University of Oregon
UC Santa Barbara
Ducks Advance to WNIT 3rd Round on Smith's 100th Win
03/18/07 | Women's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) ? Carolyn Ganes scored 13 points as Oregon defeated UC Santa Barbara 70-54 in the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament on Saturday night.
Tamika Nurse had 11 points for the Ducks (17-13), who shot 50 percent from the field. Taylor Lilley, Eleanor Haring and Jamie Hawkins added 10 points apiece for Oregon, which advances to the third round against the winner of Sunday's game between Missouri and Wyoming in Cheyenne, Wyo.
Jenna Green scored 13 points to lead UC Santa Barbara (19-14). Oregon is 11-1 in the WNIT, winning the tournament championship in 1989 and 2002.
The Ducks, who beat UC Santa Barbara 85-77 in the preseason, never trailed. Lilley had a three-pointer and a three-point play in consecutive possessions to cap a 14-3 run, giving Oregon a 26-11 lead with 5:47 to go in the first half.
The Gauchos shot just 18.8 percent in the first half and trailed 32-17 at the break.
UC Santa Barbara never got within 14 points in the second half, and Haring's jumper with 3:28 left gave Oregon its largest lead at 68-45. The win was the 100th of Bev Smith's coaching career at Oregon.
QUACK TRACKS: The Ducks had 12 assists on 12 field goals in the first half ... FR G Micaela Cocks had a career-high four assists ... SO G Tamika Nurse set a new career high with three three-pointers made ... The four other 2nd Round WNIT games on Saturday were all won by the home team ... UO grabbed a season-high 45 rebounds in the game.
