EUGENE, Ore. — A reshuffled starting lineup and another stalwart defensive effort allowed the Ducks to play top-ranked and unbeaten UCLA closer than just about anyone this season, but more anemic offense stopped them from picking up their biggest win in several years.
The Bruins improved to 23-0 with a 62-52 victory over Oregon (16-8, 7-6) on Sunday afternoon, and while the Ducks say they “don’t believe” in moral victories, they could claim Sunday as one.
“We’re disappointed that we lost, but I told them in the locker room a few minutes ago that I was really proud of them. I thought we played well enough tonight to win the game against the undisputed No. 1 team in the country,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said. “If you can play with these guys, you can play with anybody…I think anybody who watched the game could see that we belonged there.”
UCLA was held to its lowest scoring output of the season, and the 10-point margin was the second-closest game of they’ve played, and the closest on US soil — their only single-digit victory came in Paris over Louisville in November.
Lauren Betts, the frontrunner for National Player of the Year, was held mostly in check as well. Unlike most everyone else, the Ducks had their own 6-foot-8 center to throw at her, and that caused her issues. She was held to single-digit scoring for the second time this season and her 4-of-10 shooting, with most misses impacted by Phillipina Kyei’s defense, acts as her least accurate showing of the season.
“I give Philly a lot of credit. She hung in there against the best player in the country. Lauren Betts is the best player in the country, hands down. Anybody can argue, but they’re wrong,” Graves said. “She’s the best player in the country, and we held her under her averages. She didn’t get to double-figures and Philly and the rest of the team, but mainly Philly did a great job.”
However, the offense just wasn’t there. Nani Falatea scored a season-high 19 points a few hours before husband Kingsley Suamataia is set to suit up in this year’s Super Bowl, but that acted as a rare bright spot for a team that made just 26.6 percent of their shots.
“We hung there, but ultimately we’ve got to make shots overall,” said senior Deja Kelly, who scored 14 points in the defeat. “That’s what’s going to beat really good teams like this.”
That was especially true in the fourth. After a Falatea triple cut it to a seven-point game with 7:38 to play, Oregon struggled to find the bottom of the net, and UCLA responded with three triples in a 68 second-span to essentially put it on ice.
While the long bombs put the nail in Oregon’s coffin, three-point shooting continues to be a major bugaboo for these Ducks. Falatea made both of the team’s triples, as the rest of the team went 0-for-10.
Falatea made her fourth start of the season and her first since early January in place of Peyton Scott, who missed the game with a knee injury. She wasn’t the only new starter. Alexis Whitfield replaced Amina Muhammad in the starting five as well.
Details remain scarce regarding Scott’s status for upcoming games.
“I don’t know. She has a history of knee injuries and it’s the same knee. So you just hope and pray because we need her,” Graves said when asked about her season.
Londyn Jones was the only Bruin in double-figures. She scored a season-high 21 points to become the second straight guard to log a season-high in an efficient perimeter shooting game. Jones hit 5-of-7 from deep three days following Sarah Te-Biasu also hit 5-of-7 from three.
The Ducks will host Washington on Wednesday in what will hopefully conclude their three-game skid. The Ducks had won seven of eight games entering the month of February to move to fifth place in the Big Ten standings, but have lost all three games this month to fall into a tie for ninth.
Oregon’s game with the Huskies is set for 6 PM on Wednesday and will once again be carried on BIG+.
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