Oregon daily emerald., November 14, 2005, Image 5

Sports
Oregon Daily Emerald
Monday, November 14, 2005
“They've been a special group all season.
I think that it's neat for them to be able
to have this successful season. ”
Mike Bellotti, Oregon coach on this season’s success
■ In my opinion
SHAWN MILLER
FULL-COURT PRESS
Clutch catch
helps change
Kent into
football hero
Three months ago, who honestly pictured
Jordan Kent hauling in a clutch touchdown
reception in a pivotal situation? Forget three
months ago, how about three days ago?
Whatever your thoughts were, whether you
predicted him to become a star or a flop,
Saturday’s 68-yard touchdown catch and run
in the third quarter turned out to be a
game-changing play. But it wasn’t without
hard work, and the past three months haven’t
been a cake walk for the 6-foot-5 student
athlete competing in a trio of collegiate sports
for the first time in the Pacific-10 Conference
since J.D. Hill in 1967-70.
“You don’t stop working. You’ve got to keep
working,” Kent said. “Coach says luck is just
opportunity meeting hard work. Maybe it was
divine intervention or something, but I was
just really happy that... I could do something
to help this team out. The best feeling is just
knowing I could help these guys out.”
Prior to Saturday, Kent only had two catch
es. The first, an over-the-shoulder 41-yard grab
against Division I-AA Montana, and the other
a 5-yard catch in mop-up duty. Other than
that, Kent had faced learning the ins and outs
of a sport he hadn’t played since middle school
without a lot of playing time or success.
So what was running through his mind
while he was sprinting down the field? “I
wasn’t even really thinking. I was just making
sure I crossed that goal line,” Kent said. “The
ball just happened to fall in my hands.... I was
so happy I could finally help this team out.”
Kent said he had caught the play during
practice and the coaches decided to throw it
in for the game.
“I thought it might have been overthrown
by 20 yards,” Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said.
“He’s got great speed. We’ve said that all
along. That’s what he can do right now and
his role can keep expanding. If he makes that
type of play we’ve got to figure out a way to
get him in the game more often. ”
So has the experiment been worth it? Is one
touchdown catch worth a scholarship?
Damn skippy! When Oregon needed a big
play the most, it looked to the player with a
game-breaking skill: speed. And Kent
reinforced his coaches’ belief in him as he not
only got behind but outran his defender to put
the Ducks up by two possessions.
The touchdown didn’t turn out to be the
game-winner, but no one in the stadium could
question the importance and momentum
swing it had. Nobody was more ecstatic than
Kent was after the game.
“I wasn’t worried about, ‘Oh, it was a
touchdown for me,”’ Kent said. “No, this was a
touchdown for the team and more so a touch
down for those guys. Everything they’ve done
for me in the last couple of months — (They
have) helped me learn everything, helped me
feel like a part of the family, not making it hard
for me to adjust. I’m just so thankful for that.”
sm iller@ dailyemerald. com
■ Women's basketball
Richards shines in Oregon defeat
Zane Rrrr | Photographer
Oregon center Gabrielle Richards tries to score against Temple’s 6-foot-2 forward
Candice Dupree. Richards scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds while Dupree,
an All-America candidate, scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.
The Ducks fall to the 21st ranked Temple Owls in
the Women's Sports Foundation Classic final
BY JEFFREY PRANSFELDT
SPORTS REPORTER
Chelsea Richards said the shot
looked and felt good off her
fingertips, but it hit the back of
the rim and bounced out in front
of 3,539 in the championship
game of the Women’s Sports
Foundation Classic.
Wagner’s miss in the final
seconds typified a defense-domi
nated game that No. 21 Temple
won 51-46 against Oregon on
Saturday night at McArthur Court.
Trading baskets and leads,
Oregon (1-1) took a 44-43 lead with
3:21 left when Gabrielle Richards
took a pass amidst three Temple
defenders, made the basket and was
fouled. She added Oregon’s last
basket for a 46-43 lead before
Temple’s defense clamped down.
Temple (2-0) had three consec
utive offensive rebounds and
scored eight consecutive points to
give them a three-point lead and
set up Wagner’s shot. Oregon
point guard Kaela Chapdelaine
ran a pick-and-roll twice as the
second try gave Wagner room.
Although she missed the shot,
Wagner said after the game that she
had been confident it would go in
despite Temple’s frenetic defense.
“They are never going to let
you have a wide-open three,”
Wagner said.
Temple’s Candice Dupree said
her team’s defense was focused on
shutting down Oregon’s offense.
“Every player on that team can
shoot. We knew we had to get
that stop,” Dupree said.
One night after scoring 80
points in a season-opening win
against St. Francis, Oregon turned
to its post players early on.
Oregon’s Richards made her
presence felt, settling deep within
Temple’s defense and scoring eight
first-half points against a tall
Temple front line. Dupree, a 6-foot
2 preseason All-America candi
date, showed why she deserves
attention with 11 points and seven
rebounds in the first half.
Every time Temple needed a
big basket Dupree scored, sinking
the go-ahead basket en route to
Tournament MVP Honors. The
Wooden Award candidate
finished with 21 points and 15
rebounds. Richards, on the All
Tournament Team, posted career
highs in points (20) and rebounds
(12). Her 20 points broke the
19-point record she had set the
night before against St. Francis.
Temple’s defense adjusted in
the second half and forced
Oregon outside. Part Temple
defense, part Oregon's shot selec
tion, the Ducks played on their
heels, compared to attacking with
three-pointers replacing inside
shots, Wagner said.
“We weren’t attacking like we
were; we weren’t getting to the
basket,” Wagner said. “We were
relying too much on Gabe to ...
do all our hard work.”
Two games in, Richards
is shooting .593 and replacing
the inside scoring lost when
Cathrine Kraayeveld and Andrea
BASKETBALL, page 6
■ Duck football
Martinez' kick finishes Cougars, 34-31
The No. 11 Ducks alternate QBs Brady Leaf and Dennis Dixon
on their way to their ninth win of the year over Washington State
BY LUKE ANDREWS
SPORTS REPORTER
PULLMAN, Wash. — For the second consec
utive week, the Oregon Ducks (9-1 overall, 6-1
Pacific-10 Conference) managed a late score
to win the game.
And for the second straight week, a different
quarterback guided their final drive.
This time, Dennis Dixon engineered a
14-play, 73-yard drive to set up a 19-yard field
goal for Paul Martinez with one second remain
ing, lifting the Ducks to a 34-31 victory against
the Washington State Cougars (3-7,0-7) in front
of 27,595 at Martin Stadium.
Last weekend against California, Dixon
split time with fellow sophomore Brady
Leaf, but it was Leaf who guided Oregon to the
victory in overtime.
On the final drive in Pullman on Saturday
night, Dixon got the call and was a perfect 4 of
4 passing for 42 yards. He also ran for 16 yards
on the drive to set up Martinez’ final kick.
“It was loud and cold. It was the worst condi
tions ever,” Dixon said. “But you’ve got to play
through that, which me and Brady did tonight.
It feels excellent.”
The two-quarterback system was again
effective for the Ducks. Dixon finished 16 of 22
passing for 197 yards and a touchdown, and
Leaf, in a homecoming of sorts, was 12 of 17
for 99 yards and a touchdown. Leaf’s older
brother, former Cougar quarterback Ryan, led
Washington State to the Rose Bowl in 1997-98.
“It’s great to get a win out here. I’ve come to
a lot of games here and dreamed about playing
in this stadium since I was little kid,” Leaf said.
The win is Oregon’s sixth straight of the sea
son, its only loss coming on Sept. 24 against
top-ranked USC. At 9-1 the Ducks are off to
their best start since finishing 11-1 in 2001-02.
“I’m proud of this group of kids,” Oregon
coach Mike Bellotti said. “They’ve been a
special group all season. I think it’s neat for
them to be able to have this successful season.”
Oregon trailed at the half against Washington
State after Cougar quarterback and Eugene
native Alex Brink connected with Jason Hill on
a 40-yard desperation pass as time expired,
giving the Cougars a 14-10 lead at the half.
Washington State extended its lead on the
first possession of the second half, driving 80
yards in six plays, capped by Brink’s 34-yard
pass to tailback Jerome Harrison. Harrison fin
ished with 181 yards of total offense.
“Jerome Harrison is, obviously, as good as he
is publicized to be,” Bellotti said.
Oregon responded with a 62-yard drive
that ended when Leaf found wideout James
Finley for an eight-yard touchdown, which
cut the deficit to 21-16. Leaf was six of
eight on the drive for 57 yards. A two-point
conversion failed.
Defensive end Darius Sanders recorded his
first career interception on Washington State’s
Marcus Larson | For the Emerald
Linebacker Brent Haberly points to the Oregon crowd
chanting “BCS, BCS," after Oregon’s 34-31 win after
a last-second field goal against Washington State on
Saturday night.
ensuing possession, setting up the Ducks next
score, a 23-yard reverse by wideout Cameron
Colvin, which gave Oregon a 24-21 lead after
FOOTBALL, page 6