The Oregon Ducks (11-9, 2-5 Pac-12) had begun to collapse late in the game against the California Golden Bears (13-6, 3-4 Pac-12). Despite not allowing Cal to take a lead until the fourth quarter, Oregon found itself down 59-54 with just under four minutes left in the game. Sofia Bell made a 3-pointer, her second of the game, to cut the deficit back down to just two and shift some of the momentum back to the Ducks. However, from there the Golden Bears slammed the door shut, going on a 7-0 run in the final three minutes of the game to secure a 66-57 win over Oregon.
The Ducks got off to a strong defensive start. Cal was unable to make a basket for the first five minutes of the game, relying on free throws to stay close. A 3-pointer from the Golden Bears’ Kemery Martin was their first field goal, but it was not enough to recover from the early deficit.
Grace VanSlooten and Chance Gray scored six points between the two of them on the final two possessions of the first quarter for Oregon. That helped boost the lead for the Ducks to 18-12 at the end of the first quarter.
Martin continued to be hot for Cal as she made her third 3-pointer of the game on the opening possession of the second quarter. The Golden Bears dominated the offensive glass early in the game. They grabbed their ninth offensive rebound, which led to a 3-pointer from Ioanna Krimili that tied the game at 18-18 just over a minute into the second quarter.
The 3-point barrage from Cal continued, but the Ducks finally were able to secure some defensive rebounds. By only allowing one chance every time down the floor, Oregon was able to slightly outpace the Golden Bears’ hot shooting. The Ducks went into the halftime break with a 33-31 lead.
Cal shot just 25.0% from the field in the first half, but were kept in the game by their second chances on offense. The Golden Bears had 16 offensive rebounds in the first half that led to 14 second chance points.
Oregon had a different game plan than Cal. Despite shooting 20 less 3-pointers in the first half, the Ducks were able to maintain a lead by holding a 14-2 advantage in points in the paint.
The Golden Bears continued to struggle from the field in the third quarter, and Oregon took full advantage. Cal was unable to make a 3-pointer for the first eight minutes of the quarter, which hurt its offensive capabilities.
The Ducks were able to score efficiently in the quarter, but were unable to extend their lead due to some turnover troubles. Eight turnovers in the quarter, including six from Gray alone, allowed the Golden Bears to take their first lead of the game with just over a minute left in the third quarter. Oregon was able to recover the lead and head into the final quarter with a 48-47 advantage.
The Ducks allowed the door to stay open for Cal, and the Golden Bears finally took advantage of stalling Oregon offense. Cal leveraged some turnovers and more offensive rebounds into a six-point lead, its largest of the game before the Ducks were forced to foul at the end of the game.
Oregon stagnated at the wrong time, which allowed the Golden Bears to have the advantage of playing from ahead late in the game. The Ducks began fouling to try and get a miracle at the end of the game. Despite getting help in the form of some missed free throws from Cal, Oregon missed a couple free throws and easy shots of their own.
Phillipina Kyei led the team in scoring, totaling 17 points and grabbing 14 rebounds for another double-double. Both Gray and VanSlooten struggled from the field, scoring 21 points between them, but on just 29.2% from the field.
