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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 2003)
Sports Editor: Hank Hager hankhager@dailyemerald.com Oregon Daily Emerald SPORTS Best bet NHL: Anaheim at Colorado 5 p.m., ESPN2 Tuesday, November 18, 2003 Ducks take win with final shot in exhibition Oregon pulls off a close one in its final exhibition test despite poor shooting from the free-throw line By Jesse Thomas Sports Reporter Forward Ian Crosswhite was Ore gon's third option in the Final 33 seconds of Monday's game at McArthur Court. Guards Luke Jackson and James Davis were Oregon's first and sec ond options. As the defenders col lapsed on Davis, Crosswhite was low in the post battling man to-man. With a quick turn to the basket, Crosswhite executed as if there weren't seven seconds left on the clock and a 74-74 tie. But there was a tie, and the game was in its wan ing moments. Crosswhite wasn't even expecting the ball. "No, I was screening for James," Crosswhite said. "He threw an un believable pass. He got that pass through there." Crosswhite's final score gave Ore gon the 76-74 win in its second and final exhibition game against the EA Sports All-Stars. It was the little things that didn't go Oregon's way that left it close. Early in the game, turnovers hurt Oregon as MEN'S BASKETBALL the Ducks played un selfishly. Sec ond-chance attempts didn't go in the basket early on. The Ducks shot 35.7 percent from the free-throw line. "We didn't shoot the ball well at times," head coach Ernie Kent said. "We shot free throws poorly, which gives me some things we certainly need to work on." It was Oregon's first true test. Ore gon had no trouble defeating MBC Nikolaev in its first exhibition. But it was a wake-up call that Oregon needed. "It was a game that was great for us to play at this time of year," Kent said. "That's a much better game for us than to beat someone by 30 or 40. That team was a team that made us think. They made us play some tough basketball at times." Oregon's test came early on. EA Sports took a 12-10 lead six minutes in and held it for nearly all of the first half. Forward Ed O'Bannon had 11 of his 21 points in the first 20 minutes. He lead all scorers in the game. When forward Maurice Spillars earned a technical foul with less than a minute to go in the half, Ore gon went on a 5-point swing to lead, 46-40, at halftime. Spillars was caught having words with Jackson. "He really wasn't talking to me that much," Jackson said. "But on the play before that, he was running down the floor, and he took a cheap shot at me and there were some words said." Oregon wasted no time to start the second half. After a Crosswhite layup and freshman Aaron Brooks' break away, the Ducks had the game's biggest lead, 54-43, at 15:35. But EA Sports made its free throws and converted on the fast break and with less than 10 minutes to go, pulling it to within six points. EA Sports was 93.3 percent from the free-throw line, bettering Oregon's 5 for 14 performance. "We led the league two years in free throw shooting," Crosswhite said. "Guys and personally myself are going to have to get in there late at night and shoot up a 100 free throws." As EA Sports continued to chop away at Oregon's lead, it was at the 1:47 mark when the teams met at a deadlock of 74. With the clock winding down, Davis found Cross white for the game-winner. 'Two guys came out on me, and I was hoping 1 wouldn't have to shoot it, as terrible as I'm shooting," Davis said. Davis had plenty of looks, but they didn't fall as he went 1 for 7 from the field. Jackson led Oregon with 17 points in his 34 minutes, but they all came in the first half. Brooks had 11 points. Oregon shot 49.2 percent from the field. EA Sports was 54.9 percent on field goals and out-rebounded the Ducks 32 to 27. The Ducks shot twice as many three-pointers than their op ponent, finishing 9 for 26. Jackson Adam Amato Photo Editor Despite the presence of Oregon's Aaron Brooks (00), EA Sports' Dion Bailey was able to make the layup with 3:16 left in the second half to pull his team within two points. earned three of those three-pointers. The Ducks know they have work to do before they face Fresno State on Friday night at McArthur Court. The little things, including free throw shooting and improved de fense, top the list. "Fresno State will be a very athletic basketball team," Kent said. 'They play a lot of one-on-one basketball. They've got a pretty good system. They really pound the glass very similar to this team." Contact the sports reporter at jessethomas@dailyemeratd.com. Hank Hager Behind the dish Don't be deceived by second impression There were issues Monday night at McArthur Court. Issues such as 15 Duck turnovers, 5 of 14 shooting from the free-throw line and 27 rebounds compared to the HA Sports All-Stars' 32. Oh, well. Big deal, lime to move on. Oregon players and head coach Ernie Kent said after the game they were con cerned with those numbers, but in an exhi bition game, those figures really don't mat ter. Those numbers are just statistical figures that get wiped out when the Ducks open the regular season Friday against Fresno State. Worry then if those kind of figures pop up again. With a young team playing at McArthur Court this season, growing pains are expect ed. The starting five of lan Crosswhite, Mitch Platt, Luke Jackson, Andre Joseph and Aaron Brooks has little experience playing with each other. Platt and Brooks started just their second games at Oregon, and Crosswhite didn't start lull time last year. Joseph was the sixth man off the bench in most contests. The only starter from the game Monday that saw significant action early on in games last year was Jackson. No worries. The Oregon offense can be described as high-octane, a run-and-gun kind of fun. The fans at McArthur are going to be on their feet more than last season, more so because of the kinds of plays the Ducks are able to pull off. They will be fast and they will be acrobat ic, which was exactly what the Ducks showed on Monday. The problem is, they passed the ball a little too much and turned the ball over a Turn to HAGER, page 6 Rodgers proving Tedford right by having career season at Cal California defeated Washington by 47 points Saturday with Aaron Rodgers pacing the Golden Bears’ offense By Hank Hager Sports Editor Aaron Rodgers has become the real deal at California. The junior from Chico, Calif., was one person named the Pacific-10 Conference's Player of the Week on Mon day after throwing for 348 yards against Washington on Saturday. His scintillating per formance came as the Golden Bears handily defeated the Huskies, 54-7, for their sixth win of the season. California needs one more win — its final game of the sea son coming against Stanford on Saturday — to become bowl eligible for the first time since 1996. "They've been playing well lately," Rodgers said of the PAC io game next week. "We're going to have to play another good game. It's going to be a big game, the big game. Ihere are a lot of bowl implications on the line for both teams, so it should be interesting." The first of Rodgers' 20 completions came just 18 sec onds in the game and made a statement to the home crowd that the Bears are for real. Wide receiver Geoff McArthur found a seam in the Washington defense and sprinted for a 79-yard touchdown reception. Cal scored four touchdowns and two field goals in its first six possessions. The Golden Bears didn't punt the ball until 2:11 re mained in the third quarter. "We couldn't stop anything they were doing," Wash ington defensive tackle Terry Johnson said. "They were prepared for our schemes." Rodgers has been the catalyst of the California offense that has helped lead the team to three wins in its last four games. In two of those three wins, he's passed for more than 300 yards. Turn to PAC-10, page 6 Mark McCambridge Photographer ‘Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) has been the catalyst for the Cal offense, which has paced the Golden Bears to three victories on their last four games.
