Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2016)
Page 2B SPORTS East Oregonian Tuesday, January 5, 2016 NFL College Basketball Seattle gets boost for playoffs No. 15 UCLA knocks off No. 11 Oregon St By TIM BOOTH Associated Press RENTON, Wash. — Perhaps Pete Carroll and the rest of the Seattle Seahawks were correct when they said their loss in Week 16 was a one-time aberration on their way to the playoffs. The Seahawks’ resounding 36-6 rout of Arizona to close out the regular season on Sunday backed what Carroll and his team had been saying all week in the lead-up to the ¿QDOHWKDWWKH\FRXOGUHFDS- ture what had led them from a 4-5 mark to a fourth straight postseason berth. And as they get ready to face Minnesota in the NFC wild-card game on Sunday, the Seahawks are also getting a familiar face back for WKH ¿UVW WLPH LQ QHDUO\ WZR months: Marshawn Lynch. “This was about momentum,” Carroll said. “You guys ask about it. Do you need it? You want it if you can get it. We feel good about where we’re going. It ZDVMXVWIXQWR¿QLVKIRRWEDOO playing like that.” Seattle closed the season with six wins in seven games, and the blowout of the Cardinals answered all the questions that were raised when the Seahawks stum- bled in a home loss against St. Louis a week prior. Making Seattle’s performance even more impressive was the number of key contributors that were spectators. Starting offensive linemen Russell Okung and J.R. Sweezy, starting tight end Luke Willson and standout strong safety Kam Chancellor all missed the game with injuries. And yet, the Seahawks built a 30-6 halftime lead and were able to pull most of their starters for the fourth quarter. “We’re pleased we were able to do that again, knowing what was coming up and we’d have to do this in the playoffs,” Carroll said. By BETH HARRIS Associated Press LOS ANGELES — UCLA has played a tough schedule the last two seasons, and the Bruins never had a victory over a ranked team to show for it. Until now. Jordin Canada scored 24 points and the 15th-ranked Bruins defeated No. 11 Oregon State 71-51 Monday night IRUWKHLU¿UVWZLQRYHUDUDQNHGRSSRQHQWLQRYHUWZR\HDUV “We’ve been talking all year about Women earn what you want,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “These players really bought into the game plan.” Canada hit all four of her 3-point Oregon St. attempts — a career high — in helping the Bruins (11-3, 3-0 Pac-12) end their 21-game skid against ranked opponents. The Bruins had lost their last 10 games against ranked teams at Pauley Pavilion. Their previous win at home came on Nov. UCLA 24, 2013, when they knocked off No. 10 Oklahoma 82-76. Kari Korver added 12 points, including three 3-pointers, and Nirra Fields had 10 for the Bruins. “It’s really fun to play as hard as we did and get the result we did,” Korver said. -DPLH:HLVQHU ZDV WKH RQO\ %HDYHU LQ GRXEOH ¿JXUHV with 19 while in foul trouble. Oregon State (10-3, 1-1) had a season-high 26 turnovers that led to 23 points by the Bruins. “Their pressure was really effective,” OSU coach Scott Rueck said. “They forced us into a lot of mistakes. We didn’t get comfortable offensively.” UCLA held Ruth Hamblin to seven points on just four VKRWVDQG¿YHUHERXQGVDIWHUVKHSLFNHGXSWZRIRXOVLQ WKH¿UVWKDOI “Ruth is one of the best post players in the country,” Close said. “We had to disrupt vision and it was having an attack mentality on offense.” The Bruins led 35-27 at halftime and pulled away in the third quarter. That’s when they outscored the Beavers 24-16, helped by two 3-pointers from Canada. 51 AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File In this Oct. 22, 2015, ile photo, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (24) runs against San Francisco 49ers defensive end Quinton Dial (92) during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif. Marshawn Lynch has re- joined the Seattle Seahawks just in time for the playoffs. Just in time for the post- season, the Seahawks will add Lynch back to an offense that averaged 32 points and 413 total yards per game over WKH¿QDOVHYHQZHHNVRIWKH regular season, including a 38-7 blowout at Minnesota in early December. Normally adding Lynch to the offense would be an instant boost but Seattle is still unsure exactly what it will be able to get from the bruising back. Lynch has not played since Week 9 against Arizona because of an abdominal injury that required surgery on Nov. 25. He was rehab- bing with his personal trainer in the Bay Area before rejoining the Seahawks on Monday. Lynch has played in just seven games this season and his 3.8 yards per carry is the second-lowest average of his career. But that was before Seat- tle’s offense took off, ignited by the passing of Russell Wilson that complemented the running of Thomas Rawls, Christine Michael and Bryce Brown, all of whom KDYH WDNHQ WXUQV ¿OOLQJ LQ with Lynch sidelined. Seattle has an idea of what it’s getting with Lynch healthy and back in the lineup. Carroll on Monday equated Lynch returning at this point to the start of the regular season after Lynch has gotten very little playing time in the preseason. But they won’t know for sure until Lynch is RXWRQWKH¿HOGSUDFWLFLQJRQ :HGQHVGD\IRUWKH¿UVWWLPH since early November. Carroll believed the signs ZRXOGEHREYLRXVLQWKDW¿UVW practice whether Lynch is back to his standard. “We’ve been around him for such a long time we’re going to be able to recognize his movement. That’s all we want to see — him getting in and out of breaks. Things he always can do and that he can withstand the workload and all of that,” Carroll said. “It isn’t a rigorous time of practice schedule and we do build up throughout the week. The running backs do run at full speed. We’ll get to see him move and if we need to do anything extra we will.” Lynch has carried the ball just 111 times this season and more than 21 times in a game only once. Carroll didn’t believe there would be an endurance issue if Lynch carried 20 or more times in the playoffs, but also said he’s been impressed with what Michael has done of late. Michael rushed for a career-high 102 yards against Arizona. “We’re in good shape in that position now if (Lynch) is able to make it through the week,” Carroll said. NOTES: Carroll didn’t have an update on CB Jeremy Lane, who left Sunday’s game with an oblique injury. “There’s a chance he’ll be OK,” he said. ... Carroll said Sweezy, Willson, Okung and Chancellor all have a chance to make it back to play Minne- sota. ... Carroll on Seattle KDYLQJDDP3DFL¿FWLPH NLFNRIIIRUSRWHQWLDOO\WKH¿UVW two weeks of the playoffs, “This is not a big deal for us. You do have to get waked up. That does have to happen. ... I do realize I said waked up.” 71 USC 74, OREGON 67 — At Los Angeles, Temi Fagbenle scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and the USC Women of Troy beat Oregon 74-67 on Monday night to snap a two-game Pac-12 losing skid. Aliyah Mazyck added 18 points for the Trojans (13-2, 3DFZKRVKRWSHUFHQWIURPWKH¿HOG The Ducks (11-2, 0-2) led 28-24 at halftime, but USC outscored Oregon 22-12 in the third quarter including a 12-2 run over the last 4:24. Mazyck scored 7 of the 12 points during the run. Jillian Alleyne scored 23 points and Lexi Peterson had 22 for Oregon. College Football Oregon bowl collapse encapsulates Adams’ season By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated Press The Oregon Ducks’ lone season with Vernon Adams Jr. at quarterback didn’t go at all as expected. In fact, it opened a lot like it closed, with Adams injured. The graduate transfer’s ¿QJHU ZDV EURNHQ LQ D collision in his Oregon debut against his former team, Eastern Washington. He was injured again Saturday night in the Ducks’ triple-overtime Alamo Bowl loss to TCU, watching the second half from the sidelines in sweats. The Ducks, looking to replace Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, brought Adams in with much fanfare after he set records in three seasons with the (DJOHV $ PDWK ¿QDO DGGHG drama to his eventual arrival in fall camp, but within two weeks he claimed the starting job over Jeff Lockie. %XW WKH ¿QJHU LQMXU\ LQ the opener against Eastern Washington hampered him IRUWKH¿UVWKDOIRIWKHVHDVRQ The Ducks, ranked No. 7 in the beginning, fell 31-28 to Michigan State. Losses at The Ducks have already begun the rebuild process, and for the second straight year plan to bring in a grad- uate transfer at quarterback: Dakota Prukop, who played last season at Montana State. Prukop passed for 3,025 yards and 28 touchdowns with 10 interceptions this season for the Big Sky’s Bobcats. He also rushed for 774 yards and 11 touchdowns. Montana 6WDWH¿QLVKHGWKHWHDP¶V ¿UVW ORVLQJ UHFRUG VLQFH WKH 2002 season. Prukop will work with a new offensive coordinator after Scott Frost left to become the head coach at AP Photo/Austin Central Florida. On New Gay Year’s Day, the Ducks promoted wide receivers home to Pac-12 opponents Adams was cruising in Doctson and starting quar- coach Matt Lubick. Frost is not the only Duck Utah and Washington State the bowl game against TCU, terback Trevone Boykin, dropped Oregon out of the but was injured in a helmet- who was suspended after his who will be somewhere else $37RSIRUWKH¿UVWWLPH to-helmet collision at the end DUUHVW DQG UROH LQ D ¿JKW DW next year. Defensive end DeForest Buckner is likely to since 2009. RIWKH¿UVWKDOIDIWHUWKH1R San Antonio bar. Oregon went 9-4, the be a top pick in the NFL draft $GDPV ¿QDOO\ UHWXUQHG WR 15 Ducks built a 28-0 lead. lead the Ducks to victory in Adams could only watch ¿UVWWLPHVLQFHWKDWWKH after staying at Oregon for their last six regular-season as the Ducks surrendered 'XFNV KDYH ¿QLVKHG ZLWK his senior season. Offensive lineman Tyler Johnstone is games, including key wins the a 31-0 lead and the No. fewer than 10 wins. over No. 7 Stanford and No. 11 Horned Frogs staged the “To end it this way is DOVRDVHQLRUDQG¿QLVKHVKLV 22 USC. But it wasn’t enough biggest comeback in bowl tough,” coach Mark Helfrich career with a loss. Running back and receiver to wrestle the Pac-12 North history, winning 47-41. said. “But we will forge ahead, TCU was playing without build in every phase, go back Byron Marshall, who hurt his title from the Cardinal and leg in Oregon’s loss to Utah, receiver Josh to school and move on.” earn a place in the Rose Bowl. injured Oregon quar- terback Vernon Ad- ams Jr. (3) celebrates an Oregon touchdown against TCU during the irst half of the Alamo Bowl NCAA college football game Sat- urday, Jan. 2, 2016, in San Anto- nio. told the team’s website that he will not pursue a medical hardship waiver for another year of eligibility. Junior receiver Bralon Addison has declared for the NFL draft. But the Ducks should see the return of running back Royce Freeman, a soph- omore, who in the Alamo Bowl broke LaMichael James single-season rushing record with 1,836 yards. +H ¿QLVKHG ZLWK \DUGV rushing for three touchdowns in the last game. His 19 touchdowns this season tied him with himself for fourth on Oregon’s single-season list. “Royce is a stud,” Helfrich said simply after the bowl loss. As for Oregon’s collapse without playmaker Adams LQ WKH ¿QDOH +HOIULFK WRRN responsibility. And likewise, it will be his responsibility to address the myriad of issues that were exposed by TCU, not just at QB. “Everybody wants to SRLQWD¿QJHUDWRQHSHUVRQ´ he said. “Point it at me. Blame me. I’m 100 percent good with that.” College Basketball Beavers beat Ducks in Civil War to open Pac-12 Conference By KYLE ODEGARD Associated Press CORVALLIS — Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said a 13-day stretch without a game during winter break paid off thanks to hard work during practice. Tres Tinkle, the coach’s son, scored 19 points to lead Oregon State to a 70-57 victory over Oregon in a Pac-12 Conference opener on Sunday night. Olaf Schaftenaar had 13 points and a career-high eight rebounds, and Gary Payton II added 12 points and six assists for the Beavers (10-2, 1-0 Pac-12), who won their fourth-straight game and broke a four-game skid From Sunday Oregon Oregon St. 57 70 against the Ducks. “We’ve been talking about having some leadership emerge in practice every day, which would lead to game time and more of a 40-minute effort,” Tinkle said. “Our guys took it to the court and we were really focused.” Chris Boucher scored 14 points to lead the Ducks (11-3, 0-1), who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Dillon Brooks added 13 points. Oregon State outrebounded Oregon 37-32, and limited the Ducks to 35.8 percent shooting, compared to 44.4 percent for WKH %HDYHUV ZKR KDG ¿YH SOD\HUVLQGRXEOH¿JXUHV “Everybody kind of contributed,” said Oregon State’s Langston Morris- Walker, who had 12 points. Oregon coach Dana Altman criticized his team’s effort. “Our movement and execution were poor. . We got beat on the boards. The turn- overs were bad. There’s not one thing where I can say we did a good job,” Altman said. Oregon State led 18-10 after a seven-point run, capped by a Stephen Thompson Jr.’s 3-pointer at the 10:44-mark. At that point, the Ducks had DOUHDG\ FRPPLWWHG ¿YH WXUQ- overs, which led to half of the Beavers’ points. A 10-0 surge put the Beavers up 31-14 with 4:56 UHPDLQLQJLQWKH¿UVWKDOI Oregon State led 34-19 at the break, and Payton, the team’s top player, hadn’t scored. The Ducks went on a 12-3 run early in the second half, capped by a Boucher tip-in, to pull to 40-31 with 13:30 left. Oregon never got closer than eight points the rest of the game. The game was the 345th meeting between the teams, making the Civil War the most-contested matchup in college basketball. The series dates back to 1903 and the Beavers hold a 186-159 edge in the rivalry. Oregon’s Dillion Brooks,left, shoots over Oregon State’s Drew Eubanks in the irst half of an NCAA college basketball game in Corvallis, Ore., Sun- day, Jan. 3, 2016. AP Photo/Timothy J. Gonzalez
