Los Angeles again proved a trying location for the Oregon women’s basketball team.
It started with a loss Thursday at UCLA, and continued Saturday at USC with another loss, marking the second straight year the Ducks have dropped winnable games in Los Angeles.
Oregon started the trip tied for fourth place in the Pacific-10 Conference, but following a 46-42 loss to the Trojans return to Eugene in sole possession of sixth place with a visit to the Arizona schools fast approaching.
The Ducks had been looking at the Los Angeles trip as a chance to create separation and move up the conference standings, but gave up halftime leads in the two losses.
On Saturday, Oregon was ahead 25-20 at the break. The Ducks upped the lead to 11, 31-20, on a free throw by Victoria Kenyon, but USC answered with an 11-0 run to knot the score at 31 on a Kari LaPlante jumper. After being tied at 36, USC went ahead on a Camille LeNoir jumper with 7:25 remaining and the Trojans never trailed again.
Oregon made its last field goal with 4:40 left on a lay-up by Micaela Cocks, going scoreless the rest of the way.
LaPlante scored all 10 of her points in the second half. LeNoir led the Trojans with 14 points. Heather Oliver and Hailey Dunham each had eight.
USC overcame poor shooting from three-point range – the two makes in 16 attempts coming from LeNoir. Brynn Cameron, one of USC’s top shooters, struggled in an 0-for-6 shooting night from the field.
Kaela Chapdelaine didn’t have the soft-shooting touch she enjoyed against UCLA, but made up for it in other ways, collecting 12 rebounds – four on the offensive end – and dishing out two assists.
The shorthanded Ducks were expected to be without point guard Tamika Nurse, who strained her left shoulder against UCLA, but was able to play Saturday. She came off the bench and in 30 minutes had six points and three rebounds. Ellie Manou, who has battled foot pain, had six points and 10 rebounds, including six offensive boards.
Taylor Lilley led Oregon with 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting. She made 3 of 8 three-pointers, but had a team-high six turnovers.
Nicole Canepa played a smaller role with only six minutes of on-court time and Tatianna Thomas, who contributed against UCLA, didn’t see the court Saturday.
The Arizona road trip won’t be any easier next week. Oregon starts with Arizona, which is 7-13 overall and 1-8 in the Pac-10, on Thursday and visits Arizona State, which is 13-7 overall and 7-2 in the Pac-10, on Saturday.
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