Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2005)
Improvement away from Mac Court key for Ducks Oregon needs solid defense to escape a repeat of last year's 2-7 away record BY BRIAN SMITH SPORTS REPORTER The Ducks are a road trip and a homestand into the Pacific-10 Confer ence season, and one thing has be come clear. Home is where the victories are. The road is a whole different story. In order for the Ducks to finish in the upper half of the Pac-10, they will have to improve on last year’s 2-7 mark in conference games away from McArthur Court. Under the current tenure of head coach Bev Smith, the Ducks have gone 9-18 and have never won more than four conference games in each of the last three years on the road. So far in the 20C4-05 season, only three teams in the Pac-10 have records at .500 or above on the road. Confer ence front-runner UCLA (9-3 overall, 3-0 Pac-10), second-place Stanford (11 2, 3-1) and Arizona, (10-3,2-1) which is tied for third. All three teams are ex pected to contend for this year’s title. “We have to win on the road,” Ore gon senior Andrea Bills said. “We have to be more aggressive offensively. ” Some of the Ducks’ biggest road tests are still to come. Oregon rou tinely has trouble playing both Ari zona schools and still has to face Stanford and California in the final two games of the year. One of the biggest keys to stealing a few games on the road and contin uing to win at home will be the Ducks’ defensive play for the rest of the season. The self-proclaimed hallmark of the team by players and coaches alike, sol id defense will keep an inconsistent As of late, Oregon’s Andrea Bills has been quiet in terms of scoring. In Tuesday’s loss to UCLA, she recorded only four points even though she averages 10.8 points per game. Erik R. Bishoff | Photographer Hurt nffpncp in thp cramp Hofnnca -mrl nn The Ducks rank sixth in the Pac-10 in scoring offense, averaging 68.2 points per game. They also rank last in the conference in offensive re bounds, which means Oregon relies on many one-and-done opportunities to score points. Only two Ducks, senior Cathrine Kraayeveld and Bills, are averaging double-figures in points for the season, with 16.1 and 10.8 per game respectively. “ (At times) we are going to strug gle,” Kraayeveld said of the team’s of fense. “We just gotta bring it out of ourselves. It’s a matter of pride.” For much of the beginning of the year, the Ducks showed pride both held George Washington to 40 points at the annual Pap£ Jam in December, the lowest point total by a Duck op ponent since Boise State scored 29 in the 2000-01 season. In the second conference game of the year against Pac-10 powerhouse Stanford, the Ducks held the Cardinal to 52 points in their upset of the No. 5 team in the country. However, during its current three game road trip, the Duck defense has n’t been up to par, as Oregon has given up 151 points against Southern Califor nia and UCLA combined. “We didn’t play defense,” Oregon junior guard Chelsea Wagner said WOMEN, page 6B Men: Crosswhite, Platt must remain strong Continued from page 2B include freshman forward Maarty Le unen, guard Chamberlain Oguchi and sophomore transfer guard Kenny Love. “The intensity is a lot higher,” Le unen said. “Guys are giving it their all because that’s how you make it to the NCAAs.” To balance their strong perimeter play, the Ducks will need to continue improving their play down low. Ju nior center Ian Crosswhite and soph omore forward Mitch Platt have shown flashes of dominance lately and can help the Ducks’ offense. “The biggest thing for us right now is getting our rhythm back, getting a little bit of our swagger back,” head coach Ernie Kent said. “I have to con tinue to remind myself that this is a young team. I sit down and have a conversation with Malik, and it re minds me that I’m talking with some one who is just 17 years of age. ” On paper, Oregon is far too young to compete for one of the top spots in the conference and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. On the court, Oregon can look like a young, confused team that has no business playing with the big boys. But there are times when Oregon looks like it can run or shoot any team in the country out of the gym. Will Oregon compete for the con ference title? Will the Ducks earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament? Depends on which team shows up. jonroetman@ dailyemerald, com mid-town \ Jat*y**‘4'* • nictro. Co*!•S^JS'SSS^ -sss&sgssss ,h8. U9ht Dinner* DaW? Breakfast, U>n*&T*! c^«2fStfJS*2S« gggSft vork-style da" sandwich' 9°urm , YorK-sxy* Eugene ^"^■European Authentic New ,nthe heart of ***£»« ^Rapuf Refitt Ink Tired of paying too much for inkjet & laser toner cartridges? Reuse your empty cartridge! Save 40-70% Drop Box Locations on Campus • U of O Book Store • Digital Duck • EMU • Law school Visit one of our four locations or use any of the over one hundred Drop Boxes around town. 830 Willamette St. Valley River Center 1925 River Road 3570 West 11th 541.334.4465 541.345.4465 541.689.3513 541.686.4651 www.RapidRefilllnk.com 824 Charnelton • Eugene, OR • 97401 Sun-Wed: 11 am-1 am Thur-Sat: 11 am - 2 am Eugene 686-5808 T^SPizzci \ Pipeline Eugene 686-5808 14" Pepperoni 2 free drinks $^99 824 Charnelton • Eugene, OR • 97401 Not valid with any other offer expires 1/9/0; Eugene' 686-5808 a 11 vi way ui 824 Charnelton. Eugene, OR • 97401 Not valid with any other offer 16 Two-topping 2 free drinks $ gg Any side item § 824 Charnelton. Eugene, OR Not valid with any other offer 97401 expires 1/9/05 JL^_IL
