The Oregon women’s basketball team won its first conference game Saturday and is hungry for more.
The Ducks (9-6 overall, 1-4 Pacific-10 Conference) battle Washington (8-7, 1-5) tonight at Bank of America Arena in a game featuring a pair of teams looking to rebound from recent slumps.
Oregon’s 56-54 win over Oregon State on Saturday snapped a five-game losing streak, including four Pac-10 losses. A combined 31 points from guards Brandi Davis and Chelsea Wagner was enough to vault the Ducks over the Beavers.
“We’ve built a little bit of a log to stand on,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith sad. “We’re beginning to shoot the ball a little better from the outside, and I think that has given us some relief and some confidence that we can do that and will continue to do that.”
Washington has lost five of its last six games, all conference matchups, after starting the season 7-2. Pac-10 play has been rough on the youthful Huskies, who lost to USC and UCLA last week.
“It’s not a time to panic; it’s not a time to lose your head,” Washington head coach June Daugherty said. “What’s important is that we continue to develop the younger players … and to continue to improve overall.
“We’re keeping things positive.”
With six freshmen on the Washington roster, the bulk of the offensive load has fallen upon the shoulders of three Husky seniors.
Giuliana Mendiola, last season’s Pac-10 Player of the Year, ranks second in the conference in points (19.6) and assists per game (5.9). The 5-foot-11 guard scored a season-high 30 points against Oklahoma State on Nov. 29 and had a career-high of 43 against UCLA last season.
Mendiola also leads the team in rebounds per game (6.5), field goal percentage (.504), three-point field goal percentage (.446) and steals per game (1.87).
Andrea Lalum ranks fourth in the Pac-10 in scoring at 17.1 points per game, including a career-high 28 points against Maine on Nov. 22. The 6-foot-4 center can score from anywhere on the court and is second on the team in three-pointers made (28).
Gioconda Mendiola is averaging a career-high 8.1 points per game, while playing more than 30 minutes per night. The 5-foot-8 guard has connected on 38 percent of her three-point attempts and provides a solid third scoring option.
If Oregon can slow Washington’s senior trio, the Ducks have an excellent shot at leaving Seattle with their second conference win. Smith said Kedzie Gunderson, Corrie Mizusawa and Wagner will likely take turns guarding the Mendiola sisters. Carolyn Ganes, who has been nursing a swollen right ankle, will be available to help boost Oregon’s interior defense.
The Ducks won 14 of the previous 15 meetings with the Huskies before last season, when Washington swept Oregon.
Despite a slow start, Smith said Oregon respects Washington and is preparing for its best shot.
“You always have to beware of a wounded animal,” Smith said. “We’re expecting a great game from (Washington), as always.”