Defense, they say, wins championships.
The Oregon women’s basketball team played defense
Wednesday night and won a championship — a national
championship.
Sophomore forward Cathrine Kraayeveld scored a
finger-roll layin with 2.4 seconds left to give the
Ducks a 54-52 victory over Houston in the title game
of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
Despite shooting 25.8 percent in the second half,
Oregon held Houston (26-8) to their lowest point total
of the year and just 33.8 percent shooting in front of
a season-high 6,835 fans at McArthur Court.
“I think the game was typical of our season,” Oregon
first-year head coach Bev Smith said. “We had to keep
fighting our way back. Defensively, we were there and
we kept them to their lowest point total of the
season, but offensively we were out of sync and that’s
a credit to them. They are very athletic.”
Kraayeveld, the tournament MVP who began the season on
the bench, paced the Ducks with her fifth straight
double-double, scoring 15 points (all in the second
half) and grabbing 13 rebounds.
“I wasn’t even thinking about (it being a game-winning
shot),” Kraayeveld said. “I just took it to the hole,
because that’s the only thing I thought would work.”
Houston broke away from a 27-27 halftime tie to take a
43-35 lead midway through the second half. Oregon star
guard Shaquala Williams and Kraayeveld — the Ducks’
leading scorers — were held scoreless in the first
half, but Kraayeveld scored eight points in 10-2 run
that knotted the game at 45.
“I wouldn’t say that we celebrated early, we just came
back out sluggish,” said Houston’s Chandi Jones, who
had a game-high 16 points. “We didn’t make the shots
we should have, we didn’t rebound like we should
have.”
Senior sharpshooter Jamie Craighead nailed a
three-pointer from the top of the key to give the
Ducks a 51-50 lead with 1:20 left. Craighead pushed
the lead to two with a free throw with 48 seconds
remaining.
Houston answered with a basket by Valerie Muoneke with
32 seconds left, setting up a potential game-winner by
Craighead. Her shot missed a was deflected out of
bounds off Houston.
Oregon then ran down the clock, when Williams found
Kraayeveld at the free-throw line. The 6-foot-3
Kraayeveld then cut through an open lane for the
score.
“Cathrine is a sophomore and began the season
inexperienced, but now she’s playing like a veteran,”
Smith said. “She made the play based on what the
defense gave her.”
Williams, an all-Pac-10 selection, finished the game
1-for-13 (including 1-for-11 from three-point range)
and just three points.
After eight straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, the
Ducks claimed their first WNIT title. Oregon won the
National Women’s Invitation Tournament in 1989.
“Every year I’ve been here, I’ve had the opportunity
to cut down the nets,” Williams said. “Even though
it’s not the Pac-10 or NCAA, it’s still a
championship.”
Oregon outrebounded Houston 47-45. Senior guard
Edniesha Curry was the only other Duck to score in
double figures, as she added 11 points. The Ducks shot
just 30.2 percent overall against Houston.
To advance to the WNIT championship game, Oregon
defeated St. Mary’s in the first round at Mac Court.
Kraayeveld provided the margin of victory on March 17
in the second round against Oregon State, when her
putback with 4.4 seconds left gave the Ducks a 50-48
win over their in-state rivals.
The Ducks then traveled to Seattle and took out
Washington for the third time this season. In the
semifinals, Oregon defeated Michigan State, 65-54,
last Saturday.
Email sports editor Adam Jude at [email protected].
