Peyton Scott grabbed the ball after it swished through the net and slammed her hand against it in frustration.

The Ducks (9-4, 0-2 Big Ten) had been fighting, once again, in a tight game. They traveled to Illinois, to play a game they had been practicing for since Christmas night, and the same hallmarks of their previous losses were happening again in their 64-59 loss to the Fighting Illini (12-2, 2-1 Big Ten ). 

The shots wouldn’t fall, Oregon couldn’t score and, to make matters worse, the clock was ticking down. Nani Falatea missed a go-ahead 3-pointer before Illinois took a four-point lead on a pair of critical free-throws from Kendall Bostic (10 points). 

Oregon played well and showed that it can, in fact, do the things required to win. But it also did many of the things that usually cause teams to lose.

Winning doesn’t always require perfection — just an advantage, sothe Ducks couldn’t come away with the victory after Illinois hit its free throws late and ran the clock out on the close game. 

The Ducks, who trailed by as many as 12 in the second quarter, took the lead with four minutes remaining in the game. But shots down the stretch eluded them, with a four-minute scoring drought down the stretch the primary proponent for the loss. 

Falatea led the Ducks with 17 points, and Deja Kelly had 15 on just 5-15 shooting while missing time due to foul trouble. Oregon’s reserves outscored the Illini’s 29-13, but Illinois’ stars had the biggest contributions when it mattered most. 

Scott finished with ten-or-fewer points for the third consecutive game. 

Oregon fought valiantly and hung around to even take the lead in a game they trailed in for over 30 minutes. But the tone of the game was set by how Illinois won the minor battles that define possessions, the ball pressure that knocks a team out of rhythm, the grabbing that makes a screen slightly more effective, the shoving under the glass that leads to an extra possession

The Ducks have countered it before — just not consistently. There are things they can do to make more physical teams less of a problem, but if you struggle and trail for most of the game sometimes you end up on the short end of the stick — especially in the Big Ten.

The Ducks, who had been together since the holiday, to get ready for Illinois, attacked the Illini early.

The ball popped from one side to the other, Oregon creating open looks off crisp passing, forceful cuts and colliding screens. The Ducks corrected a lot of their defensive issues, sprinting back in transition and cleaning up Illini misses off the glass. 

And then it stopped.

Everything the Ducks did right in the opening minutes quickly turned, as the team’s energy evaporated and its intentions gave way to bad habits.

Led by Genesis Bryant (23 points) Illinois was aggressive offensively, leading by as many as 12 in the second period of action. But the Ducks hung around, thanks to Kelly, and Falatea who finished with a career-high 25 minutes, and hit a layup to take a one-point lead with four minutes remaining. 

But Oregon couldn’t get a pivotal bucket to drop, and Illinois was tougher, more experienced and more physical in a game that demanded it.

The Ducks continue their trip on Tuesday against Northwestern.