Adam Amato Senior Photographer
Ian Crosswhite scored 17 points for Oregon Thursday in the Ducks’ third consecutive loss,
85-81, at California. It is also the third year in a row that the Ducks have lost in Berkeley.
DEFEAT
continued from page 7
After California's Marquise Kately
nailed a jumper with 16.7 seconds re
maining, Brooks brought the ball up
the floor on an isolation play.
Brooks, who scored a career-high
16 points and netted four three-point
ers in the second half, couldn't make
anything happen.
He attempted to drive through the
lane, but was blocked by California
defenders. The ball was tapped away
and fell helplessly to the ground.
"I pump faked and he kind of
slapped me," Brooks said, not com
pletely sure if California's Ayinde Uba
ka was the player who made contact.
"It's the end of the game and the refs
won't call that. I wish I would have
done something else, obviously."
Jackson appeared to be open on
the play, as did forward Ian Cross
white. It was, as Oregon's season has
gone, a missed opportunity.
"We put the belli into Aaron's hands
because he had bothered them with
his quickness," Kent said.
Oregon's offense on the night was
solid. The Ducks shot 42.9 percent
from the field and connected on 11
three-pointers.
There were, however, two stretches
where Oregon went cold and kept
California in control.
At the 13:43 mark in the second half,
Oregon scored from the field — a
Brooks' three-pointer—but didn't score
again for a little more than 10 minutes.
"Shots weren't falling," Oregon
guard Andre Joseph said. "Sometimes
they just don't go in."
The loss leaves the Ducks reeling,
having lost three straight and facing
undefeated Stanford at Maples Pavil
ion on Saturday in Palo Alto.
Oregon has not won at Maples
since 1986.
"We've got to get at least (one) win
on this trip," Joseph said.
Contact the sports editor
at hankhager@dailyemerald.com.
SPORTS BRIEF
Oregon women head into
first spring tournament
The Oregon women's golf team
opens its 2004 spring season Friday at
the Pinehurst Challenge in Pinehurst,
N.C. The Ducks will look for some
carryover from their solid fall season,
during which they finished with top
10's in each of their four tournaments,
including their first team title since
2000 with their win at the Lady Van
dal Invitational in September.
The Ducks, who finished the fall sea
son ranked 24th in the nation and cur
rently sit in 30th according to
Golfweek, will compete against a 17
team field on the 5,926-yard, par-72
Pinehurst No. 8. The competition in
cludes Appalachian State, College of
Charleston, Charleston Southern,
Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Geor
gia State, Jacksonville State, James
Madison, Maryland, Memphis, UNC
Greensboro, UNC Wilmington, Penn
State, Richmond, South Florida and
Virginia. Washington State and Oregon
are the only two teams in the tourna
ment from west of the Mississippi River.
"Over the last few years, I've tried to
find one tournament that is different
from the schedule that we usually
play," Oregon coach Shannon Rouil
lard said. "It gives us a chance to com
pete against some teams from the East
we usually don't see and show how
strong the Oregon program is."
The Ducks will send juniors Jess Car
lyon and Johnna Nealy, sophomores
Erin Andrews and Michelle Timpani
and freshman Kim McCready to the
team's first visit to Pinehurst.
"The golf course may be somewhat
different than what we're used to and
this will be the first time that any of us
have seen it," Rouillard said. "But
when you're competing against teams
you're not familiar with, you just need
to focus on what you're doing. We
need to focus on us."
So far in the 2003-04 season the
Ducks have done just that. They will
look to recapture the momentum |
from the fall behind sophomore Erin
Andrews, who is ranked 57th individ
ually in Golfweek and will be vying
for her second individual title of the
year, her first coming at the Lady Van- !
dal Invitational.
The Ducks will also look to capture
their second team title of the year Fri- I
day, when they play 18. The Ducks j
will conclude the 54-hole tourna
ment Sunday. !
— Brian Smith
THINK AHEAD...
now leasing for *04-'05
ISIII1I1II
338*4000
www.universitycommons.com • Open MON-FRI 9 - 6 • SAT 10-4
!
■
SPORTS BRIEF
Ducks search for Pac-10
championship success
It has come down to this for the
Oregon wrestling team.
All the practices, hard work, frus
trating losses, cutting weight, and in
juries are about to come to a climax.
The Ducks enter the 2004 version
of the Pacific-10 Conference tourna
ment, and not a moment too soon.
Oregon will be competing with
its conference rivals for a shot at the
NCAA Tournament on March 18-20
in St. Louis.
While it is unlikely the team will
qualify for an NCAA bid, individu
als representing the Ducks have a
shot at making the field and contin
uing their season.
"I'd say if we don't qualify five
guys, then it will be disappointing,"
Chet McBee said.
It has been a frustrating season
for the Ducks, but unlike other
sports, the season will depend on
how the team and its individuals
participate in this tournament
alone. Past failures and successes
mean nothing now.
In fact, one could make an argu
ment that the season was one big
practice before this weekend.
"We want wrestlers to look at the
most important match of the year as
the one in front of them," head
coach Chuck Kearney said. "And
have everything they have worked
for, not just this season, but your
lifetime to come to fruition."
Oregon is coming off its only Pac
10 victory of the season after beating
Portland State a week ago.
"(In that match) some guys had
n't opened up all of their technique
and haven't put it all together, up to
that point," McBee said. "So, it was
important we got that win."
"Whenever you win you feel bet
ter," Kearney said. "You wrestle bet
ter in practice. Hopefully it gives
them a shot of confidence going
into the tournament."
Each wrestler competes in four
matches with the top four finish
ers from each weight class earning
a bid to the NCAA tournament in
St. Louis.
Oregon finished fifth a year
ago, qualifying three wrestlers for
the tournament, including senior
Jason Harless.
But despite a down year, Oregon
wants and expects a little something
special in the Pac-10 tournament.
"(The wrestlers) have grown up
being involved in big tournaments
their whole life," Kearney said.
"The challenge is to get yourself
up each time."
"If there is a guy (on the team)
that doesn't have aspirations to be a
National Champion, or an All
American, they are in the wrong
place. We are going to go hard, and
let the chips fall where they may."
The tournament runs Sunday and
Monday beginning at 11 a.m. in
Tempe, Ariz.
-Scott Archer
TENNIS
continued from page 7
4-3, last season.
Back at home
The 60th-ranked Oregon men
(6-1 overall) return home after
two consecutive weeks on the road
to compete against No. 8 Rice to
day at 4 p.m. and 18th-ranked
Washington on Saturday at the
Student Tennis Center.
Oregon head coach Chris Russell
said playing at home will be key this
season and believes it will help his
team pull off some surprises against
top-ranked visiting squads.
" I do feel like the guys have a be
lief that playing on our home
courts that anything can happen."
Russell said. "We have to play well,
there's no doubt about it. We
wouldn't schedule them if we did
n't think we could beat them."
Rice assistant coach Shaheen Lad
hani said he is expecting a tough
matchup on the road.
"Oregon has a very good team
and they are more than capable of
causing big upsets," Ladhani said.
"We have our work cut out for us. It
should be a great match."
Alex Tam is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.
LAZAR’S BAZAR
57 W. BROADWAY *687-0139
All other departments will never go out of business.
LAZAR’S BAZAR IS
CLOSING OUT
Closing down the following departments:
• Snowboards Dept.
• Pipes & Waterpipes Dept. (Buy 1, Get 2 Free)
• Clothing Dept.
STUDENT GROUPS
Advertise in the Emerald.
Call 346-3712 to speak with a rep.
We have great University rates.
t.i t