Oregon edged conference newcomer Utah in the team’s first Pac-12 meeting, but it wasn’t easy. The Ducks (12-10, 4-6 Pac-12) nearly blew a 19-point second half lead, before topping the Utes 72-67 Thursday night at Matthew Knight Arena in front of 1,542 fans. @@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/445692.htm?ATCLID=205373474&SPSID=4307&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500#GAME.BOX@@
Oregon built a commanding 23-5 first half lead and maintained a double-digit advantage for much of the game until almost crumbling in the final minutes of the second half.
“I think there are times when we lose focus,” Oregon forward Amanda Johnson said. “We talked about in the post game meeting with the team there was a period there in the second half where the focus and intensity just kind of dropped. I think that’s where they started to build momentum and stared to get back in the game.”
Facing a 61-43 deficit with 7:46 remaining, Utah went on a 24-7 run to trim Oregon’s lead to a point with 19 seconds remaining. But Johnson made a pair of clutch free throws and Iwalani Rodrigues missed a late three-pointer, and Oregon earned the victory. @@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/445692.htm?ATCLID=205373474&SPSID=4307&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500#GAME.BOX@@
Struggling down the stretch isn’t a new phenomena for the Ducks. In Oregon’s previous contest, a 67-60 loss to Oregon State, the Beavers went on a 22-7 run to close the game. Duck coach Paul Westhead hopes Oregon’s late-game struggles can be remedied through repetition.
“Experience is the best value teacher in this regard,” Westhead said. “We’re hoping that we can string a good result and then do it again and have some key things that we do at the end offensively.”
Aside from the final moments of the game, Oregon did execute well on both ends of the floor. The Ducks shot 42 percent from the field in the first half, and Oregon’s guards consistently penetrated through Utah’s defense. The Ducks’ fastbreak offense, keyed by senior point guard Nia Jackson, who scored in double-digits, was effective for most of the game.
“I wanted to assert myself early and really get after it,” Jackson said. “I knew the faster I pushed it, the more I became offensively aggressive, and they could seep in more and we could get some open shooters. I wanted to push the pace, get us in the fastbreak system like coach wants.”
Perhaps energized by their offensive success, the Ducks played with strong energy on defense for most of the game as well. The Ducks limited the Utes to 36 percent shooting from the floor (27 percent in the first half), and 29 percent from three-point range. @@http://www.goducks.com/downloads2/445692.htm?ATCLID=205373474&SPSID=4307&SPID=236&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500#GAME.BOX@@
“I thought defensively we played well enough to win, until we had some breakdowns in the last three minutes, people driving to the basket and being unescorted under the basket, which didn’t happen the whole game,” Westhead said.
Oregon took advantage of its stingy defense by posting  a rare dominant effort on the glass. The Ducks, who ranked last in the Pac-12 in rebounding margin entering play, outrebounded Utah, 53-36, and limited the Utes to nine second-chance points. Oregon also grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, which helped the Ducks control play for most of the game.
“I think this was just kind of indicative of how winning the rebounding battle can really give you the opportunities and set you up to win the game,” Johnson said.
Two of Oregon’s senior leaders, Johnson and Jackson, keyed the team’s offensive output. In her second game back from a fractured thumb, Johnson scored 19 points on 6-18 shooting and hauled in a game-high 12 rebounds. Jackson, who has been hobbled by knee problems all season, also tallied 19 points on an efficient 6-10 shooting.
Forward Taryn Wicijowski led the Utes with 19 points on 7-10 shooting, guard Janita Badon tallied 17, and guard Rachel Messer added 12. Badon added a game-high nine assists.
Oregon will return to action at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday when they host Colorado.