Turnovers Sink Ducks in the Bay

A combined forty-two turnovers during a two-game span is not a recipe for success in basketball.  The Oregon Ducks (18-4) are sure to drop heavily in the rankings after consecutive losses at Stanford and Cal this past weekend.  This is the first losing streak for Oregon so far this season, and lets hope it stops at two.  Dominic Artis was sincerely missed this weekend as the Ducks drop to 1-2 without his presence on the court.

Dana Altman told the referee to watch a replay of the ‘jump ball’ after the game.

A bad call certainly didn’t favor Oregon at the end of the Cal game on Saturday afternoon – Woods went up with the ball under the rim and a jump ball was called, even though the defenders hand was placed fully on top of Tony’s hand.  Dana Altman was visibly upset with the referee.  Possession arrow in favor of the Bears saw the Ducks’ hope of a comeback slip through their fingers as they were forced to foul and watched Cal guard Randall Cobbs sink both free throws to put the Ducks down by four with less than ten-seconds remaining.

Tony Woods had 14 points and 8 rebounds against Cal on Saturday.

There is a saying in sports – don’t let the referees determine the outcome of the game.  A team needs to distance themselves from their opponent, ensuring no single call can determine a game.  The Ducks got separation several times but were never able to drop the anchor against the Bears.  Instead, the Ducks sunk in the Bay Area and received their tenth straight loss to the Golden Bears.

Despite their first two-game losing streak of the season, the Ducks only have four losses on the season.  This team has certainly surpassed all expectations this season with a record of 18-4, not to mention victories over Arizona and UCLA, and is expected to appear in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008.  The Ducks will look to find their wings and stay afloat in Eugene this week as they face Colorado and Utah, two teams struggling mightily in Pac-12 play.