SAN JOSE, Calif.
? Trailing for the entire game, Oregon made things interesting against 10th-ranked
Cal in the final minutes, but the Bears were steady at the free-throw line,
squeaking out a 67-60 victory on Saturday at HP Pavilion.
The loss to Cal
in the quarterfinals of the 2008 State Farm Women's Pac-10 Tournament ends Oregon's
season at 14-17. The Bears (25-5) will move on to play Arizona
State in the semifinals tomorrow at
noon.
Oregon sophomore guard Taylor Lilley hit a three-pointer
from nearly four-feet behind the arc to bring the Ducks within 62-60 with just
15.4 seconds remaining, but Alexis Gray-Lawson knocked down two free throws and
the Ducks turned the ball over on their next possession to rule out any hopes
of an upset.
Oregon was led
by Lilley's season-high tying 24 points, and in front of family and friends,
freshman Nicole Canepa posted her first career double-double with 11 points and
a career-high 14 rebounds.
Playing in her last collegiate game for the Ducks, senior
Kaela Chapdelaine scored 12 points and led Oregon
with four assists.
Four players finished in double figures for Cal,
led by posts Ashley Walker and Devanei Hampton, who scored 15 points apiece.
Natasha Vital added 14 points and a game-high nine assists, while Gray-Lawson
was 7-of-9 from the stripe for her 14 points.
Oregon
whittled what was once a 16-point Cal
lead down to three points, 57-54, after a Lilley three-point play with 1:33 to go. Again Lilley was able to get to
the basket in the closing moments of the game, including a bucket with 23.6
seconds left that brought Oregon
within 60-57.
Oregon was
most successful on the floor using a small lineup, with Nurse, Cocks, Lilley,
Chapdelaine and Canepa as the only true post.
The first half ended with Cal
walking into the locker room ahead 31-26, but it was after a valiant Oregon
comeback.
The Ducks were trailing 16-0, before Canepa scored Oregon's
first points of the game inside with 10:03
remaining.
The Ducks then proceeded to chip away at Cal's
lead, eventually cutting the advantage to 18-13 after back-to-back
three-pointers from Lilley and Micaela Cocks. Oregon's
17-3 run proceeded after an offensive board and putback from Canepa had the
Ducks trailing just 19-17.
Lilley led Oregon
with 11 points, while Hampton matched
her with 11 as well
QUICK QUACKS: Saturday's game was the 122nd of
Kaela Chapdelaine's career, ranking third all-time in program history...the
Okotoks, Alberta, native finishes her career at Oregon scoring 658 points,
grabbing 364 rebounds, and dishing 362 assists (seventh in program
history)...Oregon has now been eliminated by Cal from the Pac-10 Tournament for
the last two years...the Ducks fell in 63-51 in the quarterfinals a year ago.
