CORVALLIS — Oregon women’s basketball just can’t seem to beat instate rival Oregon State. None of the players on the current roster have ever seen a check in the win column, as the Ducks struggle to muster any sort of production in the Civil War.
Friday’s most recent installment was no different as the Ducks fell behind early, watching as No. 11 Oregon State was able to claim the 60-33 victory within the always raucous Gill Coliseum for its 10th straight in the series.
“We had some kids hanging heads,” Oregon head coach Kelly Graves said. “I didn’t coach a good game, obviously didn’t find the right answer. It was everybody, equal opportunity.”
Oregon (11-3, 0-3 Pac-12) couldn’t hit any shots during the game. As a team they shot 14-65 (21.5%) from the field and just 1-18 (5.6%) from deep. The inability to score was a mixture of uncharacteristic misses from the Ducks and tough defense by the Beavers (11-3, 2-1).
“Not going to beat anybody shooting like that, let alone one of the best teams in the country,” Graves said. “I just didn’t think offensively we could struggle like we did.”
Oregon’s star senior Jillian Alleyne struggled to make a mark on the proceedings, as the Beavers did a great job keeping her out of the play. Alleyne faced a double or triple team most of the night, and that kind of attention kept her from making an impact on the boards as well. She ended the night with 10 points and six rebounds — well below her averages of 19.7 and 14.2.
Of course the presence of Oregon State center Ruth Hamblin also played a part, as Alleyne always struggles to produce against the 6-foot-6 senior. Her size keeps Alleyne out of her comfort zone, forcing the forward into taking midrange jumpers. Hamblin finished with a game-high 15 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots.
It was a physical game as both teams tried to establish position down low. The fouls came early and often and both sides employed traps and the fullcourt press to try and force turnovers. The Beavers were finally able to break through offensively, using a 13 point run to take a 22-9 lead early in the second.
With the Ducks struggling Graves turned to the end of the bench to try and find some energy to inject into the action. Third-string guard Mar’Shay Moore, who has struggled to earn minutes all season, was the answer, providing a boost with relentless ball pressure.
“She played fearless,” Graves said. “I thought she really changed the game in the first half with her defensive pressure.”
The limitations were there for Moore, though, as she struggled on offense shooting 0-5 in her 18 minutes off the bench.
At halftime the Beavers led 32-18.
Oregon State was again without star guard Sydney Wiese, who is continuing to recover from a hand injury sustained during a loss against Tennessee back on December 19th. With her backcourt partner out senior Jamie Weisner ran the show for the Beavers, providing the emotional spark for a crowd of 4462. She finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and two assists.
An injury scare for the Ducks came late in the third when Alleyne crashed to the floor during a battle a rebound. As play continued she tried to stand, only to fall back down to the court with an apparent injury to her left knee. She was able to return to the action later in the game, and told members of the media that everything was ok as she left the arena for the team bus.
By the fourth quarter the game felt more like a formality, as the Ducks were never able to fight back into things as the score ballooned out of control. This is now the third-straight loss for Oregon in conference play.
“I think we just forget this game and keep working — we are going to be good,” freshman point guard Maite Cazorla said. “We need to be confident.”
Due to the strange scheduling of Pac-12 women’s basketball, both these teams will return to Matthew Knight Arena to finish the doubleheader on Sunday. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Follow Christopher Keizur on Twitter @chriskeizur