Ducks Flatten Huskies In Musty Mac Mismatch

EUGENE, Ore. - If Bob Bender ever succeeds in his attempt to build a men's basketball program at the University of Washington, he can remember the night it all hit bottom, in the musty but wonderful atmosphere of 69-year-old McArthur Court, losing to Oregon 88-63 as Jeff Potter of Redmond scored 16 points.

Bender turned his head as copies of the stats were passed out. He didn't want to be reminded that Bryant Boston made one of 11 shots from the floor, that the Huskies had 10 more turnovers and eight fewer assists than the Ducks.

It was a night when everything Bender tried failed. A night that Oregon completed back-to-back sweeps of the Huskies for the first time in the series that began in 1904.

Not since World War II have the Ducks won five straight against Washington, as they have now. Last night was their most lopsided win over the Huskies since Tex Winter's last team in 1971.

"That's a very good basketball team," said Bender of the Ducks, who are 19th ranked, 15-5, fourth in the Pac-10, and looking to firm up their chances of a bid to the NCAA Tournament by pushing aside Washington State tomorrow night.

This was a mismatch. It proved to be Washington's second worst defeat of the season, so bad not even the 9,202 who stayed to watch took much relish in what has happening.

For the first time in six games, Mac Court was not sold out. Only a few view-obstructed seats remain for the Cougar game, however. Beating Washington in basketball, perhaps even football, just isn't that big around here anymore.

The Huskies were trying; Bender was trying.

He tried a trap, and Orlando Williams ended up with the ball in two passes and hit a three-pointer. He tried a zone defense, with the same result. In the second half, he tried going to a shooter, little-used Andy Roberson, who missed two shots and committed a turnover. He stayed with Boston, who just kept missing; he put in Alex Lopez, who kicked one rebound as if he were at the World Cup; he defended Potter with freshman Jason Hartman and Potter scored 10 straight points.

Bender isn't playing with a full deck. He had nine players suited up. Against the Oregon press, he didn't have his point guard, Michael McClain. Against the Oregon forwards, he couldn't use Mike Amos or Scott Didrickson, who are injured.

And there were the problems of concentration and enthusiasm.

"I don't recall any point in the game where we showed any emotion to any play," said sophomore guard Jamie Booker, "and I take full credit for that. That's my job, to get us excited."

The Huskies didn't quit on Bender. Indeed, they outrebounded the Ducks by 12 and freshman Mark Sanford, who scored a career-high 27 points, was the most talented player offensively in the game.

But he was no better on defense than his teammates, who gave the Ducks lobs, back-door layins and open three-point shots.

Oregon scored its first three times down the floor, one on a lob to Potter, who dominated the game near the basket.

"He manhandled Jason Hartman," Bender said, "but that is what a senior does to a freshman."

There should be a time when the Huskies are a bigger, stronger team.

"There isn't much Sanford can't do," Potter said. "I hope he stays there; he's going to be a really good player."

Sanford didn't sound as if he were going anywhere.

"Playing so many minutes is giving me a lot of confidence in myself," he said. "This is a hard time to go through, but we're not going to duck our heads. We came back and played UCLA well after losing to Arizona like this. We have to learn from this experience."

Sanford is better than Bender might have hoped for when he recruited him. The progress of Lopez, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound freshman, is slower.

"He's learning to play with people his size," said Bender.

And then there is 7-foot, 275-pound redshirt freshman Todd MacCulloch.

"He needs to improve his stamina," said Bender, "but at times that is the only thing that keeps him from dominating in practice."

The big guys will take a while. It was hoped the two veteran guards, McClain and Boston, would help see the Huskies through the transition. McClain was suspended for the season for assaulting a female student-athlete. Boston, after scoring 27 points against USC on 12-for-15 shooting, scored four points as he and Jason Hamilton were two for 16 against the Ducks.

"This team has a certain amount of resilience about it," said Bender, whose team goes to Corvallis tomorrow to play Oregon State. Washington hasn't won on the road in a year, last beating USC in last February.

"I knew it wasn't going to be easy," said Bender as he faded into the chilly night air. But he also didn't know it was going to be this hard.

Want to comment or pass on an idea? You can contact Blaine Newnham by voice mail at 464-2364.