Friday
“I felt horrible for the seniors after that [1998] game, and I don’t want that
same feeling.”
- UO senior linebacker Garett Sabol
“Regard less of what might be at stake, it’s the Civil Best Bet
war. ” NCAA Basketball: Villanova vs. Duke
- OSU head coach Dennis Erickson 4 pm., espn
SPORTS EDITOR: JEFF SMITH Smittside@aol.com
Women s hoops about to get first dose of reality
The Ducks try
their hand
against a
ranked
opponent
after two
exhibition
wins
By Scott Pesznecker
Oregon Daily Emerald
On the brink of opening its 2000-01
season, the Oregon women’s basketball
team has an early progress report as it
eyes this weekend’s tournament in
North Carolina.
And the Ducks’ grade?
Incomplete, according to senior for
ward Angelina Wolvert.
“There are still a lot of improvements
to be made,” Wolvert said Wednesday af
ter her team beat the National Women’s
Basketball League Elite 76-43 at
McArthur Court. “I’m afraid we’re going
to get complacent.”
The scoreboard
made it hard to see
what Oregon could do
better. However, the
Ducks clearly looked
out of synch late in the
second half.
On the outside,
point guard Kourtney Shreve shot 3 of 9
from the field, and her three assists
matched her turnovers. In the paint, cen
ter Jenny Mowe never got into the flow
of the offense and was 1 for 4 from the
floor. Ndidi Unaka, whom teammates
claim is unstoppable in practice, made 1
of 5 attempts.
There’s no doubt that Oregon must
play a more complete game when it
faces No. 18 Wisconsin at noon Satur
day in the first round of the Glaxo Well
come Invitational at Raleigh, N.C. The
winner of that game plays the victor of
the game between No. 19 North Carolina
State, the host school, and Elon at noon
Sunday. The consolation game will be
at 10 a.m. Sunday.
“We’re excited to head out on the
road,” head coach Jody Runge said. “It’s
going to be nice to get out there and test
this team.
“If you’re a great team, it doesn’t mat
ter who you play. You have to always
play with great intensity.”
The Ducks’ depth at the guard posi
tions may be tested more this weekend
Turn to Women’s, page 6A
Always-improving Ducks look to dominate opener
The Oregon
men’s
basketball
team will try to
shed the
memory of an
exhibition loss
to Athletes in
Action when
they open the
regular season
at home
tonight
BASKETBALL
By Peter Hockaday
Oregon Daily Emerald
The Oregon men’s basket
ball team was pegged.
Run and gun, they
thought. Let the talented
freshmen and a little dose of
team chemistry guide the
team to wins.
But heading into tonight’s
season opener against Mis
sissippi Valley State at 7 p.m.
on McArthur Court, Oregon
has become unpegged.
The Ducks’ defensive
problems overwhelmed
them Tuesday in their final
exhibition game against Ath
letes in Action. Freshman
Luke Ridnour carried Ore
gon on his back in the sec
ond half, but the Ducks still
couldn’t overcome the older,
wiser traveling team.
“Mentally, we didn’t get it
done,” Ridnour said.
Tonight, Oregon will face
a team that could actually be
softer than the Ducks’ final
exhibition opponent. Missis
sippi Valley State will cer
tainly not provide the mental
challenge that the veteran
Athletes in Action team did.
The Delta Devils play in the
Southwestern Athletic Con
ference, along with perenni
al underdogs Prairie View
A&M, Texas Southern and
Jackson State, among others.
Oregon head coach Ernie
Kent believes his team will
work out its kinks against
Mississippi Valley State
tonight and against other
pre-Pacific-10 Conference
foes.
“Going into [Tuesday’s
game] I was concerned about
our on-ball defense. I’m still
concerned about that,’’ Kent
said. “But those are negative
things. It’s early in the year,
and some of those things are
going to be there, but it gives
us something to work on. ”
Kent also took some posi
tives from Tuesday’s game.
“I was pleased with the
group of guys on the floor
that gave themselves a
Turn to Men’s, page 6A
Catharine Kendall Emerald
Oregon forward Bryan Bracey (42) and the Ducks will open their season tonight at home against Mississippi Valley State.
Oregon swept by Stanford,
plays Cal in Pac-10 finale
■ Oregon falls 3-0 to the 21 st-ranked
Cardinal and looks to finish
conference play with a win tonight
By Adam |ude
Oregon Daily Emerald
Olympian Logan Tom overpowered the
Oregon volleyball team Thursday night to
lead the Stanford Cardinal to a 3-0 sweep in
Palo Alto, Calif.
•x\ In the losing effort, jun
mm ' ior hitter Monique Tobba
gi led Oregon (10-16 over
all, 2-15 Pacific-10
Conference) with nine
kills, seven digs and three
blocks. In the final road
trip of her four-year ca
reer, senior Amy Banducci aided the Ducks
with eight kills.
Heading into Thursday’s game, Banducci
and the Ducks wanted to avenge a loss in
the season’s first match on Sept. 14. In that
first game, Banducci “could taste” an upset
in a five-game loss to the then-llth ranked
team.
The Ducks, however, could taste nothing
Thursday night — except the bitterness of
defeat.
Tom, who missed the beginning of the
season while she competed in the
Olympics in Sydney, notched a match-high
17 kills and a .636 attack percentage. No. 21
Stanford (16-11, 9-8) hit .372 on the night
and outblocked Oregon 8-4.
The Ducks were held to a .183 hitting
percentage in game one after Stanford
jumped out to a quick 9-3 lead. Two con
secutive scores brought Oregon within five
points at 8-13, but that’s the closest it got as
the Cardinal rolled, 15-8.
In game two, Oregon showed its tenacity
against a team that it has not beaten since
1989. Stanford took a commanding 7-0 lead
and appeared to have secured an easy win
with a 14-3 lead — but the Ducks didn’t
give up. Fighting off six game points, head
coach Carl Ferreira’s squad came within
two points at 12-14. Stanford, however,
would not give up its seventh opportunity,
closing the door at 15-12. Overall, the
Ducks hit .250 in the game.
Following intermission, the Cardinal
didn’t mess around. Taking advantage of
Oregon errors and some timely blocking,
Turn to Volleyball, page 6A
Oregon set for tournament
■ Oregon gets a taste of tournament
action for the first time this season in
Southern Oregon
By Robbie McCailum
Oregon Daily Emerald
Eighteen teams, 300 wrestlers, 10 weight
classes and one day.
That pretty much sums up the Oregon
wrestling team’s first tournament of the sea
son, the Southern Oregon
Open. The Ducks take to
the mat for the second
time this season Saturday
in Ashland.
Oregon wrestlers will
get a different style of
competition at the Open
than they did in their season opener, a dual
match against UC Davis. Instead of head-to
head competition with one opponent,
wrestlers will face up to five matches in
just one day.
The Ducks will get a good look at their
.season rivals, as five other Pacific-10 Con
ference teams are entered, llth-ranked
Boise State, the defending conference
champion, and No. 24 Oregon State will be
on hand.
Top individuals entered in the field in
clude Boise State’s fourth-ranked Kirk White
at 165 pounds and No. 8 Rusty Cook at 197
pounds. Oregon State’s Eric Jorgensen is
ranked fifth at 157 pounds.
The rest of the field includes Division II
schools and junior colleges. Host Southern
Oregon is ranked sixth in the NAIA, while
San Francisco State is 17th.
Oregon will be represented in every
weight class, with the possible exception of
senior Doug Lee, who is questionable with
an injury. The All-American sat out Ore
gon’s season opener as well. Senior Jake
Leair is second on the depth chart at 184
pounds.
The Ducks are two deep in every other
weight class except 133 pounds and at
heavyweight.
Sophomores Brian Watson and Tony
Overstake both placed second at last year’s
Open. Both will try for the championships
this year at 133 and 149 pounds, respec
tively. Junior Eugene Harris is also a return
ing placer at 157 pounds.
Senior Chael Sonnen is the top Duck at the
Open. The All-American is ranked fifth by
Intermat.com at 197 pounds. Against UC
Davis, Sonnen pinned Brandon Arsenault in
one minute, 47 seconds to earn his first col
legiate victory since 1998.
The Ducks return home for a one-week
break before their home opener against
Stanford Nov. 26.