Eugene, OR – Eugene, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - After suffering a rare home loss on Thursday, the 17th-ranked Oregon Ducks have to find a way to regroup as they face the Stanford Cardinal in a Pac-12 conference affair at Matthew Knight Arena.
Stanford is also coming off a disappointing loss, as it fell flat in an 81-72 setback on the road against Oregon State. The Cardinal have lost three of their last four games, and are now sitting at 9-5 overall and winless in two conference games. They will return home to face Washington State on Wednesday.
Oregon had won its first nine games at home this season before being dominated in a 96-83 loss to California a few days back. The setback was the second straight for the Ducks, who fell to No. 20 Colorado in their previous outing. They are still 13-2 overall and 2-1 in league play, and they have a three-game road trip looming.
The home team came out on top in the two meetings between these teams last season, with Stanford claiming a 76-52 triumph at Maples Pavilion, and Oregon returning the favor with a 77-66 victory in Eugene. The Ducks have won three of the last four overall, but the Cardinal hold the all-time series lead at 90-48.
The Cardinal were unable to keep up with the Beavers from beyond the arc in their most recent loss. Stanford was outscored 24-6 from 3-point range, while shooting just 41.4 percent from the field overall. Chasson Randle netted a game-high 30 points in the losing effort.
Randle (19.2 ppg) is one of the better scorers in the conference, ranking fourth in points per game. The 6-foot-2 guard has reached double figures in eight straight games, and has six 20-point efforts on the campaign. While Randle provides punch in the backcourt, Dwight Powell (14.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and Josh Huestis (11.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.2 bpg) form an effective tandem up front. Powell posted his sixth double-double of the season against Oregon State with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Huestis, who is third in the league in blocked shots, had nine points and eight rebounds, but only a single block.
Oregon failed to string together defensive stops at a consistent rate against California, allowing the Golden Bears to connect on 52.5 percent of their total shots. The Ducks hit just 40.6 percent of their field goal attempts, which included a dismal 29.7 percent effort over the final 20 minutes.
Even though their shooting touch was not there, the Ducks still managed to pile up the points, an area they have excelled in all season. Oregon ranks third in the country in scoring (88.9 ppg), while sitting 21st in field goal percentage (.490). Joseph Young (19.7 ppg) will counter Randle in this contest, as he is third in the Pac-12 in scoring. Young had 29 points against Cal for his seventh 20-point showing of the season. Joining Young in the backcourt are Damyean Dotson (11.5 ppg) and Johnathan Loyd (9.3 ppg, 6.2 apg), while Jason Calliste (10.7 ppg) provides depth off the bench. Mike Moser (14 ppg, 7.8 rpg) posted a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) in Thursday's loss, as he continues to be the team's primary option down low.
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