It seemed destined for another miracle at Mac Court.
Trailing 63-52 with less than four minutes to play, the Oregon women’s basketball team came scorching back to within three points in the final minute against No. 8 Texas Tech on Monday at McArthur Court.
Guards Shaquala Williams and Edniesha Curry had back-to-back steals to cut the Lady Raiders’ lead to 66-63 with 54 seconds left, and after two missed free throws by Texas Tech’s Casey Jackson, Curry took a pass from Williams and found herself open beyond the three-point arc.
“We had a wide-open three at the end, and that’s as good as it gets,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “If that goes, it’s a whole different ballgame.”
Curry’s three sailed long, and her next two shots couldn’t find the bottom of the net either, as the Ducks ended a five-game, nine-day stretch with a 72-65 loss to Texas Tech in front of 4,206 fans.
For the second straight game, the Lady Raiders nearly let a comfortable lead slip away. Texas Tech led Oregon State by 20 on Saturday with three minutes to play, but held off a late charge by the Beavers to win 64-60.
“We realize what happened to them at Oregon State on Saturday, so we knew if we kept fighting there would be a glimmer of hope for us,” said Williams, who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. “I’m not going to say they’re not that good … but if that is the eighth-best team in the country, we’re well on our way to where we want to be.”
Oregon (2-3 overall) trailed 30-25 at the half, but Texas Tech (2-1) should’ve been up by more, considering the 14-3 advantage on the offensive glass in the first frame.
A 7-0 run by the Ducks early in the second half tied the game at 32. Sophomore forward Cathrine Kraayeveld scored four straight points to give the Ducks a 48-47 lead with 9:51 to play, but the Lady Raiders promptly went on a 16-4 run to give them an 11-point advantage. The Ducks then answered with their run at the end of the game, which ultimately came up short.
“Throughout 40 minutes, we played great defense and executed the game plan very well,” Smith said. “They were the eighth in the nation … I can’t wait to play the ninth team.”
Texas Tech forward Plenette Pierson controlled the inside game most of the game, posting 22 points and 12 rebounds, both game-highs. The Lady Raiders also held a 48-36 advantage on the boards.
“We knew we’d have to take control in the paint,” Pierson said.
Curry and Williams, who scored a combined 43 points in a 75-63 win over Texas Christian on Saturday, finished the game with a combined 27 points Monday.
Of the four Texas Tech players who scored in double figures, forward Jolee Ayers was perhaps the most surprising.
“(Ayers) hit a couple shots that, in two tapes, we’ve never seen her take,” Smith said. “That’s the way they’re going to have to beat us, and they certainly did.”