One big name here today is Mike Bellotti. Everybody else seems to be in Moraga for baseball.
Everybody’s warming up for Oregon today. Wiley, Longmire and Odia have been expected to be back for today’s game after concussions last week, and Teondre Williams may play after an eye infection and academic issues this week kept him out of Thursday’s loss.
OK, gametime, stay tuned blogosphere.
First possession says a lot about Oregon’s season: Ducks dribble it down to about 8 seconds on the shot clock, then give it to Tajuan Porter, who goes 1-on-3 before forcing an air-ball on the clock. They’ve done a similar strategy all season, but usually can’t rebound the ball when they miss. Long possessions that come up empty are usually turned into points on the other end for opposing teams.
Ducks up 4-0 with 18 left off two Dunigan free throws and a nifty reverse by LeKendric Longmire. Stanford responds on a basket by Lawrence Hill inside.
After Catron makes a jumper to put UO up 6-2, he tries a 3 the next possession — and misses. Not quite a shooter yet.
Meanwhile, Landry Fields drills a 3 to pull to 6-5 with 15 left.
Timeout on the floor with 15:13 left in the first half: Oregon still playing with a lot of emotion, like they always do. That’s never been the problem this year. What has been is carrying it into the second half. EUGENE CELEBRITY ALERT: Pat Kilkenny is in the house. Shouldn’t he still be in the Bay Area with baseball?
10-8 with 13:48 left on a basketball by Lawrence Hill + a free throw. Catron commits the foul, his second, so he goes to the bench. A whole crew of subs is in, only TP stays: Wiley, Humphrey, Brown, Crittle are in.
Crittle ties it on a nice turnaround post move, and Stanford moves the ball around the perimeter before getting it in the hands of Fields, who banks in a tough 19-footer to make it 12-10 Stanford. Oregon gets bailed out on a foul called on Mitch Johnson on a shooting Crittle on next possession after a bunch of missed opportunities.
11-12 Stanford, Crittle makes 1 of 2.
Oregon goes empty, and Anthony Goods of Stanford comes down and hits a 3 to put Stanford up 11-15 with 11 minutes left. Kamyron Brown misses 3, Crittle gets offensive board and Wiley hits the three from the right corner to make it 14-15 with 10:45 left.
Mitch Johnson answers, gets his own three from the left corner to quiet Mac Court. When Oregon brings the ball on next possession, Crittle gets an offensive foul called on him. Small mistakes like this can snowball on this team.
You reach, I teach: Lawrence Hill hits a 15-footer after Dunigan anticipated the pass and missed it, leaving him out near midcourt. 14-19 Stan.
Offensive foul on Dunigan, when he bumps into a Cardinal after getting a backdoor pass from Humphrey. “What game are you watching?” yells a fan behind us. One that is 14-21 Stanford, maybe? TV timeout with 7:43 remaining, same score.
Crittle has been a man on a mission on the offensive glass, grabbing his third offensive board so far, and he goes to the line after being fouled on the putback effort. Makes the first, and the second. 16-21 Stan. with 7:12 left.
Two free throws by Goods are, uh, good. 16-23 Stan. 5:24 to play.
LeKendric answers with a runner in the lane to bring it to within five.
Catron air-balls a three-pointer from the corner, and LeKendric grabs the board and is fouled on his way up for the shot. 1-and-1 from the line here.
LeKendric makes both, within three now with 4;36 left.
Hand it to the Ducks: They’ve been great on the glass today, rebounding much better than on Thursday night, and they’re not dribbling the clock down to the last seconds of the shot clock only to jack up a three. Looks like they’re learning from the mistakes of the past 14 games.
TV timeout here and 20-23 Stanford with 3:58 left.
Dunigan cleans up a Longmire missed layup with a tip in at the rim with the left hand. Pretty play by the big guy. Down by one, and TP goes baseline, changes his shot in the air and sinks the lay-in. 24-23 Oregon.
Mac Court is jumping. Students are on their feet, and an offensive foul on Anthony Goods (push-off on Tajuan at the top of the key) has it even louder.
Dunigan got fouled on a dunk attempt on a lob (wouldn’t the roof have gone off then?) and makes one of his two free throws. 25-23 Oregon. Watch out Duck fans, this is the danger zone: Lawrence Hill banks in a two, and Oregon misses near the rim. Anthony Goods comes down and makes the three to put the Cardinal back up 28-25 with 1:48.
Both teams miss shots, s it’s back to Oregon. Wiley hits Dunigan inside, makes the layup. Oregon back up by one, under a minute. TP gets the rebound and Wiley misses a transition layup under pressure.
21 seconds left, Oregon gets last possession with shot clock off. What do they do but give it to TP, who throws up a wild righthanded shot that clanks. Mitch Johnson misses a buzzer-beating jumper from 18 feet before halftime hits.
It’s 29-28 here at Mac, and Oregon — yes OREGON — leads.
