.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Oregon playing for high seed vs. Arizona State (Mar 09, 2017)
LAS VEGAS -- Top-seeded and fifth-ranked Oregon faces an Arizona State team in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament on Thursday that took it to the limit in Eugene, Ore., on Feb. 2.
The underdog Sun Devils lost 71-70 as All-American candidate Dillon Brooks scored 12 straight points for the Ducks down the stretch.
"That was our game to win but down the stretch Dillon Brooks took over," said Arizona State guard Tra Holder on Wednesday after he scored 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field in the Sun Devils' 98-88 overtime win over Stanford in a Pac-12 first-round game at T-Mobile Arena.
Arizona State senior forward Obinna Oleka, who had a career-high 27 points with 13 rebounds against the Cardinal, added that the Ducks are "beatable."
The No. 8-seeded Sun Devils improved to 15-17 with the win over Stanford. It was their first Pac-12 tournament victory since 2013.
Without knowing their opponent earlier in the week, Oregon (27-4) was more focused on what the Pac-12 tournament means to their seed in the NCAA Tournament.
"The West (Regional) is going to be decided on who wins the Pac-12 (tournament)," Brooks said Monday before the Ducks left for Las Vegas. "We want to be that, so we have home fans and a lot of energy. We know what's at stake, and we're trying to win out."
The Ducks are currently projected as a top-two seed in the West. That could mean opening the NCAA Tournament in Sacramento, Calif. Should they advance to the West Regional, they might play in San Jose, Calif.
"(Arizona State) is a great scoring team, can shoot outside really well," Brooks said.
The Sun Devils made 10 of 22 shots from beyond the 3-point line against Stanford. The 6-foot-8 Oleka, ASU's starting post player, went 2 of 4 from beyond the arc.
Arizona State is second in the Pac-12, averaging 10 shots a game from 3-point range.
Oleka and the Sun Devils' other four starters -- Holder, Torian Graham, Shannon Evans and Kodi Justice -- each had at least one 3-pointer. They scored 96 of ASU's 98 points.
"We've done it most of the year," Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley said of the 3-point shooting. "This is nothing surprising that we had 10 in this game. We're certainly capable of doing that and more."
Oregon enters the game on a six-game winning streak. Brooks was selected the conference's player of the year and forward Jordan Bell was named the defensive player of the year.
Five of the Ducks average scoring in double figures, including sixth man Chris Boucher, who averages 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.
Not only are the Ducks are second nationally at 6.8 blocks per game, but with 212 blocks, Oregon is within striking distance of both the school (221) and conference (224) records, both of which were set last season.
"They have a lot of great players," Hurley said. "They're very well coached. Great shot-blocking. And Brooks, over the last two years, there hasn't been anyone in the league that's made as many big shots for a team.
"So we have complete respect for them, and we'll just try and get our edge back, try and recover, get our guys rested and get ready for tomorrow."
Brooks, who averages 16 points while shooting 52.6 percent from the field, said the key for the Ducks is to "follow what we've been trying to follow all year -- rebound, limit our turnovers and share the basketball."
"When we do those, we blow out teams," he said. "When we only do two of those things, games are pretty close."
