Discipline made the difference against UCLA.
That was Oregon coach Bev Smith’s mantra after the Ducks crushed the Bruins 76-60 Thursday night in a fast-paced, physical game.
“That was a really good win for us,” Smith said. “Before the game, we just talked about the D-word, discipline, and just tried to be disciplined defensively in sticking to our game plan, disciplined in staying down and not trying to get up blocked shots and have people shoot over us, disciplined in getting to the boards and trying to keep them off the boards, and disciplined offensively.
“(We were) trying to play on our terms, taking shots that we want to take rather than allowing their pressure and their intensity to force us into doing things that we aren’t good at.”
The discipline paid off for Oregon.
The Ducks outshot UCLA 44.4 percent to 38.7 percent, and managed to shut down senior guard Noelle Quinn, the Bruins’ leading scorer this season.
Oregon held Quinn to 16 points and just four rebounds in 6-of-17 shooting from the field.
“She’s such a fantastic player you have to be disciplined in guarding her,” Smith said, “She took 17 shots to get her 16 points tonight.”
Junior point guard Tamika Nurse put up a showcase performance. She led the team with a career-high 22 points, shooting 5-of-9 from the field and going 2-for-5 from beyond the arc, all the while keeping cool under the pressure of UCLA’s physical play.
Nurse spent a good portion of her 35 minutes of play on her back as UCLA’s Tierra Henderson and Shaina Zaidi teamed up on her to prevent Nurse from getting the ball down the court.
Early in the game, Nurse found herself knocked to the floor as she went up to grab a defensive rebound. Later on with a little over three minutes left in the second half, Henderson put her arms up to block Nurse’s pass to the inside from the three-point line, and whacked Nurse in the face even after the 5-foot-8-inch guard had released the ball.
Despite the constant harassment, Nurse held her ground and ended the game with a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe.
The 2,287 fans at McArthur court clearly appreciated her toughness. With about a minute and a half left in the game, the referee called a fourth foul on Henderson who had once again teamed up with Zaidi to try and stop Nurse.
As Nurse went to the line for two free throws, the fans stood up and gave her a standing ovation.
But after the game, all Nurse would say about the UCLA’s physical play was that “people get upset.”
“The game’s not very close, you do what you think you should do and I don’t know, you’re in desperation,” Nurse said. “There’s two minutes left, you’re down what, 15. You just try and get the ball back. UCLA’s very aggressive, and they just kinda went to that: Be as aggressive as you can.”
Nurse’s career night came after a poor performance against Oregon State when she turned the ball over several times in the first half and spent most of the second half on the bench, finishing the game with two points.
“Tamika as a point guard tonight, she was outstanding,” Smith said. “She stepped up against some pretty incredible defensive athletes tonight, and I liked her poise as much as anything.”
Oregon also benefited from strong play by senior guard Cicely Oaks, who finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
With the win against the Bruins, the Ducks have put together a two-game winning streak for the first time since December. They next face USC on Saturday at 7 p.m.