Banged-up Bruins, Ducks get ready for Pac-10 rematch.

Byline: Bob Rodman The Register-Guard

There should be no more secrets, no more surprises. The newness has worn off.

"We've seen all of the teams," said Bev Smith, the Oregon women's basketball coach whose Ducks have completed half of the 18-game Pac-10 Conference regular-season schedule.

"We've seen their strengths and their weaknesses."

At 5-4 and in sixth place, they get to see five of their next seven league opponents at McArthur Court, where Oregon (12-6) has yet to lose in four Pac-10 games this season and is 7-1 overall.

The first of three straight home games begins tonight at 7 when UCLA plays Oregon. On Saturday, the Ducks and USC meet at 1 p.m. And on Feb. 5, Oregon and Oregon State fight another Civil War.

The Bruins, 12-6 overall and a game ahead of Oregon in the Pac-10 standings at 6-3, used a second-half comeback to conquer the Ducks 70-54 in Los Angeles on Jan. 4.

UCLA has won five of its last six games against the Ducks, including two straight at Mac Court.

But the Bruins and Oregon are not the same teams they were a month ago. UCLA sophomore guard Noelle Quinn, leading her team in scoring, rebounding and steals, underwent arthroscopic surgery on her left knee after being injured two weeks ago in a loss to Arizona. She may be sidelined up to four more weeks.

Oregon's Chelsea Wagner, a junior guard leading the Pac-10 with 37 three-pointers at the time of her injury, hurt her left knee in the Jan. 13 win over Washington and will not return this season.

"It's been a tough situation for us," UCLA coach Kathy Olivier said. "Noelle did so many things for our team. But we have had people step up."

Amanda Livingston scored a career-high 23 points in the win at California last week, just the third time this season that someone other than Quinn, Nikki Blue or Lisa Willis led the Bruins in scoring.

"We rely on our perimeter a lot," Olivier said, "but our post players are doing a pretty good job." Lindsey Pluimer, a freshman center, is averaging more than 10 points and six rebounds for the Bruins.

The Ducks, too, are focused on their offensive interior.

"Games are won in the paint," Smith said. "It is important to try to go to your strengths and we want to establish our inside game."

Cathrine Kraayeveld leads Oregon with averages of 15.3 points and 8.8 rebounds, the latter second-best in the Pac-10. Andrea Bills is scoring nearly 12 points and seven rebounds a game.

"Our perimeter needs to be more aggressive, get the ball into the paint," Smith said.

The Ducks also need to take better care of the basketball. In the four Pac-10 losses - to USC, UCLA, Arizona and ASU, all on the road - the Ducks were burdened by 85 turnovers, more than 21 a game or six more than their season average.

"We've been lackadaisical," Bills said. `(The turnovers) really hurt us. If we want to win, we have to take care of those things."

Smith said the court - home or away - "should not have anything to do with turnovers. We only had six (a UO record) at Oregon State (an 82-58 win on Jan. 8).

"We just need to be more consistent in looking after the ball."

Especially against UCLA, which leads the Pac-10 in steals with an average of 12.28 a game. The Bruins also lead the league in turnover margin with nearly six fewer a game than their opponents.

UCLA is the second-highest-scoring team in the league, averaging 72.1 points a game. The Duck defense ranks third, allowing 60.8 points.

"The UCLA guards are dominating," Smith said. "We must be ready to deal with them but not let their inside game surprise us."

Oregon's only win over a Pac-10 team ahead of it in the standings came against Stanford, which is why this week's games against UCLA and USC are critical.

"These games are important," Smith said.

CAPTION(S):

OREGON WOMEN VS. UCLA 7 p.m. today at McArthur Court. No TV. Radio: KSCR-AM (1320).