Senior Alissa Edwards has done everything but shoot a game-winning jumper this season for the Oregon women’s basketball team.
That is, until the Ducks visited California on Saturday.
Behind Edwards’ jumper with 2.4 seconds left, Oregon squeaked by the Golden Bears, 54-52, at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley.
Edwards, who began with the ball off an Oregon inbounds pass, drove to the left side of the court. California center Olga Volkova stepped out in an attempt to defend Edwards, only to have the Oregon guard step back and sink a 15-foot jumper.
“There were a lot of opportunities we could have gone to,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith told KSCR Radio. “We felt confident in Alissa Edwards.
“She did a smart thing, and pulled out and hit a jumper.”
After repeated timeouts by both teams, California (8-13 overall, 4-7 Pacific-10 Conference) inbounded the ball at halfcourt with 2.1 seconds left. However, a last-second 3-pointer by Kristin Iwanaga hit the backboard but not the rim.
The win is Oregon’s fourth straight over California and 19th in its last 20 contests against its Pac-10 foe.
“I’m very pleased with the toughness the team played with, especially after the Stanford game,” Smith said, referring to the Ducks’ 85-54 loss Thursday.
Neither team was particularly impressive on the offensive side of the ball, with the Ducks (9-12, 5-8) shooting just 36 percent from the field and California at 35 percent.
The same can be said for the 3-point contest, with the Golden Bears connecting on just 2-of-8 and Oregon shooting one better.
But both teams did take care of the ball, with the Ducks committing 11 turnovers compared to 13 for California.
As was expected, the game came down to the team that was strongest defensively.
“It’s just something that has to come from within the heart,” Smith said.
The battle of the board settled in Oregon’s favor, 37-34, as ultimately, the Ducks won the battle down low.
Sophomore Andrea Bills, and freshmen Carolyn Ganes and Yadili Okwumabua combined for 27 points and 22 rebounds. Ganes, especially, is not showing signs of being a typical freshman.
She led the team with 17 points and tied for most rebounds with eight.
“I think (the post players) did a very good job on (Timea) Ivanyi,” Smith said in reference to California’s center. “We did a much better job on the inside game. The inside game was very important.”
Oregon, battling for most of the season with a nine-player active roster, almost saw that figure dwindle.
Sophomore Kedzie Gunderson, who broke her nose Dec. 19 against Montana, fell to the floor in pain early in the first half when she was hit in the face by Volkova.
The 6-foot forward came out of the game, and it was deemed that she rebroke her nose. However, she didn’t sit out long, coming onto the floor to start the second half.
“I thought we had probably lost her,” Smith said. “She gave us that collective glue to allow us to hang together.”
Gunderson failed to score a point, but that didn’t keep her from playing by her usual standards, sprawling on the floor for loose balls and driving through the lane in search of a shot.
After falling behind, 5-2, early on in the first half, Oregon jumped out to a 13-point run on the strength of a 3-pointer by sophomore Brandi Davis and four consecutive points by sophomore Amy Taylor.
The Golden Bears fought back toward the end of the half, closing to within three as the teams entered halftime.
Oregon led for the first 10 minutes of the second half until California’s Leigh Gregory hit two free throws with 7:39 left. Gregory led Cal with 22 points.
The Ducks next host Oregon State in the second installment of this season’s Civil War on Saturday at McArthur Court.
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