“It’s just me and the hoop,” Deja Kelly said of her mentality going into clutch shots.

She stepped up to the line with the game in her hands. Despite the moment, Kelly knocked them both down. 

Criticized for much of the season for not making shots, not leading her team in scoring, and not resembling a true point guard, Kelly demonstrated all the ways she can make Oregon better in a Wednesday night rivalry win

“That’s why we were blessed and excited to get Deja here,” head coach Kelly Graves said. “She’s made for these type of games.”

Shooting just well enough while relying on big moments from Kelly against their bitter rival, there was plenty for Oregon women’s basketball (17-8, 8-6 Big Ten) to feel good about in a 68-67 win over Washington (14-11, 5-8 ) 

Now trailing, UW (59% from the field)  had 3.3 seconds to set up a final play, which went to Devin Coppinger. But her mid-range shot from the elbow bounced off the back of the rim, allowing the Ducks to prevail on a night they trailed in by as many as eight. 

Oregon’s win — in which it led for only six minutes and 37 seconds — ended a four-game losing streak. Kelly, of course, was the team’s primary catalyst in the win. She tallied 21 points on 8-16 shooting, grabbed a steal and drew a charge that forced Sayvia Sellers (21 points) out of the game. 

When Kelly wasn’t leading the charge, Elisa Mevius and Phillipina Kyei combined for 25 points and were both a perfect 3-3 from the line. 

“Games like these give me a heart attack,” Kelly said. “It just shows how resilient we are, and again, locking in on getting stops… we are really detailed and intentional, and that’s what’s helped us get these late wins.” 

True to form for a team that had hung with most teams in the conference, the Huskies proved scrappy throughout, leading the Ducks 32-27 at the half. When Hannah Stines’ 3-pointer fell through with two minutes left in the third quarter, UW led by seven. 

Just when the Ducks were struggling to do much of anything on offense Wednesday, Kelly stepped in and dominated in every important way. 

Unlike Oregon, which was fighting to improve its NCAA Tournament seeding, Washington was vying just for a berth in the Big Ten Tournament, which invites the top 15 of the conference’s 18 teams.

The Ducks dampened those dreams by winning on all the little margins, improving their record to now 5-2 in games decided by five or less points. 

Dalaya Daniels and Elle Ladine recorded 17 and 16 points respectively for the Huskies who led for over 25 minutes, most of which by just a few baskets.

After UW’s strong start, the momentum shifted thanks to the Ducks doing what they do best — playing scrappy defense and getting the ball into the hands of their best playmakers. After Mevius’ spinning layup swished through, Oregon had opened the third quarter on an 11-2 run.  

But Oregon was unable to build upon that run, as UW soon stormed back and held a lead until the final minutes.

“It was not a great game,” Graves said with a laugh.

Some forgiveness may be in order for a team that won all the big moments late. Oregon double-teamed UW’s Chloe Briggs on one possession late, with the guard responding by throwing a pass into the cheerleaders sitting on the baseline. Kelly hit a game-tying layup on the next possession and both free throws on Oregon’s next possessions. 

The ensuing defensive stop sent MKA into a frenzy, and improved the Ducks’ home record to 15-3.

“We found a way today,” Graves said of his team that hit 15 of 18 free throws.

The Ducks clinched a spot in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament, another tuneup comes on Sunday against Minnesota (19-6, 7-6 Big Ten) in Minneapolis. 

“Every game matters so much,” Mevius said. “The games are so close, each possession matters, and having that spot secured is so big.”