University of Oregon
Arizona State
Oregon's Final Effort Falls Short
02/02/08 | Women's Basketball
In a nail-biter, Oregon climbed back from multiple nine-point deficits to have an opportunity to win the game at the end.
Arizona State guard Briann January turned the ball over, giving Oregon the final possession with 17.1 seconds on the clock. The Ducks called a timeout and had 12.2 remaining to run a final play. Junior guard Tamika Nurse drove to the lane, but her attempt was blocked by Sybil Dosty as time expired.
Oregon is now 10-12 on the year and 4-7 in the Pac-10, while ASU improves to 15-7 and 9-2 in conference.
The Ducks climbed back into the game with defensive pressure and timely baskets from Nurse and Ellie Manou.
Manou executed a spin move in the post with 39.1 seconds to go, bringing the Ducks within one, 52-51.Oregon was in that position after Nurse buried a three-pointer on the wing with 2:39 remaining, and the Duck defense continued to hold ASU scoreless.
As always the Oregon defense, kept the Ducks in the game, holding the Sun Devils 11.5 points below their season average of 63.5.
The teams started the second half locked at 26-26, but Arizona State came out of the break on fire, building a lead Oregon chipped away at, but failed to overcome.
Oregon was led by Nurse's 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Manou and Nicole Canepa, who each entered the starting lineup, finished with 11 points apiece on 5-of-7 shooting. Senior Kaela Chapdelaine had a game-high seven assists.
January led Arizona State with 14 points, while Lauren Lacey added 13.
The Ducks have now lost four in a row, each on the road, and by a combined 14 points.
“This team is ready to put together some back-to-back games,” head coach Bev Smith said looking ahead to next week's homestand with Stanford and Cal. “The team learned if we bring this effort and intensity you can beat anyone, and if you don't, you can lose to anyone.”
The Ducks committed four turnovers to start the second half, allowing Arizona State to mount 13-4 run and take a 39-30 lead.
That run was highlighted by ASU's Reagan Pariseau, who drained a baseline three-pointer. During that stretch, Oregon was held scoreless for nearly four minutes, until Nurse scored on back-to-back possessions, getting the Ducks back within five, 39-34.
The Sun Devils responded with back-to-back baskets of their own, increasing their lead to 43-34 with 12:26 remaining.
After an Arizona State turnover, Ellyce Ironmonger converted a layup despite being fouled. She completed the three-point play to bring Oregon within 47-43 with 6:50 to go.
Canepa's return to the starting lineup made a difference in the first half, as the teams entered the locker room locked at 26-26.
She led all players, scoring nine points in the first 20 minutes on 4-of-5 shooting. The San Francisco native made two crucial scores for Oregon, including the basket that tied the game with less than four seconds to go until halftime.
She also brought Oregon within one, 20-19, with 5:57 remaining to the break, getting past Dosty in the paint for a layin.
The Ducks shot 50.0 percent from the floor (11-22), and held Arizona State to a .419 percentage (13-31) in the first half.
Lacey led ASU going into the second half with eight points.
The Ducks jumped out to a 5-0 lead to open the game after a Lilley three-pointer and a Cocks layup in transition.
Oregon used its seventh starting lineup of the season, but it marked the first time the Ducks have made a change since the start of the Pac-10 play.
QUICK QUACKS: Oregon had played it last 10 games with the same starters; Micaela Cocks, Taylor Lilley, Kaela Chapdelaine, Victoria Kenyon and Ellyce Ironmonger, before making a change today, inserting Ellie Manou and Nicole Canepa...this is the first time Oregon has lost four in a row since dropping six consecutive to end the 2005-06 season...the Sun Devils are not ranked, but receiving votes in both the Associate Press and USA Today/ESPN Top-25 polls...freshman point guard Nia Jackson missed her fourth straight game for Oregon, still troubled by a right quad staring.
