Oregon Women Rout Washington State

Oregon is now 9-8 on the season and 3-3 in the Pac-10.

Nicole Canepa led Oregon with 12 points. Photo courtesy: goducks.com

EUGENE, Ore. - After a rough stretch against two top-10 opponents last week, Oregon returned home to Mac Court in dominating fashion, moving back to .500 in the Pacific-10 with a 64-45 victory over Washington State in front of 2,468 on Thursday night.

Nearly a month after suffering an ankle sprain against Tulsa on Dec. 19, freshman Nicole Canepa led the Ducks in scoring for just the second time this year with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

“I am really starting to get back into the flow of the games,” Canepa said. “I feel more prepared and ready now. I feel much more comfortable on the floor.”

Oregon is now 9-8 on the season and 3-3 in the Pac-10, while Washington State is 3-14, and still searching for its first league victory at 0-6.

Ellyce Ironmonger also reached double figures for Oregon with 10, while Ellie Manou and Kaela Chapdelaine led the Ducks with nine rebounds apiece. Junior guard Tamika Nurse led Oregon with a season-high tying six assists.

“We’ve really been trying to establish that inside presence, and with our young players, it’s been a process,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “They’ve really made some improvements.”

Ten of eleven players who saw action for Oregon scored during the game, as freshmen Nia Jackson and Tatianna Thomas again received extended playing time, and the Ducks’ bench was able to contribute significantly, combining for 31 points.

Washington State, which shot 25.9 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 17 times, was led by Alexa Price’s 11 points.

As both teams were struggling for baskets in the second half, Ironmonger and Lilley scored on back-to-back possessions for Oregon to kick start the offense back into gear.

Price answered back with a triple of her own with 13:25 left on the clock and Oregon leading 41-28.

The Ducks then pieced together an 8-3 run, with Canepa, Manou and Nurse all scoring.

“We’re determined and we don’t give up,” Manou said. “We’re freshmen and we do make mistakes, but we try our hardest for the team.”

The Ducks went into the half leading 32-23, after Washington State’s Colleen Betteridge knocked down a three-pointer with less than three seconds left on the game clock.

Oregon built its first double-digit lead, 20-9, with Canepa coming off the bench and scoring eight points on 4-of-5 shooting in her first four minutes of action.

All of the Ducks’ post players were active early. With less than five minutes remaining in the first, the Oregon guards had combined to shoot 0-of-9 from the floor, while the frontcourt was a blazing 10-of-18, with Victoria Kenyon, Ironmonger, Canepa and Manou all scoring multiple field goals.

“When you play a match-up zone and key in on her (Taylor Lilley), it leaves it open for the posts to hurt you,” Washington State coach June Daugherty said.

Lilley finally broke the guards’ drought with their first field goal, a three-pointer at the 2:39 mark, giving Oregon a 27-17 advantage. It opened the flood gates, as Chapdelaine hit her first bucket, also a three-pointer, with 1:30 remaining to the break

Both team struggled from the floor in the first half, as the Cougars shot just 24.1 percent, and Oregon at 37.1.

Oregon will next host Washington at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Huskies (7-11, 2-4) come into the game, after a 68-64 loss to Oregon State in Corvallis.

Source: goducks.com

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