The Oregon women’s basketball team knew the consequences of Thursday’s game against Southern California.
Win, and it puts the Ducks right back in the thick of the Pacific-10 Conference race. Lose, and the chances of a high seed in the conference tournament begin to slip away.
If nothing else, Oregon made a statement to the rest of the Pac-10.
With their 75-65 win over USC (10-9 overall, 6-4 Pac-10) at McArthur Court, the Ducks ended a two-game losing streak, improving their record to 6-4 in conference play, and putting them back in the mix.
“I think we made a statement to the start the second half of the Pac-10s,” senior guard Edniesha Curry said.
The Ducks were able to negate the play of USC sophomore Ebony Hoffman, allowing the 6-foot-2 forward to post only 13 points and seven rebounds. Earlier this season against the Ducks (11-8 overall), Hoffman victimized them for 27 points.
Oregon freshman Andrea Bills started for the first time this season, and helped neutralize the focal point of the Trojans’ offense, forcing Hoffman out early in the first half due to foul trouble.
“We talked about not letting her get established inside,” Bills said. “Without her inside play as a bigger presence, they had to go to other people, and that worked well for us.”
Bills nearly missed a double-double, posting nine points and a career-high 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of play.
“I think Andrea Bills did a great job,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “I thought she played a real smart and tough game considering she’s a freshman. And quite frankly, I don’t consider her that any more.”
A week after shooting just 27 percent against Oregon State, the Ducks shot 55 percent from the field against the Trojans, but were still unable to make their presence known from the perimeter.
Junior Shaquala Williams, who played six minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, made the Ducks’ only three-pointers in the second half. However, Oregon was able to penetrate the USC defense, scoring 22 points in the paint.
“Once you get past that first initial defender, you’ve got a pretty good chance at the basket,” Williams said.
The first half opened up well for the Ducks, as they pulled out to a 17-6 lead in the first eight minutes. Curry, who played sparingly in the first game of the season against USC, finished the half with 12 points, but more importantly, was strong on the defensive side of the ball.
Her three steals led to numerous layups for the Ducks, and helped them to a 39-28 lead at the half.
“Our team relies on energy,” Williams said. “Eddy is the best energizer on this team. She is a presence out there.”
USC, which outrebounded the Ducks by 18 in their first encounter, was not able to dominate the inside game, especially early on. While Oregon had a high level of energy in the in the first half, USC floundered and seemed flat from the start.
“We were not ready to play,” USC head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “We were out of it in the first half. We let Oregon feel way too good about itself.”
Down 70-62 with two minutes left in the game, Hoffman’s versatility showed through as she hit a three-pointer from the corner and hushed the Mac Court crowd.
However, a layup by Curry and made free throws from senior Alyssa Fredrick and freshman Kedzie Gunderson pulled the Ducks ahead for good.
After two consecutive losses, the Ducks are beginning to gain confidence at a crucial point in the season.
“This is where we have to determine where our resolve is to be a good team,” Smith said. “The expectations for us is that we bring the same hard work and effort (every game). It was 40 minutes of effort tonight.”
The Ducks have a chance to improve to 7-4 in conference play when UCLA (5-13, 2-8) visits the Pit at 7 p.m. Saturday. Oregon slipped by the Bruins, 76-67, in their first encounter.
E-mail sports reporter Hank Hager
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