The Washington Huskies have insisted since their loss on Sunday against Washington State that they got the shots they wanted, but just weren't able to knock them down.
"Defensively, we have to do a better job in that game and here on out," Romar said. "Offensively, there were times maybe that maybe we settled although we had an awful lot of uncontested shots. I went back and looked we had 29 threes against Cal on the road and made 13 of them. At one point we were 9 of 13 and it was going really well. A lot of those same shots we took against Cal, we took against Washington State. There were a lot of uncontested shots there as well. I thought maybe in this game they weren't going as much. Although we were 5-for-10 early and they seemed like they were going, maybe we could have made an extra pass, did a little more in terms of dribble penetration."
So after an emotional loss to WSU, UW is hardly in a panic - instead they're far more likely to enter tonight's game at Oregon State more focused as they once again look to re-assert themselves as the top team in the conference.
And even on the road, the odds might stand in favor of the Huskies.
HeraldNet.com - Sports: Huskies look to bounce back
Since the beginning of the 2008-09 season, the Huskies are 13-5 in games following a loss. Their only losing streak this season lasted just two games, and that came against top-10 teams Kentucky and Michigan State on back-to-back days in the Maui Invitational 21/2 months ago.
In addition to history working in their favor, there has to be at least some confidence drawn from the fact that they beat Oregon State 103-72 in Seattle in a game which Oregon State seemed to have no answer for Matthew Bryan-Amaning.
Although the Beavers have played better at home than on the road this year, the Huskies figure to pose a formidable challenge.
Hardwood Notebook: OSU "Heading In Right Direction" As Huskies Come To Town | February
In Pac-10 play, the Beavers are 3-2 at home and 0-4 on the road, and OSU will need a hometown advantage to contain the inside-outside Washington threat in forward Matt Bryan-Amaning and guard Isaiah Thomas. Bryan-Amaning had 24 points and 15 rebounds in Washington's 103-72 win over OSU on Jan. 8 in Seattle, and Thomas chipped in 19 points and 8 assists. If OSU can play lockdown defense in the paint on Thursday, the Beavers have a shot at an upset. If not, it could be lights out early in Gill Coliseum.
The combination of a hungry Huskies squad and what stands to be a bad matchup for the Beavers figures to bode well for a Huskies' win on the road.