SEATTLE, Wash.
? Sami Whitcomb's three-pointer with 1:26 remaining gave Washington its first
lead of the second half, and the Ducks could not recover, falling 61-60 on
Friday night at Bank of America Arena.
Oregon
falls to 10-15 on the year and 4-10 in the Pacific-10 conference, remaining in
seventh place behind the Huskies (10-15, 5-8).
Whitcomb got the Dawgs their first lead of the second half,
59-58, draining a three-pointer on the wing. After an Oregon
turnover, Whitcomb calmly drained two free throws to put the Huskies up by
three, 61-58.
Micalea Cocks extended Oregon's
next possession with an offensive rebound, and Tamika Nurse banked in a runner
through the lane to bring the Ducks back within one, 60-61. An offensive foul
on Whitcomb gave Oregon another
possession with 12 seconds remaining.
Nurse got the ball to Taylor Lilley, but the sophomore guard
was called for an offensive foul as three Washington
players collapsed on her drive to the basket. The Ducks then fouled and sent
Whitcomb to the line. She missed both her free throw attempts, but Oregon's
last shot was taken after the buzzer sounded.
“I think we stopped being aggressive toward the end,” head
coach Bev Smith said after the loss. “We started playing not to lose the game,
instead of playing to win it.”
The Huskies and Ducks split the season series this year on
their respective home floors, with the two games decided by a total of three
points.
Oregon is now
on a seven-game losing streak, and has dropped its last seven games on the road
? the last five by a total of 15 points.
Washington cut
Oregon's lead to 56-54 with just
under three minutes remaining after a Jess McCormack basket. The Dawgs again
attacked Oregon in the post to
tie the game on their next possession, with Andrea Plouffe scoring.
Freshman Nicole Canepa led the Ducks with 12 points, while
Lilley and Kaela Chapdelaine added 11. Canepa has now reached double figures in
scoring three times since returning to the starting lineup four games ago at
Arizona State (Feb. 2). During two of those games, the San
Francisco native led the Ducks on the box score.
Washington's
bench outscored Oregon 22-11, led
by Laura McLellan's game high 14 points. Whitcomb followed with 13, while
McCormack and Plouffe scored 10 apiece.
Junior guard Takima Nurse played 39 minutes for the Ducks,
providing tremendous leadership at the point, scoring nine points, grabbing
five rebounds and dishing out five assists.
Oregon shot
45.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Huskies 32-28.
A key run in the first 10 minutes of the second half helped
the Ducks build a seven point, 48-41, lead with just over 13 minutes remaining.
Ahead 42-41, Oregon scored six
straight unanswered points, four from Canepa and two from Ellie Manou.
The teams exchanged the lead 11 times in the first half, but
it was Oregon that walked into
the locker room with a slim 34-33 halftime advantage.
Led by Chapdelaine's 11 points, Oregon
had five players in the scoring column; Canepa (6), Ironmonger (6), Lilley (6)
and Nurse (5), as the Ducks shot 43.3 percent in the first 20 minutes. The
Ducks hit six three-pointers in the first half, while Chapdelaine and Nurse
compiled four assists apiece.
Oregon looked
to push the ball early and often after every Washington
miss. The result was a 12-6 lead by the Ducks with 15:53 to go in the first half, backed by two Lilley
three-pointers.
But Washington
worked its way back, going on a 13-3 run that gave the Huskies a 19-15 lead
after two Whitcomb three-pointers. The Ducks were held scoreless for 5:39 as Washington
initiated a full-court press and extended half-court defense. Nurse finally
broke the drought with a trey of her own with 8:41
remaining.
The Duck's 34 points were the most Oregon
has scored in a first half since taking 36 into halftime during a 59-53 victory
over Arizona on Jan. 5, 2008 at Mac
Court.
QUICK QUAKCS: Oregon
has not won a Pac-10 game in Seattle
since Jan. 18, 2001 (a seven-game losing streak)...Oregon has dropped its last
seven on the road and now has 10 road losses on the year, a new program
record....the Ducks have lost a total of six games this season by five points
or less.
