The Oregon women had six players with double-figure point totals and shot 44.3 percent from the field, but the Ducks put together a six-point run after falling behind late to clinch their first road victory of the season, an 86-81 win over Montana.
“Any time in the second half, that game could’ve turned and we could’ve been down eight. Someone always came up with a big play,” head coach Paul Westhead said. “This (Montana) team is very hard to beat on the road. I love the way they played. They started making shots and kept the pressure on us.”
Oregon (2-0) had a 31-22 lead in the first half off a Micaela Cocks jumper, but the Grizzlies (0-3) scored the next five points and entered halftime trailing by only six, 38-32. Montana kept chipping away, and forward Lauren Beck’s second free throw with 13:08 remaining put the Grizzlies up for the first time in the second half, 51-50.
The Ducks regained the lead and widened it as far as six points, but the Grizzlies rattled off eight points in 1:02 to take a 75-74 lead. Forward Nicole Canepa made a basket on the Ducks’ next possession to bring them back, and guard Nia Jackson stripped Montana’s Stephanie Stender of the ball for another basket on the next possession. Canepa made two more shots late in the game to help the Ducks walk away from Dahlberg Arena – where Montana entered the game 49-2 over the past three seasons – victorious.
Canepa came off the bench to score a career-high 18 points, shooting 8-16 from the field, and grab nine rebounds for the Ducks.
“I can’t say enough about Nicole Canepa’s play off the bench,” Westhead said. “I don’t know where we’d be without those points she gives us inside.”
Amanda Johnson scored 17 points and accumulated a career-high 15 rebounds (12 defensive) for the Ducks. Guard Taylor Lilley had 15 points, five assists and three steals, and guard Nia Jackson had 12 points and six steals. Cocks and Victoria Kenyon each added 11 points.
Montana forward Sarah Ena, playing in her first game of the season after an injury, had 18 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Grizzlies. Beck scored 17 for Montana, and Stender and Katie Baker each scored 15.
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