Junior Micaela Cocks and sophomore Ellie Manou set career highs in points, 25 and 23, respectively, and Manou added 11 rebounds for her third career double-double as the Oregon women topped Pacific, 76-71.
Sophomore Tatianna Thomas, starting at guard in place of the injured Taylor Lilley, had 11 points and nine assists, a number that no Oregon player reached in a game all last season. Freshman Amanda Johnson started in place of Nicole Canepa at forward and chipped in seven points, four rebounds and three blocked shots.
The Ducks managed an eight-point halftime lead, 46-38, in a physical first half, with 22 combined fouls and 21 total free throws (on 25 attempts) accumulated. Cocks, who played all 40 minutes of the game, led Oregon with 17 points at the break.
Pacific would not go away quietly, and the Tigers never let the Ducks advance the lead beyond the halftime deficit. With 8:20 remaining, Manou was fouled on a layup by Tigers center Emma Head and converted the free throw, putting the Ducks up 66-59. A made basket by Pacific forward Janae Young was followed by consecutive baskets from Manou and Thomas to increase the lead to 70-61.
The Tigers came roaring back, cutting the lead to two on a layup-and-one by guard Jennifer Fath with 26.2 seconds remaining. Pacific couldn’t get closer, however, as the Tigers missed two jumpers with the clock winding down and Johnson went to the free throw line, converting on two attempts with less than two seconds remaining to settle the final score.
“When we got into the second half, we were a little bit gassed,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “We started to make some transition plays were we weren’t in control and threw the ball away, and that fueled them.”
“We’ve definitely improved from the last game,” an exhausted Cocks said, referring to the Ducks’ one-point win against San Jose State on Saturday. “We just need to pick up our defense.”
Pacific took 41 shots in the second half and 70 total, compared to the Ducks’ 48. The Tigers also committed 28 fouls to Oregon’s 15. This led to a free throw disparity of 34 to 12 in the Ducks’ favor, and Oregon made 23 (67.6 percent).
“That’s what really won it tonight for us,” Smith said of Oregon’s free throws. “If we don’t get to the line, those are possessions down the drain.”
The Ducks did, however, commit 27 turnovers to the Tigers’ 18, after being only four days removed from a 19-turnover performance.
“We really want to push the ball, but 27 is far too many. We’ve got to take care of the ball better,” Cocks said.
Tigers forward Amber Simmons led Pacific with 17 points and eight rebounds.
An already depleted Ducks squad saw the regular season debut of sophomore forward Nicole Canepa, who sat out against San Jose State with an ankle injury. Canepa played 12 minutes, recording three points, a rebound and a blocked shot.
“She’s working her way back in. She just has to get some reps in,” Smith said. “That was a bright spot, that we got somebody back tonight.”
Lilley, the Ducks’ leading scorer last season, sat out again due to a shin injury and will undergo examinations today.
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