It may be starting to click for the Ducks.
A strong showing defensively in the first half and a 9-0 run late sparked by a pair of Lexi Petersen free-throws put the Ducks ahead for good as they took down USC 63-57 on Monday night at Matthew Knight Arena.
Oregon picks up its second consecutive win, improving to 10-11, 3-8 Pac-12. It’s the Ducks’ first sweep of the LA schools since 2006-2007 and snaps a nine-game skid against the Trojans. USC falls to 11-10, 4-6 Pac-12 with the loss.
Jillian Alleyne led all scorers with 18 points and 13 rebounds, picking up her 19th double-double of the season. Katelyn Loper tallied 12 points including 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Drea Toler added 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
“Really proud of our team tonight,” head coach Kelly Graves said. “That was a fun game. First half, looked like we were in quick sand offensively, but our defense kept us in it, and that’s been the case the last few games.”
A pair of Lexi Petersen free-throws broke a tie at 44 points and sparked a 9-0 Oregon run, highlighted by a Loper three-pointer with 5:58 remaining. Bando and Petersen also had buckets during the rally.
“That was a big bucket,” Graves said of Loper’s three-pointer.
The run put the Ducks up 53-44 with 3:50 to go. Oregon trailed USC 25-23 at halftime.
Still transitioning from Paul Westhead’s run-and-gun style of play, the Ducks are beginning to learn that defense can keep them in games, especially when their offense sputters at times, Graves said.
“This team is so different from last year,” Alleyene said. “We have a bigger fight and we’re more close knit with the 11 players that we have, we have to be. Everyone has to step up.”
Alleyne said that coming into the game, she needs to channel the same intensity she had against UCLA when she posted season-highs of 30 points and 25 rebounds.
“That spark has to be continuous for me. … Tonight, it took me a little longer to get it going, especially in the first half, but in the second, I was like I have to set up for my team,” Alleyne said. “I brought it in the second half.”
The Ducks shot 60 percent in the second half on 12-of-20 from the floor compared to 36.4 percent in the first half. Oregon allowed USC to grab 16 offensive rebounds, including six at the first media break.
“We’ve got to continue to do a good job blocking out,” Graves said. “We’re going to be out-manned inside pretty much every night athletically.”
Graves said the team’s confidence from Saturday’s win against UCLA carried over to Monday.
“I detected all week long some confidence in the team and we’ve been practicing well,” Graves said. “Now we’ve got something to build on. Two in a row is pretty special for where we’re at and where we’ve been.”
Alleyne’s 19th double-double of the season gives her 60 in her career, moving her ahead of Allison Lang for second all-time in program history. Bev Smith has 88 total.
Alleyne had seven points and five rebounds at intermission. Bando and Loper both had five apiece.
Notes:
Drea Toler’s three-pointer with 17:58 remaining was her second of the season. … Jillian Alleyne was named espnW national player of the week and Pac-12 player of the week on Monday. … USC’s loss is their fifth consecutive. … Oregon will participate in the annual #Play4Kay pink-out game when it hosts Arizona on Feb. 13, it was announced Monday.
The Ducks will visit Washington State on Friday (5 p.m.) and Washington on Sunday (6 p.m.). Both games will be televised on Pac-12 Networks.
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne
