader ac cording to Kent, is looking for ward to a successful conference season that Oregon plans to cap with its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1994-95. “There’s a lot of love on this team,” Scales said. “And we’re capable of going out and getting the job done if we stick together, so that’s a big plus for us. That should take us far.” In the meantime, don’t be fooled by Scales’ unassuming nature be cause his g3tne is far from quiet. Williams continued from page 6B gonna give you a little crossover, a little behind-the-back pass, I might talk a little trash. People want to go to games to be entertained and that’s what I’m try ing to do. Yeah, I break the stan dards as far as Oregon basketball. ” All according to plan, perhaps. Right now, Williams’ plans for her No. 24 Ducks (9-3) to take some steps toward fulfilling their po tential with the start of Pac-10 play Saturday at Oregon State — something she said they’ve been struggling to do during the draining 10-game, six-week-long road stretch in which they’ve gone 4-3 so far. “I don’t really think people talk about how competitive I am,” Williams said. “That’s the hardest thing for me in this slump. Every body hasn’t been mean like they can be. People are coming at us and they want to beat us so bad, ] and I know we want to win, but how bad do we want to win? “That’s something I’m trying to rub off on my teammates: when \ ( { The thing that people either knowingly or un knowingly like about her is her passion. Jody Runge Women’s basketball head coach you step on the floor, you have to know you’re the best; ‘I’m not go ing to get beat.’” Yet another part of the plan: in fusing attitude and confidence into her teammates. That thing they call leadership—just anoth er part of her game that Williams plans to push to another level. mmmm jmm Mm ■K mam M&SB&i ! IH|nj| UO students [80%] have drinks or fewer when they party Data taken from 1998 UO Health Center Survey. Office of Student Life