Facing two formidable nonconference opponents this weekend, Oregon women’s basketball was able to emerge with two victories. The Ducks beat Illinois 77-74 on Friday night and took out Portland State 75-71 on Sunday.@@http://www.goducks.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=500&SPID=236&SPSID=4304@@
Friday night, the Ducks survived an anemic second half in which they scored only 28 points and shot 33 percent from the field.@@can’t find@@ The team was still able to notch the victory, despite not achieving the level of offensive success to which they’ve grown accustomed.
“We have two major goals,” Oregon coach Paul Westhead@@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=3720219@@ said. “The two major goals are win and score 100 points. We got one of them.”
Indeed, the Ducks somehow found a way to win a game that almost slipped through their grasp. Oregon let its 49-33 halftime lead disappear in the first ten minutes of the second half, and was passed by Illinois with more than 13 minutes left.
“I think we come back from halftime and we’re a little bit slow getting out there,” senior forward Amanda Johnson@@roster@@ said. “That’s something that we’ve struggled with in previous years and something that we definitely want to adjust and address moving forward.”
Eventually, Oregon settled down, and the teams traded baskets for the rest of the half. Forward Jasmin Holliday@@roster@@ made a pair of free throws with 1:51 remaining to put Oregon ahead 72-71, then drained a short jumper from the right baseline with 44 seconds left to give the Ducks a 75-72 lead.
Illinois scored on its next possession to cut Oregon’s advantage to 75-74, but Johnson made a pair of free throws with 18 seconds remaining, and Illinois failed to convert a three-pointer to tie the game as the time expired.
“Our players fought through some adversity,” Westhead said. “Amanda Johnson made some big plays for us and kept us alive. Those are the kind of games that you win if you have the experience and a little bit of toughness.”
Johnson led the Ducks with 31 points on 12-21 shooting and 11 rebounds,@@downloadable stats: http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPID=236&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205336031@@ and Holliday added 16 points and 11 boards,@@stats@@ while Kersten Magrum@@Illinois roster@@ (24 points, 12 rebounds),@@stats@@ and Amber Moore (22 points)@@stats@@ had productive nights for the Illini.
On Sunday night against Portland State, things weren’t much smoother on offense for the Ducks. Behind another standout performance by Johnson (30 points, 19 rebounds)@@stats@@ the Ducks pulled out a 75-71 victory at home.
Johnson dominated for Oregon from start to finish, logging her second-straight double-double before halftime. While the Ducks pushed the Vikings around in the paint, the team struggled from outside (0-8 from three-point range in the first half), and took a nine-point lead into the break.
Late in the second half, Portland State — led by senior guard Eryn Jones (20 points, six boards, three assists)@@stats@@ — made a few well-timed runs to bring the game within one basket. In key situations, the Ducks went to their workhorse, Johnson, for points to fend off the visiting team.
In the end, the game came down to one final possession for the Ducks.
Oregon had the ball with a 72-71 lead and 32.5 seconds left in the game. Even with a one-second differential between the shot and game clock, Portland State declined to foul.
With the clock ticking down and the game on the line, Oregon called on Johnson once again. When the Vikings threw a second defender into the post, Johnson dished the ball to freshman guard Jordan Loera@@roster@@ with less than 10 seconds left to play.
Loera stepped up and nailed a clutch three-point basket to ice the game and give the Ducks a four-point margin of victory.
“Jordan Loera stepped up today and hit some timely shots late in the game,” Westhead said. “That’s a good sign when you get a young freshman who’s not afraid to shoot.”
The Ducks are now 3-0 on the young season, but have a number of concerns moving forward. For one, their “spark plug” — senior point guard Nia Jackson@@roster@@ — is still hobbled with injuries in both knees. Sunday, Jackson struggled around the court with a noticeable limp that kept Oregon from running at their preferred breakneck pace.
“For someone who’s the fastest person the court, she’s fighting every step of the way,” Westhead said.
In the end, Oregon was able to end their weekend undefeated. But that doesn’t mean the Ducks are busy celebrating.
“I’m always happy if we win games,” Westhead said. “So we’re 3-0, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
The Ducks return to action this week at the Global Sports Cage Classic at Matthew Knight Arena.@@http://www.goducks.com/main/CalendarSchedule.dbml@@ The Ducks take on Weber State on Thursday at 7 p.m.