• BASKETBALL EXTRA ®
Oregon Daily Emerald
Friday, March 4, 2005
“It was a great play with Mitch Platt
shooting a 40-footer, huh?”
Oregon head coach Ernie Kent on the team’s botched play in the
closing seconds of regulation in the Ducks’ overtime victory over USC
■ In my opinion
ION ROETMAN
ROUGHING THE PASSER
A veteran
move by a
rookie saves
postseason
It appeared Oregon’s postseason hopes
had come to an end with 1.5 seconds
remaining during Thursday’s game against
Southern California.
With the game tied at 77, Trojan guard
Gabriel Pruitt drove to the basket and floated
a running jump shot over Duck forward
Maarty Leunen. Pruitt’s shot fell through the
net as he collided with Leunen.
The sparse USC crowd of 2,779 mustered a
weak cheer, but was suddenly muffled by an
official’s whistle.
After a season of bad luck, missed
opportunities and growing pains, Leunen
saved the Ducks postseason hopes by
drawing a charge. The veteran move by the
Oregon freshman allowed the game to go to
overtime, where the Ducks won 94-87 at Los
Angeles Sports Arena.
Oregon (14-12 overall, 6-11 Pacific-10
Conference) is now in sole possession of
eighth place in the conference as California
(12-15, 5-12) lost to Washington 106-73 on
Thursday. Washington State (7-10) defeated
Stanford 59-48, however, meaning the
Ducks aren’t guaranteed a berth in the
Pac-10 Tournament just yet.
uregon can assure itseii a spot in tne
tournament by defeating UCLA on Saturday at
Pauley Pavilion. If the Ducks lose to the
Bruins, however, they can still qualify if
the Cougars knock off the Golden Bears on
Saturday at Haas Pavilion.
While having a shot at the Pac-10
Tournament — and ultimately the NCAA
Tournament — will add excitement to the end
of a season of disappointment for Oregon, the
most encouraging aspect of Thursday’s win
was that the Ducks didn’t quit.
Aaron Brooks, who has come under
scrutiny for his recent turnover troubles,
played his heart out for the full 45 minutes of
Thursday’s overtime battle, scoring 14 points
and committing only two turnovers.
Bryce Taylor scored 23 points in 39 minutes
in front of his hometown crowd.
Malik Hairston scored 19 points on
8 of 15 shooting.
The team improved to 71 percent from the
foul line, knocking down 25 of 35 attempts,
including 7 of its last 8 in overtime.
And most importantly, Oregon found a way
to win a game it absolutely needed.
For the youthful Ducks, this win could
spark a new level of confidence.
If so, Oregon will be a very dangerous team
during its return trip to Los Angeles.
jonroetman@ daily emerald, com
■ Men’s basketball
Leunen lifts Oregon past USC, 94-87
L__■■ . -V ■■■_|
Nicholas Peujco | Daily Trojan
Oregon’s Mitch Platt and Jordan Kent trap USC's Gregg Guenther in the Ducks’
94-87 overtime victory Thursday night at Los Angeles Sports Arena.
The freshman draws an offensive foul to send the
game into overtime, then hits a crucial three-pointer
BY CLAYTON JONES
SPORTS EDITOR
Maarty Leunen may have saved
Oregon’s postseason chances.
The freshman from Redmond
took a charge to get the
Ducks into overtime and hit a
three-pointer in the extra period
to give them the lead for good
as the Ducks beat Southern
California in overtime 94-87 at
Los Angeles Sports Arena on
Thursday night.
With 5.1 seconds left in
regulation with the score tied at
77, USC’s Gabriel Pruitt drove the
length of the floor and made a
runner with 1.5 seconds left,
but Leunen stepped in front of
him and planted his feet, and the
official waved the basket and
called an offensive foul, erupting
a chorus of boos from the sparse
2,779 in attendance.
“I saw him the whole way and
saw he wasn’t going to pull up
for the jumper, so I stepped in
front of him,” Leunen told
590 KUGN. “He hit me pretty
hard, but it was worth it.”
The game went into overtime
and was tied at 84 when Leunen
grabbed an offensive rebound
after Ray Schafer missed a
free throw. Oregon (14-12 overall,
6-11 Pacific-10 Conference) set
the offense up again, and Leunen
found himself wide open for a
three-pointer and drained it to
give Oregon an 87-84 lead over
USC (11-17,4-13).
“On that certain play the ball
came to me and I was going to
swing it to Aaron (Brooks), but
I caught it in rhythm and was
wide open,” Leunen said.
“Luckily I hit it.”
Oregon hit 5 of 6 free
throws down the stretch to seal
the victory.
“We grew up through some
adversity,” Oregon head coach
Ernie Kent said. “We didn’t get
rattled at the end of regulation
or in overtime and got a much
needed win.”
Encino, Calif., native Bryce
Taylor played his first game near
home since coming to Oregon
and led a quintet of Duck scorers
in double figures with 23 points,
including 9 of 13 from the
free-throw line.
“It’s hard to go home and do
what he did,” Kent said. “I was
happy with the way he played.”
Brooks logged all 45 minutes
on the court and chipped in 14
points, five rebounds, four as
sists, a steal and a blocked shot.
MEN, page 8
■ Women's basketball
Ducks vie for 20-win season at tourney
Oregon hopes to accomplish the feat for the first time since 2001 -02
when it takes on the winner of the Washington/Oregon State game
BY BRIAN SMITH
SPORTS REPORTER
For the first time in the brief history of the
Pacific-10 Conference Women’s Tournament,
the Oregon women’s basketball team is
expected to win.
On Saturday, the second-seeded Ducks will
take on the winner of the game between
seventh-seeded Washington (13-15 overall,
9-9 Pac-10) and lOth-seeded Oregon State
(6-22, 1-17) in the 2005 Pac-10 Women’s
Basketball Tournament at the HP Pavilion in
San Jose, Calif.
With a win, Oregon (19-8, 12-6) will
win 20 games in a season for the first time
since 2001-02, the first year Bev Smith was
head coach. During that year, the Ducks won
15 games in the regular season and added
seven more in the postseason — which
included a Women’s National Invitation
Tournament championship.
Also with a tournament win, the
Ducks will secure themselves a spot in the
NCAA Tournament for the first time in
Smith’s tenure.
But for now, the Ducks will have to wait
on the winner of tonight’s game to have
a chance at advancing in the Pac-10
Tournament for only the second time in its
four-year history.
“We’re in really good shape for this
week,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said.
“We’re coming off a very tough loss against
Stanford. It was a psychological game for us.
But we’re healthy and we have Cathrine
(Kraayeveld) back. So knock on wood,
everyone is healthy.”
Oregon’s offensive certainly begins with
Kraayeveld, the senior from Kirkland, Wash.,
who is the Ducks’ leading scorer and
rebounder. The 6-foot-4 forward is averaging
14.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Kraayeveld, who was just named to
the All-Pac-10 Women’s basketball team,
is coming of an infection in her elbow,
which has led to a string of sub-par
performances of late. In the Ducks’ 76-45
loss against Stanford, Kraayeveld was held
scoreless for the first time in her career as a
starter at Oregon.
However, she rebounded against California
on Saturday, leading the Ducks with 14
points, four assists and three steals to secure
the No. 2 seed.
“Our strength on offensive is absolutely
inside,” Smith said. “And I know the last half
of the Pac-10, teams did a good job trying to
limit that, and that’s what we are looking
forward to in the postseason, to get the
ball inside.”
Oregon senior
Brandi Davis is
averaging
10.1 points and
is 10th in the
Pac-10 in three
point percentage
thk
Tim Bobosky | Photographer
Kraayeveld is joined by fellow post player
and fellow All-Pac-10 player Andrea Bills.
The senior received her first All-Pac-10 honor
along with Kraayeveld on Thursday. Bills is
WOMEN, page 8