Oregon schools desperate for wins

Ian Mayer Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore guard Mike Bibby (10) and junior center Donnell Harris (13) block Corey Benjamin (4), sophomore guard for Oregon State, earlier in the season. The Wildcats will battle Oregon State tonight in Oregon as the Wildcats try to keep their perfect score against Pac-10 teams.

The Wildcats go to Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore., home of the Oregon State Beavers, tonight and to MacArthur Court in Eugene Saturday to face the Oregon Ducks.

Both Oregon schools have a lot at stake. The Beavers desperately need wins to salvage what has otherwise been a disappointing season. The Ducks on the other hand, have a shot at the NIT, so every win - including their victory over UCLA at Mac Court earlier this season - is crucial.

"We have the advantage of having a very veteran team that has played up at Oregon State and Oregon before," Arizona head coach Lute Olson said. "We will not see the same teams we saw here."

The teams Arizona saw at McKale Center were merely road bumps. The Wildcats defeated Oregon by 30 on Jan. 22 then cruised past Oregon State by 13 two days later.

This was supposed to be Oregon State's breakthrough year. They returned four starters, including Corey Benjamin, but the oars fell off the ship soon after the Pac-10 season started. The Beavers were 10-2 heading into the conference schedule and have gone 2-11 since.

"Oregon State is a typical young team," Olson said. "They struggle when they play on the road, but they play very well at home when their fans are behind them."

Benjamin has been sidelined with an abdominal strain recently but is expected to play when the game tips off at 8 p.m. Tucson time.

"I like going up to Oregon. It gives my parents another chance to come down and see me play," said Washington native Michael Dickerson. "Eugene is a very tough place to play. The fans are so close to the court, and it gets very loud in there."

The Wildcats actually dropped the game in Eugene last season, 78-72.

UA, coming off a tough 83-82 win at Arizona State, will likely go with its normal starting five of Mike Bibby, Miles Simon, Dickerson, Bennett Davison and A.J. Bramlett tonight.

However, the key to the game could be the defensive play of reserves Eugene Edgerson on the interior and Jason Terry on the perimeter.

"Our defensive intensity is the key thing that gets us on runs," Olson said. "It seems that one turnover just leads to another, and soon we have taken a lead. It seems like J.T. is always on the floor when they happen."

Saturday's game with Oregon will tip at 1:30 p.m. and will be televised on ABC.

No. 3 Arizona vs. Oregon State

(22-3, 12-0 Pac-10)

(12-13, 2-11)

When: Tonight at 8

Where: Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore.

TV/Radio: The game will be televised by KTTU and broadcast live by KNST (AM 790)

What: The Wildcats are riding a 15-game win streak - Arizona has won 16 in a row versus Oregon State, and 23 of the last 24 contests - OSU's Corey Benjamin is second in conference scoring, averaging 19.8 points a game, while Michael Dickerson is fifth with 18.7 points a game