Ducks Cruise Past Long Beach State, 66-45

Oregon freshman center Nicole Canepa led all players with 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

Nicole Canepa and the Ducks had a big size advantage against LBSU. Photo courtesy: goducks.com

EUGENE, Ore. - What a difference a year makes. Well, not necessarily if you're the Long Beach State women's basketball team going up against a Pac-10 opponent.

As was the case last year during non-conference play, the 49ers (1-4) could not figure out how to score the basketball against the Oregon Ducks (4-2), this time going down 66-45 before 2,188 at McArthur Court.

A year ago, the Ducks also had their difficulties putting the ball in the basket, grinding out a 44-33 win in Long Beach.

But on this night, Oregon added some offensive punch to go along with its collective effort on the defensive end of the floor.

Freshman center Nicole Canepa led all players with 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting, and senior guard Kaela Chapdelaine scored 10 and dished out eight assists in a near wire-to-wire whitewash.

Oregon took a 25-18 lead into halftime despite shooting 32 percent, thanks in large part to 13 Long Beach State turnovers and 13 fouls.

The Ducks went on to shoot 50 percent after the break, stretching a comfortable lead into no-doubt-about-it territory with a 17-4 run midway through the second half.

Sophomore guard Micaela Cocks added 11 for the Ducks and fellow underclassmen Taylor Lilley and Ellie Manou tossed in eight apiece off the bench.

The 49ers had three players in double figures, including junior post Kaiti O'Brien, who was 5-of-6 from the floor but hampered by foul trouble throughout.

The 6-1 O'Brien, the tallest LBSU player to see more than four minutes of playing time, had little support dealing with the likes of 6-5 Canepa, 6-3 Manou and 6-4 Ellyce Ironmonger on Oregon's front line.

The Ducks now go on the road for the rest of 2007, starting Sunday at the University of Portland (1 p.m.).

The next time they take to their home floor will be on Jan. 3 against No. 14 Arizona State in the Pac-10 opener for both teams.

Source: goducks.com

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