Bev Smith, you may now wipe the sweat from your brow.
After trailing by as much as seven points to California on Thursday, the Oregon women’s basketball team woke up and pulled ahead in the second half, defeating the Golden Bears (5-9 overall, 0-5 Pacific-10 Conference) 65-53 at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.
Out-scored and over-played in the first half, the Ducks (10-6, 5-2) were in danger of losing their second game straight of the young Pac-10 season before sophomore Cathrine Kraayeveld stepped into the spotlight.
“Cathrine is kind of a freak,” junior Shaquala Williams told KSZR radio after the game. “She has great hands, she can shoot, and she can finish. It makes your life as a point guard that much easier.”
Kraayeveld, a 6-foot-3 forward, finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds — her second career double-double — and her 35 minutes played ties a career high. In her five starts this season, the Ducks are 4-1.
“With Cathrine, she has to understand, given how she’s playing, she will be a marked woman,” Smith said. “People will come after her physically and aggressively and I thought she did a better job tonight than she did against Arizona State in being compact and ready for that physical play.”
The Ducks shot just 31 percent from the field in the first half, and were only 1-for-5 from beyond the arc. Cal was not much better, allowing Oregon to stay within striking distance at the half, 24-22.
It was much of the same story early on in the second half, until a pivotal play halfway through the stanza pulled the Ducks even.
Down by five, 33-28, senior Edniesha Curry nailed a jumper, but was fouled on the play. The officials ruled that Curry had been fouled after the shot, immediately giving Oregon the ball back. Kraayeveld nailed another jumper and was also fouled. After hitting the free throw, Kraayeveld tied the game.
Oregon would again fall behind Cal, but found daylight with a little more than 10 minutes left in the game. Williams teamed with Curry and freshman Andrea Bills to post an 11-3 run, and from that point on, it was all Oregon.
Williams led Oregon with 16 points, but the real story was the Ducks’ two post players — Bills and Kraayeveld.
“Our post players really tried to establish themselves in the paint,” Smith said.
Bills came close to her first career double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Curry also posted 10 points in the win, giving the Ducks four players with double figures in scoring.
Despite the win, a concern remains on Oregon’s inability to come out with intensity early on in the first half.
“We didn’t play hard enough until the second half,” Smith said. “I just don’t think we came prepared with the right fire and intensity, and I think a little bit of intelligence to move the ball against a tough, aggressive team.”
“You have to play 100 percent every time on the floor. You can’t take possessions off,” Williams said.
After squeaking past one of the conference’s worst, the Ducks will now travel south to take on the Pac-10’s best in Stanford.
Oregon and Stanford will tipoff at 1 p.m. at Maples Pavilion on Sunday. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net.