It was a game Oregon desperately needed to get back into the Pacific-10 Conference race.
It was a game steeped in rivalry against the Ducks’ traditional Northwest foe.
Unfortunately for Oregon, it was a game taken over by Loree Payne and the rest of the Washington women’s basketball team.
Payne tied a career high with 29 points and knocked down six three-pointers as the Huskies walked away with a victory, 79-60, Thursday at Bank of America Arena in Seattle.
The loss gives Oregon (6-11 overall, 2-6 Pac-10) a three-game losing streak and drops the Ducks to 1-6 away from McArthur Court this season.
“The game is 40 minutes long, and we have not had that defensive intensity and heart for 40 minutes,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith told KSCR-AM.
The Ducks held Washington to 45 percent shooting in the first half, but Washington exploded in the second half en route to shooting 50 percent from the field on the night. The Husky offense was led by Payne, who knocked down nine of 14 shots in 30 minutes of play.
Overall, the Huskies (14-3, 6-2) had four players in double figures and 10 players scored at least one point.
“They have a tremendous rhythm within the players they have playing for them,” Smith said.
Oregon was led offensively by freshman Carolyn Ganes, who came within one of her career best with 24 points. Ganes, as she has done all season, dominated down low, but also showed her versatility in making two 3-pointers.
The Ducks did not fare bad offensively — shooting 44 percent in the first half — but could not come through late when it mattered most.
Just like the contest against Oregon State, the Ducks faltered midway through the second half both offensively and defensively.
After going into halftime with a 34-32 lead, Washington took control early in the second stanza, posting an 8-2 run to start the half.
Washington made it 54-43 with 12:17 left on Payne’s fourth 3-pointer of the night, and from that point on, the Ducks could get no closer than 13 points.
“Certainly, where we have to look is on the defensive end,” Smith said. “That’s where we lose our concentration and focus.”
Despite a decent offensive showing overall, a concern for the Ducks is their outside shooting. Oregon managed to connect on just three 3-pointers in 14 attempts, two by Ganes. The final trey came from sophomore Amy Taylor with 4:53, which pulled the Ducks within 17.
And at that point, it was just too late.
Sophomore Kedzie Gunderson pitched in with nine points, while sophomore Andrea Bills had eight but was just 2-of-7 from the free-throw line.
The loss drops Oregon to 2-6 without Cathrine Kraayeveld, who was found to have a staph infection in her right knee before the Ducks’ first Pac-10 game, a loss to UCLA.
Oregon must now pull itself out of a hole. The Ducks visit Washington State on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Cougars have traditionally been the doormat of the Pac-10, having failed to post a winning season in conference play since the 1990-91 campaign.
But while the Cougars are winless this season — nearly pulling off an upset of Oregon State on Thursday night only to be rebuffed, 65-62 — they have played opponents tougher than usual.
“Washington State is a team that is playing very hard,” Smith said. “They are very close to a win. They can taste it.”