Maybe it wasn’t the moment everyone expected, but it was still a moment nonetheless. A basketball season is full of chances for a player or a team to do something special, whether it’s a matchup between two title contenders or whether it’s a random Sunday game between two middling teams.

Ehis Etute, battling whatever defenders Indiana threw at her, stepped into a void left by injured forward Mia Jacobs and made the most out of a moment for herself, playing one of her best games in a 72-65 loss to Indiana (15-13, 4-12 Big Ten).

“When we took the lead, I thought we had a couple of opportunities,” Graves said to 247Sports. “And then some ill-advised shots, some turnovers, even though that wasn’t an issue tonight,  and we just couldn’t build on that. And then we couldn’t stop them at the other end.”

Etute finished with 27 points and 17 rebounds on a sizable 11-24 shooting clip. Oregon (19-10, 7-9) received strong performances from Katie Fiso (15 points) and Astera Tuhina (14 points), but outside that trio, there was not enough offense to go around.

“I love Ehis, she battles,” Graves said of Etute. “That kid just battles, and 27 and 17, that’s an incredible night, but how many points do we leave on the court?”

Led by Shay Ciezki, Indiana had four players in double-digit scoring, and used a 28-22 fourth quarter to earn its win.

Fiso was once again Oregon’s other offensive engine, facilitating for Oregon and getting the ball to Etute in the paint for easy baskets. She had nine rebounds to go along with six assists, but Oregon shot just 3-11 from 3-point range and didn’t have enough answers defensively.

Ciezki tallied 11 fourth-quarter points and hit all three of her 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Etute had 11 points and grabbed six rebounds in the final 10 minutes of action.

Though there have certainly been opportunities for Kelly Graves’ squad to take an extra step, he still has to feel relatively good about his team’s general direction. Fiso has been the best player on the court in several games, and now, with the emergence of Etute, has a legitimate running mate for the next two seasons.

On top of that, the return of Elisa Mevius from injury next season will help take some of the ball-handling pressure off Fiso and help her stamina late in games.

Still, future prospects don’t lead to wins in the present, something Oregon has had to face over a challenging Big Ten slate. The Ducks fought back from as many as 15 against the Hoosiers, but couldn’t complete their 4th double-digit comeback of the season.

“We just, in the end, didn’t make enough baskets and make the key stops when we needed to,” Graves said. “They beat us at the free-throw line and then the 3-point line. We were out-scored, what, 12 points from the 3-point line, and I don’t know what from the free-throw line, 13, well, there’s your game. That’s 25 points right there.”

Oregon will travel to take on Purdue Feb. 25, with tipoff set for 4 p.m PT.