Sports Editor
Hank Hager
hankhager@dailyemerald.com
Monday, February 9,2004
Oregon Daily Emerald
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Oregon holds on for important Civil War victory
The Ducks overcame a late
eight-point deficit for their
sixth Pac-10 win of the year
By Hank Hager
Sports Editor
It was a game the Ducks absolutely
needed to remain alive for the NCAA
Tournament.
Or so they said. Either way, it was a
game against the Pacific-10 Confer
ence's lOth-place team.
Absolutely winnable, right?
Oregon State made a game out of it
holding the lead until the eight
the final three minutes, defeated the
Beavers, 81-74, in front of a sold-out
McArthur Court on Saturday.
"If we lose this game, we probably
don't get into the NCAA Tournament"
Oregon guard Andre Joseph said.
"Everybody had to be focused. This is a
big win for us at home."
A win is a win, and this is a win
that could mean the season for Ore
gon. With Arizona losing to Stanford
earlier in the day, it meant California
was all alone in second place in the
Pacific-10 Conference.
With a win, the Ducks would slip
into third, slighdy ahead of Arizona.
With a loss, the/d be in pushed down
the standings, behind the Wildcats,
UCLA and Washington.
"Just watching Pac-10 basketball
this week and seeing Stanford beat
Arizona, I knew it was a good
chance for our team to make a run
and get a lead on some of the teams
in the Pac-10," Oregon forward
Luke Jackson said. "This was a huge
game. There was a timeout where
the guys just came together and
said, "This is our season right here.'"
MEN'S
BASKETBALL
minute mark
of the second
Civil War of
the season.
The Ducks,
buoyed by
nine points in
That run was helped along by a
three-pointer by Joseph with 1:38
left to play in the game. With time
quickly winding down on the shot
clock, Joseph buried the three,
sending Oregon (11-6 overall, 6-4
Pac-10) to a five-point lead.
"He hit that three from deep and
I just wanted to go hug him," Jack
son said.
Both teams played the give-and-take
game throughout the afternoon.
When it was Oregon's turn, the Ducks
took a 10-point lead with nine min
utes to play in the first half.
Then the Beavers (8-12, 2-8)
went on a run, staking out a one
point lead with 2:37 remaining in
the first half.
It pretty much went that way for
the Beavers through the early part of
the second half. Oregon State was
up, 59-51, eight minutes into the sec
ond half. The Beavers scored the first
six points of the half and kept the
Ducks from making a field goal un
til almost six minutes had elapsed.
Oregon State looked to be in
control. Oregon's shots were not
falling, and the Ducks were not
making stops on the defensive end.
"We gave them easy baskets right
off the bat," Jackson said. "We were
missing shots we're capable of
knocking down. We gave them a lot
of confidence."
The Ducks started making those
stops and grabbed the lead with
7:43 remaining. Jackson then took
over the game, posting eight of his
game-leading 24 points in the final
six minutes.
"It was a great gut-check win for
this program," Oregon head coach
Ernie Kent said. "There did come a
point in time that the team dug in
its heels and decided it was going to
win this basketball game."
Ian Crosswhite had 16 points for
the Ducks and was tied for the
team-high with seven rebounds.
Turn to VICTORY, page 8
Andre Joseph had 14
points for the Ducks,
who now sit at third
place in the Pac-10.
Oregon split the
season series with
Oregon State,
pushing the Beavers
to 2-8 in Pac-10 play
this season.
Erik Bishoff Photographer
Career-best performance, defense equate to OSU win
Oregon’s offensive presence was
limited in Saturday’s loss by a lull
in the Ducks’ three-point attack
By Mindi Rice
Senior Sports Reporter
CORVALLIS—There are basketball teams
that live and die by the three-point shot
Then there is Oregon.
"I don't think we really live and die by the
three-point" guard Chelsea Wagner said. "I
think we've been relying on it a lot lately."
During Oregon's 3-9 Pacific-10 Confer
ence season, the Ducks have taken at least 17
three-point shot attempts in their three vic
tories, making eight shots in two of the wins.
Saturday, the Ducks had just eight at
tempts against Oregon State. Those eight,
it seemed, either went right in the basket
or had no chance — in equal proportion.
By percentages, Saturday was Oregon's
best three-point shooting night of the sea
son as the Ducks were 4 for 8. But basket
ball isn't a game of percentages.
"You've got to credit Oregon State's de
fense," Oregon head coach Bev Smith said.
"They played very well, they kept in our
shooters' faces and one of the reasons that
Turn to LOSS, page 6
Tim Kupsick Freelance Photographer
Eleanor Haring (54) scored 12 points Saturday.
Oregon State uses Brina Chaney’s 31
points to beat Oregon in the season's
second Civil War matchup; the teams split
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
CORVALLIS — Oregon simply had no answer for
Brina Chaney.
The 6-foot-5 Oregon State left-hander scored a ca
_ reer-high 31 points — indud
UIIAMCM'C ing 15 of 15 from the foul line
WIJIwlfc.il Si —to help the Beavers to a 75
BASKETBALL 61 w>n over the Ducks on Sat
- urday in front of 4,763 at Gill
Coliseum.
Oregon experimented with several different de
fenders against Chaney, with each ultimately failing
to slow the Seattle-area native. Fouling the Beaver cen
ter was the Ducks' only option in most cases, but even
that didn't work.
Chaney's 15 free throws — without a miss — tied a
Pacific-10 Conference record set by UCLA's Maylana
Martin in 1999.
"I think we gave her a lot of really good looks and a
lot of great touches," Oregon State head coach Judy
Spoelstra said. "Brina just had a great work ethic in
there tonight."
Chaney said the Beavers had revenge on their
minds after losing the season's first Civil War
matchup, 56-54, at McArthur Court.
"We had extra motivation (after) losing a tough
one down there earlier in the season," Chaney
said. "We weren't going to lose on our home court
to the Ducks."
Oregon State (12-9 overall, 6-6 Pac-10) opened
the game with a 16-2 run and stayed in control for
the remainder of the contest. Oregon (11-11, 3-9)
pulled to within 10 on a three-pointer by Brandi
Davis with 12 minutes remaining in the second
half, but the Beavers scored 21 of the next 29 points
to blow open the game.
The Ducks were held scoreless for the first four min
utes and 20 seconds of the game until a layup by An
drea Bills cut the Beaver lead to 10-2.
"The first (five) minutes were just a killer for us,"
Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. "We gave them a
14-point lead and even though we chipped away at it
... it just takes too much out of you. That flat start is
going to be the death of us and we're going to keep
learning that lesson until we get it right."
Oregon State made shutting down Oregon's
perimeter attack a point of emphasis entering Satur
day after Chelsea Wagner and Davis torched the
Beavers for 31 points and seven three-pointers in the
season's first Civil War matchup.
The Beavers were successful in their defensive quest
limiting the Ducks to only eight three-point attempts
and a 43 percent shooting clip for the game. Wagner
was held to one three-point attempt in 14 minutes as
constant pressure from Beaver guards and a lack of
Turn to CIVIL WAR, page 6