Sports Editor:
Hank Hager
hankhager@dailyemerald.com
Wednesday, January 21 2004
Oregon Daily Emerald
SPORTS
Best bet
NCAA basketball:
Duke vs. Maryland
6 p.m., ESPN
Erik Bishoff Photographer
Luke Jackson, 33, and James Davis have combined to average almost six three-pointers a game.
Jackson, Davis prove
sharpshooting is a must
The ‘deadly duo' combines to average
more than 35 points and almost six
three-pointers per game so far this season
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said James Davis is
one of the best shooters he's ever coached.
Forward Luke Jackson has shot a little less than
44 percent from beyond the three-point line in Pa
_ cific-10 Conference play and
from beyond the three-point arc, leading Oregon
to a national-best 43.7 shooting percentage from
downtown.
And that's just two Ducks. Factor in Andre Joseph,
who is 20 of 43 overall this season, and Brandon
Lincoln, who has made 34.5 percent of his three
point shots, and you've got a stone-cold three-point
shooting team.
Oregon is a prime perimeter team that can decide
games single-handedly from beyond the arc.
"This has always been an excellent three-point
shooting basketball team," Kent said. "The differen.ee
this year, particularly over the last couple of years, is
we're taking a lot more just better shots, as opposed
to we took some bad shots, I felt, last year."
Davis, in particular, has dominated Oregon's
outside game, especially in Pac-10 play. He has
made 21 of 32 shots in the Ducks' five games,
leading to 15 points per contest.
He tied a career high with seven three-pointers
against Southern California on Jan. 2.
Flow do you describe Davis in two words?
"Consistent and fluid," Lincoln said. "His shot
always looks the same no matter if he's fading
away or shooting straight on balance. He always
keeps the same mechanics."
Davis has also improved from last season. He
hit some pockets — albeit small ones — of
inconsistency last year, but still led the Ducks
with a 43.1 percentage. This season, he is shoot
ing 52 percent.
The same goes for Jackson. A year ago, he posted
By Hank Hager
Sports Editor
MEN’S
BASKETBALL
he's still far behind Davis'
65.6 percent clip.
Together, Jackson and
Davis make up a deadly duo
a 36.3 percent mark from the three-point line and
has upped that to 45.7 overall.
"One of my goals was to improve my range," Jack
son said. "And my jumper and 1 feel good at where
it's at right now."
The beneficiaries of the hot outside shooting in
clude Oregon's post men who have been given more
room to work down low. Drawing out an opponent's
big men is key, especially come Thursday when Ike
Diogu hosts the Ducks at Arizona State.
Ian Crosswhite has led the big mens' resurgence
at Oregon, averaging 13.7 points and 6.8 rebounds
per game.
As a team, the Ducks are averaging two less re
bounds per game, 34, than last season, but have held
opponents to a little more than 31 per game.
"This year, we have a little more of an inside pres
ence so other teams are going to have to double team
and stop the inside scoring," Crosswhite said. "Then
the outside guys will get open."
Ranked and ready
Aside from being the best team nationally on
three-point shooting, in terms of statistics the Ducks
sit at 25th in the country with 79.9 points per game.
I lad Oregon played two more games this season to
this point, lackson would be sitting pretty in the na
tional rankings as well. The Creswell native is averag
ing 22.6 points per game, but to be eligible on the na
tional lists, he needs to have played in at least 14
games or have scored at least 279 points.
Jackson has played in all 12 of Oregon's games and
has posted 271 points.
He does, however, sit 24th in the nation in free
throw shooting at an 89 percent (65 of 73) clip.
Blast from the past
ESPN.com's Bill Walton, in analyzing Indiana's situ
ation in the Eastern Conference this season, described
former Oregon guard Fred Jones in different tones.
"Deep down the rotation is a couple of ever
ready guys who are salivating to establish them
selves as real NBA players in Freddie Jones and
Jamison Brewer," Walton wrote. "Freddie — with
all due respect to Steve Jones and Danny Ainge — is
easily argued as the best player to ever come out of
the state of Oregon."
Later in his column, Walton isn't so positive about
Jones' talents. According to the former Trail Blazer,
this scenario could easily happen if the Pacers don't
Turn to SHOOTING, page 9A
Ducks’ week of firsts
comes at right time
in conference season
Oregon’s return to the win
column Saturday brought
out some feats they hadn't
seen on the court in 2004
By Mindi Rice
Senior Sports Reporter
It was, in fact, the Ducks' worst loss in
Pacific-10 Conference history Thursday:
WOMEN'S
BASKETBALL
A 95-50 defeat at
the hands of
Washington in
the Bank of
America Arena.
They turned it
around Saturday with a 60-50 win
against Washington State and ended
their skid with a large number of "firsts"
in 2004.
It was the first time since a Nov. 16 vic
tory against LSU that Oregon had a 20
point scorer — junior guard Brandi Davis.
It was the first time since a Dec. 18 loss
to George Washington that the Ducks
outrebounded their opponent.
It was the first time since a Dec. 16 win
against Santa Clara that Oregon scored
60 points.
And it was the first time since a Dec. 6
victory against Colorado State that the
Ducks held their opponent to 50 points.
"It was an opportunity for us to re
bound and get back on the floor and do
the things we didn't do against Washing
ton," Oregon head coach Bev Smith said.
"We really had to let that game go and
get back on the court. We didn't talk
much about WSU, it was all about us
on Saturday."
But the Ducks are not thinking of one
win as letting them off the hook. Ore
gon's focus is turning to the Arizona
schools as they come to town Thursday
and Saturday, as well as continuing on
the team working together.
"We understand that the win against
Washington State was what we needed,
Turn to FIRSTS, page 9A
California ‘shocked’ by death
of Lewis by apparent meningitis
The Golden Bears' Alisa Lewis passed
away Monday in Oakland; she was 20
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
California junior Alisa Lewis died Monday morn
ing in Oakland, Calif., from apparent bacterial menin
gitis, university officials said.
Lewis — a 20 year old from Spokane, Wash. — died
shortly after being taken to the hospital Sunday night
with a severe headache, rash and flu-like symptoms.
A team spokeswoman told The Associated Press on
Monday that doctors believe Lewis probably died
from bacterial meningitis, an infection that attacks the
brain covering and spinal cord, and spreads through
saliva and mucus. The final cause of death, however,
is pending further tests.
"Our hearts go out to Alisa's family following this
horrible, devastating news," California head coach
Caren Horstmeyer told the AP. "Alisa was one of the
nicest, hardest-working players I've had the opportu
nity to coach. We're all in a complete state of shock."
Lewis averaged 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10
games as a reserve this season.
The 5-foot-11 forward spent the first three seasons
of her prep career at Fairfield High School in the Bay
Area before attending Gonzaga Prep in Spokane her
senior year.
Oregon head coach Bev Smith
said Lewis' death is a reminder
on how short life can be.
"It's really tragic and unfortu
nate," Smith said. "It puts in per
spective that you have to live
every day as it is your last be
cause you never know. Our
hearts go out to the family and
the Cal team."
Smith also talked to Oregon
players on a one-on-one basis Alisa Lewis
about minimizing the chance
of contracting meningitis by practicing good hy
giene and not sharing water bottles.
Husky turnaround
Washington (10-7 overall, 3-5 Pacific-10 Confer
ence) appears to be back on track after sweeping the
Oregon schools last week.
The Huskies improved to 3-5 in the Pac-10 after an
injury-plagued 1-5 start. Washington, picked to finish
third in both preseason conference polls, hosts Wash
ington State (4-13,0-8) on Saturday.
Husky guard Giuliana Mendiola said teamwork was
one of the main reasons Washington has been successful.
"Whoever stepped on the court brought great inten
sity," Mendiola said after Thursday's 95-50 win against
Turn to BACTERIA, page 8A