University of Oregon
Nevada
Wagner Leads Ducks Past Nevada, 61-50
11/20/05 | Women's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. ? The University of Oregon women's basketball team, behind 21 points from senior guard Chelsea Wagner, improved to 2-1 on the young season with a 61-50 scrubbing of Nevada (0-2), in front of 3,232 at McArthur Court.
Wagner, making her first start of the season, equaled her career-high for points thanks to 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range. Overall, she was 6-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the foul line.
“The last couple games we were pounding the ball inside pretty well - that's the strength of our team,” Wagner said. If they shut down the inside, we can get it done outside and tonight it was me hitting the shots.”
As suspenseful and dramatic as the Ducks' last home game was ? a tough defeat against a very good Temple team ? the outcome to Sunday's game was never in doubt. Oregon led wire-to-wire and held a lead of no less than 10 points for the final 27 minutes of the game.
Even with a double-digit lead for most of the game, both teams struggled to find much of an offensive rhythm or flow. The two sides combined for 45 fouls and 40 turnovers.
“We didn't do a good job working together as a team,” Wagner said. “I feel like we did the best we could in trying to adjust to what was going on, but it wasn't pretty today offensively.”
No other Ducks cracked double figures. Junior forward Eleanor Haring had nine points, and sophomore center Gabrielle Richards added six points in four rebounds before fouling out after just 14 minutes of playing time.
Sabrina Keys scored 15 points off the bench for the Wolf Pack, who won the rebounding battle, 40-32, including 20 on the offensive glass.
Wagner agreed that Oregon has some work to do on blocking out and preventing offensive rebounds.
“It's definitely one of our weaknesses but that's what the preseason is for,” she said.
Oregon overcame 12 first-half fouls to lead 36-20 at the break. The Ducks shot 53.8 percent from the floor, while holding the Wolf Pack to 30.4 percent.
After getting the bulk of their scoring from post players during their first two games, the Ducks came out firing from the perimeter against the Wolf Pack. Wagner hit a pair of three-pointers and junior forward Eleanor Haring converted a baseline jumper to stake UO to a quick 8-0 lead.
Nevada scored the next six points before the Ducks opened things up with a 10-0 run to take an 18-6 lead with 12 minutes to play in the half.
The Ducks play at the University of Portland on Tuesday night (7 p.m.) before returning to Mac Court to host Arkansas on Friday at 5 p.m.
QUACK TRACKS: SR G Chelsea Wagner moved past current UO assistant coach Peg Swadener (1989-93) and tied former Duck Cathrine Kraayeveld (2000-05) for eighth place on the career three-pointers list with 81. Kraayeveld, fresh off her first season in the WNBA with the New York Liberty, was in attendance... all 12 Oregon players saw action in the game by the time there was 5:08 left in the first half... the Ducks shut out Nevada from three-point range (0-of-9).
