If the effort was better, the result was no different for the Ducks who fell to the Arizona Wildcats 74-60 Saturday afternoon at McArthur Court.
Since opening Pac-10 play at home, poor shooting has been a constant for this team. Again against the Wildcats Oregon was futile from long range and not much better from closer in. 1-9 from behind the stripe in the second half after blistering the cords at a 2-7 clip in the first. 20-60 overall - 33.3%.
That Arizona was still within reach for much of the game is remarkable given those numbers. In all three of Oregon's Pac-10 losses, the Ducks have not held a lead. Twice they managed to knot the score - once after Oregon rallied from a seven point deficit to tie at 22, then again at 29 three minutes before the break.
Before the Ducks could get to the locker room, Arizona's lead was back at seven, 36-29.
Oregon would get no closer as Arizona extended their lead to fourteen midway through the second half and maintained that advantage down the stretch. Derrick Williams led the Wildcats with 20 points with Nic Wise and Kyle Fogg adding 19 each.
"We played very hard in the game and we missed a lot of shots in the game," said head coach Ernie Kent. "And that's just a confidence thing, right now. We had some great looks and when the ball is going in, it improves your defense . the bench is better, it makes the energy better in the game, it gives confidence to the players, the coaches feel better. It helps everything when the ball is going in. Unfortunately, it wasn't going in today and that was the big reason I felt like we didn't get a chance to really close out the game the way we wanted to."
"Arizona played hard in the game, we played hard in the game. Arizona knocked down shots, we did not make shots."
Kent shuffled his starting line-up as he indicated he might following Thursday's loss to Arizona State. Garrett Sim and Teondre Williams opened at guard, replacing the struggling Tajuan Porter and Malcolm Armstead.
Armstead rebounded to some degree, limiting his turnovers to a pair and helping the Ducks with 16 points, but Porter continued to scuffle, committing five turnovers and scoring an equal number of points on 1-7 from the floor.
Oregon's one bright spot was the play of LeKendric Longmire. The junior guard has seen his playing time reduced after neglecting academic responsibilities in fall term. His 18 points led the team and his energy and defensive intensity were two of the ingredients the Ducks were lacking in their Thursday outing.
Asked if he had ever been on a team that had as much difficulty scoring, Longmire couldn't help but smile before saying "Yes, sir. Last year".
"I know that we are a better team than last year, so it doesn't feel like last year. Some of these losses feel like last year," he allowed. "But as a team, as a unit I think we are a lot better than last year."
Perhaps, but that question remains open after Saturday's result.
With the loss Oregon's record falls to 2-3 in conference, 10-7 overall.
Kent held out the hope his team could set aside the "noise" and return to the focus evidenced by wins to open the conference schedule at Washington State and at Washington.
Kent's point is well taken, the Pac-10 has been consistently inconsistent this season and that certainly includes Oregon's opponents next weekend. The Bay Area has been more like the Bermuda Triangle for the Ducks but neither California (7:00 pm Th.) nor Stanford (5:00 pm, Sa.) have defended home court consistently this season.
If the 2010 Ducks are going to prove themselves to be a better team than last year's as Longmire claims, road wins would be one indication, Oregon was swept on the road last season.
"That's how crazy the league is," said Kent as surveyed the ups and downs of the conference results to date.
"Our job is to find ourselves and get back on our game. That's the whole key to this because there is still a lot that can happen for us right now."
