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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2004)
Sports Editor: Hank Hager hankhager@dailyemerald.com Tuesday, April 6,2004 Oregon Daily Emerald SPORTS Best bet MLB: San Francisco vs. Houston 5 p.m., ESPN2 Huskies deny Yellow Jackets, take NCAA title Emeka Okafor scores 24 and grabs 15 rebounds in Connecticut’s national title victory on Monday By Aditi Kinkhabwala The Record (KRT) SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Thirty seven minutes, three seconds into the game, Jim coach turned to his bench and lashed out at assistant George Blaney. For three years Calhoun's MEN'S BASKETBALL Calhoun was at it again. A whistle blew, the Connecticut been yelling at Blaney, and now, 2:57 from his second national championship was no time to stop. Not with the Huskies up by 12. Not with the Huskies playing with zeal and fervor, with passion and sheer dominance. No, he gave Blaney an evil eye 30 seconds later, had cross words for likely lottery pick Ban Gordon with 1:05 to go, and then again for Blaney with less than 43 seconds to play and the Alamod ome crowd filing out. Jim Calhoun didn't stop working Monday night. And neither did the Huskies. Not till they'd captured the national title they'd been picked to win back in October, not till Georgia Tech valiantly went down, 82-73. "This is the best feeling in the world," said star UConn guard Ben Gordon, who scored 21 points. "I just keep on telling myself that I would not be denied, and that I would not let my team lose no matter what." All-America center Emeka Okafor had his say in the matter, leading the winners with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Calhoun said of his players: "1 fell in love with them." Denham Brown came to the bench with a smile and a head slap for Charlie Villanueva with 40 sec onds to go, two handfuls of former Connecticut stars - led by Ray Allen - filed behind the bench with 30 seconds to go, Alamodome Turn to TITLE, page 8 Connecticut's Emeka Okafor and Georgia Tech’s Luke Schenscher(12) battled for the ball during the Huskies' 82-73 victory in the national championship on Monday in San Antonio. Patrick Schneider Charlotte Observer Hank Hager Behind the dish Bring in big-time baseball to Eugene Portland opens up the 2004 Pa cific Coast League Baseball season Thursday. The Beavers are on the road for ;; the start of the season, heading out to Las Vegas Editor's note: Sports Editor Hank Hager has interned and worked for the Portland Beavers andtheEugene Emeralds. to take on the 51 s, the Triple-A dub of the Los Angeles Dodgers. On April 16, the Beavers return to Portland to take on the 51s again. The Turn to HAGER, page 10 To the future Oregon struggled through an inconsistent season but looks to right some wrongs next year Adam Amato Senior Photographer Aaron Brooks missed 10 games this season due to injury, but returned in an Oregon loss to Arizona. He returns for the 200405 season as a key component of an Oregon offense that will miss Luke Jackson, Andre Joseph and James Davis. By Hank Hager Sports Editor Oregon's 78-53 loss to Michi gan last week in the semifi nals of the National Invita tion Tournament didn't just end the Ducks' season. It also ended the college careers of four seniors and an era unparalleled in Oregon's history. Goodbye, Luke Jackson. See you later, James Davis. Hit the road, Jay Anderson. Don't look back, Andre Joseph. Their careers are done. But in doing so, those legacies open the door for the future of Oregon basketball. _ "Luke Jack after the loss. "He's going to leave num bers, footprints and legacies that may never be matched again at Oregon. I can't say enough about what he's ac complished. "With the other three seniors, for this team to go through the injuries and the adversity, we played some outstanding basketball our last six out MIEN'S BASKETBALL son has had an incredible ca reer, " Oregon head coach Ernie Kent said Turn to FUTURE, page 10 Club baseball comes out on short end in 3-game series Oregon catcher Jon Loomis was named the player of the week in the NCBA last week. He helped the Ducks to a win over Washington Saturday at Civic Stadium in Eugene. Erik R. Bishoff Photographer The Ducks won the first game of a three game series against Western Washington By Kirsten McEwen Freelance Reporter What a difference an inning makes. Heading into the seventh and final inning on Sun day, Oregon's Club baseball team led Western Wash ington 11-4 at Eugene's Civic Stadium. The Ducks (12-3) were only three outs away from winning the series against one of their toughest opponents and secur ing first place in the National Club Baseball Association. When the top of the seventh inning ended, Western Washing ton (2-1) had scored nine runs and taken the lead, 13-11. All nine runners came around to score before Oregon even secured an out. Western Washington took the series, 2-1. Club Sports "It's one thing when you lose, but n. s another thing when you have the game in your hand and lose at the very end," Oregon center fielder Tory Caputo said. A day earlier, the Ducks struggled against Western Washington from the start, finding themselves behind 9-0 heading into the fourth inning of the first game of a doubleheader. Oregon managed to score six runs in the fourth inning, and in its last inning at bat, the Ducks tied the game at 11. Catcher Jon Loomis' single brought the winning run home and the Ducks won their first home game, 12-11. Then came game two. "We thought we had tons of momentum going into our second game and we did. We jumped on them and got a 5-0 lead," first baseman Jeff Douglas said. Third baseman Travis Chock hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning to put the Ducks up early. In the fifth, Oregon gave up six runs and found itself behind, 11-6, going into the last Turn to SERIES, page 9
