Dec 15, 2006, 15:50 GMT
Eugene, OR - Off to their best start in 10 years, the Oregon Ducks shoot for win number nine in a row tonight as they entertain the Eastern Washington Eagles in non-conference action from McArthur Court in Eugene.
On Monday the Ducks were pushed into the national rankings and settled into the 22nd position, marking the first time since January 2003 that the program was part of the top-25. The squad celebrated that same night with a resounding 92-64 win over Bethune-Cookman at home. The perfect 8-0 record marks the eighth time the school has gotten off to such a strong start.
As for the Eagles, they've alternated wins and losses over the last four games, with the most recent decision coming on Monday night with their trip to Santa Clara. Battling the huge front line for the Broncos, EWU dropped a disappointing 91-68 decision. The squad is now an even 5-5 on the campaign with one more non-conference opponent (Idaho) next week before beginning Big West Conference play versus Montana State three days after Christmas.
Despite the relatively close proximity of these two schools, this is the first-ever meeting.
Starting forward and center Derek Risper and Paul Butorac could do little on the inside offensively to get the Eagles moving in the right direction versus Santa Clara. The duo combined for only 14 points as EWU was outscored in the paint, 44-24, on the night. Omar Krayem took his attack to the outside where he knocked down 6-of-7 shots behind the three-point line to finish with 19 points, while Kellen Williams and Rodney Stuckey contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively. Stuckey, who had led the team in scoring in every game leading up to the Santa Clara meeting, is one of the nation's top scorers at the moment at 25.2 ppg. Not only is he filling up the basket for the Eagles, he also leads the squad in assists (48) and steals (25) and is one of the leaders on the glass with just over four and a half rebounds per contest. Thanks to the efforts of Stuckey, the Eagles are one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation with 88.1 ppg. However, in giving up 83.7 ppg there isn't much room for error.
Bethune-Cookman trailed by just nine points at the break on Monday night, but then the Oregon offense kicked in, as the squad converted 63.3 percent from the field after the break to run away with the 28-point win at home. Bryce Taylor connected on 3-of-4 attempts behind the three-point line to finish with a team-high 21 points, followed by Joevan Catron and Tajuan Porter who tallied 15 and 13 points, respectively. Forcing 24 turnovers was key for the Ducks, especially as they shot a miserable 12-of-21 at the free-throw line. Just a freshman, Porter leads a list of five players scoring in double figures this season with 19.3 ppg. The youngster is not only shooting a healthy 48.6 percent from three-point range, but also a near-perfect 96.3 percent at the free-throw line. With 24 assists Porter is second only to Aaron Brooks (37) in that department after eight games. Brooks is checking in with 15.0 ppg and close to five rebounds per outing. The Ducks are getting it done at both ends of the court, averaging a hearty 82.2 ppg, while limiting opponents to only 26.2 percent shooting out on the perimeter and 61.4 ppg overall.
© 2006 The Sports Network
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Green and Yella BaybeeDec 17th, 2006 - 04:46:51
The [b]Ducks[/b] are one of the most exciting teams in the country right now.
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Green and Yella BaybeeDec 17th, 2006 - 04:46:51
The [b]Ducks[/b] are one of the most exciting teams in the country right now.
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