The Oregon women’s basketball team dropped its eighth consecutive road game Thursday night, failing to hang on to a 15-point second half lead in a 61-55 loss to Washington at Bank of America Arena in Seattle.
Oregon post Gabrielle Richards completed her second consecutive double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Richards grabbed five rebounds on the offensive end.
Oregon held a 42-27 lead six minutes into the second half after a Carolyn Ganes’ three-pointer.
Washington (17-7 overall, 10-5 Pacific-10 Conference) responded with a 13-0 spurt including a three-pointer and eight-foot jumper by Jill Bell to pull within four, 47-44. The Huskies tied the back and forth contest four minutes later on a three-pointer by Andrea Plouffe.
Bell and Plouffe made back-to-back baskets for a 55-51 lead with 1:58 left. With time running out and unable to get anything going offensively, Oregon never came closer than four points the rest of the game.
Oregon (14-11, 5-10) has one more opportunity to earn that elusive conference road win Saturday afternoon against Washington State. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
Oregon State’s win against Washington State Thursday combined with Oregon’s loss moved the Ducks into eighth place and below their seventh-place rivals from Corvallis.
The Ducks’ inconsistent offense struggled Thursday with a lack of outside shooting. Oregon has seen highs of 81 and 78 points and totals as low as 39.
With Chelsea Wagner and Brandi Davis out, Washington swarmed Richards in the second half, and Oregon’s offense suffered.
Oregon’s shooters managed four three-pointers on nine attempts. The Ducks overall shooting percentage slipped from 52 percent in the first half to 34.5 in the second.
Washington turned 16 Oregon turnovers into 15 points.
“Offensively, I think we got a little bit scared. We got a little tight,” Oregon coach Bev Smith said in a broadcast interview.
Bell led three Washington players who scored in double figures. Bell scored 12 of her career-high 18 points in the second half to propel Washington’s comeback.
Bell made 9 of 15 field goals. She snagged 10 rebounds to go with two blocked shots. Plouffe scored 13 points and Cameo Hicks had 10 on 4-for-12 shooting.
Oregon’s defense gave the Ducks an early lead. Oregon held Washington to 37.3 percent shooting overall and 18.8 percent from three-point range.
The Ducks led 27-13 at one point in the first half and 31-22 at halftime.
“We really dug ourselves an unbelievable hole,” Washington coach June Daugherty said in a Washington press release. “It just seemed like we weren’t fighting hard. In the second half, we really settled down and started getting in their passing lanes and pushing them out.”
Oregon senior guard Wagner didn’t suit up in her final visit to Seattle. Team officials announced earlier Thursday that Oregon’s top three-point threat would be held out to allow her to continue her recovery from a concussion she suffered Feb. 12 against Arizona State.
Wagner collided with teammate Kaela Chapdelaine late in the 62-52 loss to the Sun Devils.
The 5-foot-10 Springfield native traveled with Oregon and could be cleared to play against Washington State on Saturday.
Cicely Oaks, who started nine games earlier this season, moved back into the starting lineup. Known for her gritty defense, the 5-foot-7 guard grabbed seven rebounds, but also turned the ball over five times.
Davis, Oregon’s long distance threat besides Wagner, sat out almost the entire game except for the final minute with the flu.
Oregon travels to Pullman, Wash., to play Washington State, currently in last place in the conference at 1-14, but which challengedOregon in January’s 54-50 Ducks win at McArthur Court.
Keisha Moore provides Washington State’s inside presence, averaging 11.5 points and 6.8 rebounds prior to Thursday nights loss to Oregon State 59-50.
Kate Benz, Washington State’s 6-foot-2 forward, averages nearly a double-double a game with nine points and nine rebounds. Washington State has found some degree of comfort within its home confines with a 4-7 record compared to 1-10 on the road.

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