The Ducks’ improbable and magical run through the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament ended Sunday with a disheartening loss to No. 3 Arizona State.
Junior Shaquala Williams had 21 points, and sophomore Cathrine Kraayeveld added eight points and 11 rebounds. However, it was the team’s turnovers that eventually did the Ducks in.
Williams had seven turnovers, while senior Edniesha Curry was credited with five en route to Oregon’s 21 total turnovers. But it was a tale of two teams against the Sun Devils.
Oregon committed 18 turnovers in the first half and saw Arizona State speed to a 31-19 lead going into the break. To end the half, the Sun Devils went on a 16-4 run, including four free throws from senior Leah Combs.
After six lead changes in the half, the Sun Devils looked to have a commanding lead. But in the second half, the Ducks turned the ball over only three times, allowing them to jump start their offense.
“We didn’t expect to stay 10 or 11 points ahead the whole game,” Arizona State head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. “(Oregon is) not going to lie down for you.”
Oregon jumped out to a 22-2 run at the start of the second half, where Williams and Curry were anything but hesitant with the ball. Unlike the first half, where forced passes led to Arizona State layups and easy shots, the Ducks were able to thread passes to post players with precision.
“We just talked about offensively that we had to play as a team,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said about the Ducks’ halftime discussion.
On the defensive side of the ball, Oregon’s zone defense kept Arizona State off-balance. The Sun Devils committed 10 turnovers in the first half and nine more in the second.
During the Ducks’ big run, Curry and Williams were in the face of Arizona State senior Amanda Levens and freshman Kylan Loney. However, just as the Ducks let up defensively, Levens exploded, hitting a three-pointer with 8:39 left in the game, and another one three minutes later.
“At that point, it was like nothing was going our way,” Levens said about the Ducks’ run. “I just thought it was time to step up and knock down some shots.”
On the strength of her shooting, Arizona State went on a 13-0 run, putting them ahead for good at 53-47. It was the second lead change of the second half, and the one that would ultimately help Arizona State to the six-point win.
“We just did a good job of making a run and then let them have some shots they shouldn’t have,” Kraayeveld said.
Levens finished with 19 points but also turned the ball over six times. However, she did the most damage in the second half, scoring 16 or her 19 points.