Ducks pulled away late in first Civil War meeting

By Brooks Hatch
Corvallis Gazette-Times

CORVALLIS - Oregon State was within one point of Oregon with just over seven minutes remaining on Feb. 2 before the roof caved in in what became a 79-63 defeat at McArthur Court.

So the Beavers’ objective today, in the 329th renewal of the men’s basketball Civil War, is to be in that position again, and this time not collapse under a flurry of Oregon 3-point baskets.

“You cannot defend for 32 minutes against those guys,” interim OSU coach Kevin Mouton said Tuesday of the Ducks (15-12, 6-9), who drilled five 3-point baskets to cap a 22-7 run over the final 7:51 in the previous contest. “If you have more than a three-minute mental breakdown defensively, they will make you pay.

“There were three or four possessions where we let it get out of control and they made plays. Those plays became points. If you don’t defend, they make you pay. They have great shooters.

“And they’re older. They’ve been in the wars and understand the wars. It came down to making plays; they made more than we did and scored more baskets.”

Added sophomore post Calvin Hampton: “It’s all about how we finish. Even some of the games we won, we weren’t great finishers. We have to prepare to finish, not just hold on to the lead for a certain period of time.

“We have to hold onto the lead for the whole game. (Oregon) is our rival. But I’m looking to take that (Civil War) attitude toward the rest of these games, to treat every game like it’s a rivalry game.”

The Beavers (6-21, 0-15) had lost 11 consecutive games when they boarded the team bus for the return trip to Corvallis after that defeat. Their tailspin has since been stretched to a school-record 17 straight, and they’re in very serious danger of becoming the first squad to go winless in conference play since it expanded to 10 teams in 1978-79.

“It’s getting closer and closer and we want to win,” sophomore guard Josh Tarver said, when asked if the prospect of 0-18 has become an albatross around OSU’s collective gizzard. “Not winning for two months is hard, guys are frustrated and want to win.

“No one is saying 0-18; we have to focus and get a win. Guys are still going hard (in practice) and desperately trying to get a win. We just have to keep our heads up, and keep going.”

OSU lost its last three games by 38, 35 and 28 points, an average 33.7-point margin. They led briefly against Washington in the opener of that tailspin, but otherwise they’ve trailed for the last 115 or so minutes.

However, Oregon coach Ernie Kent said he’s seen no signs the Beavers have quit for the winter.

“I know Kevin and I know he’s a very enthusiastic person and coach, he’s a fighter and every day he’s going to pour his heart and soul into that job,” Kent said Tuesday. “There’s no quit in them, I know that for sure.”

Also, it’s a rivalry game and he anticipates the Ducks will see a side of the Beavers that Washington and the Los Angeles schools didn’t during their recent walkover victories.

“Because of the intensity of the rivalry, we’ll get a different game out of them than anyone else,” Kent said. “We don’t look at their record or anything else because you can throw them out the window every time you play them in football or basketball.

“It’s a rivalry game. Whether it’s their last shot (to win this season) or not, it’s their last big-time rival game of the year and they will be up to play us.”

The Ducks have struggled a bit of late as well, losing three straight and 4 of 6 to fall out of the Pac-10 championship race and possibly off the bubble for NCAA tournament consideration.

OSU senior Marcel Jones said that nosedive will make Oregon even more ready to play and ready to continue their recent domination of a series the Beavers once controlled by a far-wider margin that the current 180-148.

“Oregon is a good team and winning is not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination,” he said. “I’m frustrated with what’s going on. Whatever I have to do to make the team win - score, rebound or cheer - I don’t know, but I know I have to be aggressive for us to win. I feel like I’ve been playing better.”