In the weeks leading up to it, Paul Westhead knew the women’s basketball team’s trip to the Bay Area would be difficult. He wasn’t wrong.
The trip did not begin well with a blowout loss to Stanford, and though the Ducks improved drastically against California, they ultimately fell 79-73.
Still, Westhead preferred to look at the positive side of things.
“I was really very pleased with our effort,” Westhead said. “I thought we played hard 40 minutes, I thought we did a lot of good things.”
The Golden Bears got off to a quick start with a 10-2 run to start the game. Senior guard Taylor Lilley hit a three to end the run, but California bounced right back to take a 17-9 lead.
Setting the tone for what would be a back-and-forth game, redshirt junior forward Victoria Kenyon and Lilley hit consecutive three-pointers to cut the lead to two. A layup by sophomore forward Jasmin Holliday tied the game at 17, but California responded with a blistering 11-0 run. Freshman forward DeNesha Stallworth scored seven points during the run, and the Golden Bears had regained control.
Lilley led the Ducks right back into the game with seven points during a 9-0 run. The teams continued to trade hot streaks until halftime, when California held a 44-37 lead.
Early on, it was clear that Oregon’s rebounding struggles were continuing. The Golden Bears outrebounded the Ducks 24-13 in the first half, including a 10-4 advantage on the offensive glass. California had 13 second-chance points to Oregon’s four, and it was apparent that the Ducks would need to improve dramatically in the second half.
Indeed, Oregon came out firing after the intermission. Amanda Johnson, who was forced to sit for much of the first half with three fouls, hit a jumper to start things off. Lilley followed with another jump shot, and after less than a minute the Ducks had cut the lead to three.
A rare three-pointer by redshirt sophomore Nia Jackson brought Oregon within two, but California refused to back down. The Golden Bears uncorked an 11-5 run, and held a 57-49 lead with 14:35 left in the game.
About five minutes later, Nia Jackson gave the Ducks their first lead of the game with two free throws. A Johnson layup brought the lead to 61-58 with 8:55 remaining, and Westhead was impressed with the will of his team.
“We worked really hard and got a lead,” Westhead said. “We just needed maybe one more stop, one more possession.”
Yet, California was far from throwing in the towel. The Golden Bears would quickly tie the game at 61, and the teams continued to trade points until California finally held on for a 79-73 win.
“It was a game, even with three minutes to go,” Westhead said. “We had some good shots, good looks, and we just missed.”
Lilley finished with a game-high 24 points, and her four three-pointers gave her a Pacific-10 Conference single-season record of 93. Jackson added 16 points, while Amanda Johnson finished with 13 points after scoring just one in the first half.
“I thought Amanda had an upbeat game,” Westhead said. “It’s interesting, in addition to our obvious senior leaders … Amanda Johnson is a pivotal player for us in how we go and how our team responds.”
Stallworth and redshirt senior Alexis Gray-Lawson each scored 19 for the Golden Bears. Stallworth also totaled 11 rebounds, and as a team California held a 51-28 advantage on the boards. The Golden Bears also had an astonishing 27 second-chance points, while the Ducks had just four.
Despite all of this, Westhead was satisfied by the performance as a whole.
“We played with a lot of pop,” Westhead said. “Our players were attacking, they were making plays, they were defending … sometimes you play your best and you come up short, and I think that’s what happened tonight.”
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Ducks lose battle of back-and-forth
Daily Emerald
February 20, 2010
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