| 29 January 2011
Update: After falling behind by 18 early, the Oregon Ducks received superb play from Joevan Catron, Tyrone Nared, and Malcolm Armstead. But despite sticking close they could not pull off the California sweep, as the Golden Bears hung on.
The trio combined to score 52 of the team's 77 points in the high-scoring, foul-plagued battle. They were 18-26 from the field and 14-22 from the free-throw line, grabbed 18 rebounds, and dished 11 assists. Yet, their incredible effort was all for naught, as the Golden Bears found enough gaps in the Ducks defense late to prevail.
Nared and Catron crashed the boards and were certainly efficient on the offensive end, but Oregon was in contention late due to the play of Armstead inparticular. Head coach Dana Altman replaced Johnathan Loyd with Armstead not two minutes into the second half and the senior responded, scoring 10 of his season-high 16 points after being summoned. He did more than just score. He calmed the team down and orchestrated a fairly efficient offense, running the point as well as a coach can ask.
Oregon shot 44 percent from the field, one of their better marks of the season. Yet, their reliance on the three-pointer played a role in their defeat. Twenty-six were taken from beyond the arc and only eight were made. E.J. Singler was behind much of these struggles, missing all six of his attempts from in a game in which he appeared to lack confidence.
Those announcing the game on Fox Sports Net repeatedly said if Singler could get going late Oregon would win. The sophomore from Medford, Oregon would do no such thing. His only two points came near the end of the first half, and in spite of the three-pronged attack of Catron, Armstead, and Nared it was evident they needed another player to contribute. Singler's inability to be that fourth cog helped California add to a lead that had been slimmed to one.
While the Ducks failed for form a quartet, the Golden Bears did in victory. Center Markhuri Sanders-Fison and freshman guard Allen Crabbe scored 18 points apiece, while guard Jorge Guitierrez and forward Harper Kamp added 17 and 13 to the cause. Free-throws played a substantial role in mustering these totals, as these four took a combined to take a whopping 36 of the team's 41 attempts.
The Ducks now take a 3-6 Pac-10 record home as they face the Washington State Cougars on February 3rd. California, with a 5-4 record in conference play, finishes their four-game homstead in facing Arizona State and Arizona.
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The Oregon Ducks, winners of three of their past four games and fresh off their first victory over Stanford at Maples Pavilion since 1986, will try to sweep the state of California for the first time since 1976. The 11-9 California Golden Bears pose a significant challenge, but so did Stanford.
Yet, unlike the Cardinal, the Golden Bears enter the game full of confidence. They have won two straight, slipping by USC then crushing Oregon State, and have plenty of size to frustrate the Ducks.
Oregon may be without forward Jeremy Jacob, who was limited during Friday’s practice due to a sore knee and is listed as questionable. If he cannot play, the Ducks frontline will have a difficult time matching up with California’s size. Post-presence Harper Kamp leads the Golden Bears in scoring at 14.6 points per game, and teaming up with him is senior center and Portland-native Markhuri Sanders-Frison, who is averaging 10 points and 8 rebounds per game.
Sanders-Frison has scored in double figures 10 of the past 11 games and he has been a very efficient from the field, shooting 54 percent on the season. If these two aren’t enough, 6’10” freshman Richard Solomon has consistently made an impact off the bench, scoring five points and grabbing four rebounds per game.
"It will be a different challenge inside,'' Altman told The Oregonian. "They score a little bit better, a little more experienced inside.''
Then there are the shooters. Point guard Jorge Gutierrez, who had 15 points and 11 rebounds against the Beavers, averages 14 points per game while shooting a respectable 37 percent from three-point range. Shooting guard Allen Crabbe has also made 37 percent of his three-pointers, so contesting jump-shots while also bodying up the their big men in the paint will need to be the Ducks priorities.
While California relies heavily on their starters, nine Ducks see significant action. And everyone is in a groove, which can be attributed to a greater understanding of coach Dana Altman’s offense.
"We're just coming together as a ball team, whether we're at home or on the road,” guard Garrett Sim said in the aforementioned piece by The Oregonian.
A more cohesive unit, the Ducks have played smart basketball over their past four games, dishing more assists while crashing the glass and playing better defensively. A streak was snapped in their last game. Now can Oregon keep the momentum going with a similarly rare California sweep?
photo: espn
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