Super Bowl Update

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(16-8, 9-3) team bus arrived to Mathew Knight arena 45 minutes late due to a traffic accident. Unfortunately for Husky fans the team decided to not show up at all as the Oregon Ducks(17-7,8-4) destroyed the Huskies 82-57. The game was over from the opening tip as the Ducks started the game off leading 11-2. The Ducks shot extremely well making 56.4% of their field goals and 53.8% on three pointers. The Ducks also had four guys in double figures. While the Huskies shot just 36.4% from the field and 12.5% from three point range with only two guys in double figures. The Huskies who came into this game having won five games in a row and were in sole possession of first place regressed this game. The Huskies went back to their old habits of acting as if they didn't want to be at the gym. This is the second straight year the Huskies have lost at Oregon after winning the previous two seasons down in Eugene. Now the Huskies will hope to avoid what happened last year when they were swept in Oregon which ultimately cost them a chance at a Pac-10 regular season title. With this loss the Huskies are now tied with California for first place in the Pac-12 standings.

The first half was a disaster for the Huskies who were getting ran out of the gym from the opening tip. The Ducks sprinted out to an 11-2 lead and didn't look back. The Ducks eventually led 49-26 at halftime over the Huskies. In the first half the Ducks made 18-29(62.1%) from the field, six of eight(75.0%) from three point range and 7-11(63.6%) from free throws. They outrebounded the Huskies 21-16 and outscored the Huskies 12-0 on fastbreak points. They were led by Garrett Sim who scored 13 points on five for eight shooting including three for three on three pointers. He also added five assists. E.J. Singler scored nine points on two for four shooting including a three pointer and made all four free throws while grabbing six rebounds. Devoe Joseph who struggled in the first meeting scored nine points on four for six shooting with a three pointer. Carlos Emory scored six points on two for two shooting and two for three at the free throw line. He added five rebounds as well.

For the Huskies they shot a disasterous 10-33(30.3%) from the field, one for eight(12.5%) from three point range and 5-13(38.4%) from the free throw line. Their leading scorer was Desmond Simmons who scored five points on two for three shooting while making his lone free throw attempt. He also had four rebounds as well. Tony Wroten scored four point missing all three of his shots while going four for eight at the foul line with three rebounds and two assists. Aziz N'Diaye scored just four points on only two for six shooting missing all four free throws but did grab four rebounds. Terrence Ross continued his poor first half play this season scored just four points on two for eight shooting missing all three three point attempts.

In the second half the Ducks outscored the Huskies 33-31 to hang on for the blowout win over the Huskies 82-57. For the Ducks they shot 31-55(56.4%) from the field, 7-13(53.8%) from three point range and 13-23(56.5%) from the free throw line. They also outrebounded the Huskies 39-34. The Ducks were led by Emory who scored 16 points on seven for eight shooting with eight rebounds. The Ducks saw Sim, Singler and Joseph all score 13 points as well. For the Ducks this was a huge win as they put them one game from the Pac-12 lead behind the Huskies and California. Had the Ducks lost they would have been three games behind the Huskies not to mention the Huskies would have had tiebreaker. This win keeps their conference title games alive along with their NCAA tournament hopes alive. As for the team they defeated the Washington Huskies have to go back to the drawing board.

This was an embarassing loss for a team who is competing for a conference title. This is too late in the year for the Huskies to experience a type of loss like this yet here we are with a blowout loss. The Huskies offense never showed up as they shot just 24-66(36.4%) from the field, 2-16(12.5%) from three point range and 7-18(38.9%) from the free throw line which is embarassing. They were led by Tony Wroten who scored 14 points on 4-10 shooting and 6-13 shooting from the free throw line. Wroten had four steals, four assists, three rebounds but six turnovers. C.J. Wilcox shooting slump continues since he has came back from injury scoring only 10 points on 4-13 shooting making two of seven from three point range with six rebounds. Terrence Ross also under perfromed scored just eight points on 4-12 shooting missing four three point attempts but added five rebounds. Desmond Simmons the only guy who played well had eight points and seven rebounds. Aziz N'Diaye scored six points and four rebounds. Darnell Gant scored just four points with just two rebounds off the bench. Shawn Kemp Jr also scored four points as well. The Huskies didn't play a good game at all as Lorenzo Romar has to once again go back to the drawing board as his immature team simply doesn't get it.

This Huskies team needs to eventually take this season seriously. Romar also has to stop being so in love with his veterans. Abdul Gaddy played the most minutes this game having played 36 of a possible 40 minutes. In those 36 minutes Gaddy scored just two points while dishing out one assist. Romar needs to realize that Wroten, Wilcox and Ross need to be on the court together all at once for the majority of the time which means less Gaddy. If this team is ever going to achieve what they need to achieve this season Romar has to pull the plug on the Gaddy experiment and bring him off the bench. If Romar continues to start Gaddy the Huskies could be playing in the NIT. In 32 career conference games all of which he has started Gaddy has scored in double figures just five times while scoring four points or less 16 times.

The Huskies let the Ducks back in the conference title race and failed to put them down. Instead the Huskies will now be in a win or go home mode the rest of the season. Due to the conference being weak and a terrible showing in the nonconference season the Huskies can't afford to drop too many more games if any. This was a terrible loss and Romar must once again get his young team focused on the prize. The Ducks embarassed the Huskies for the second straight year down Eugene.  Now the Huskies are hoping to avoid losing back to back games down in Corvallis for the first time since 2002 and 2003 season. The Huskies had owned the state of Oregon but having lost three games in a row in the state after winning five times have changed. The NCAA tournament is still within reach but Romar must make the necessary changes it takes or the tournament won't happen this year.