Big Second Half Dooms Huskies' Upset Bid vs No. 9 Oregon

Friday, February 9

Seattle, WA

8:00 PM

University of Washington

7-17, 1-12Pac12

Oregon

22-4, 11-2Pac12

Oregon

Washington

Photo by: Red Box Pictures

Big Second Half Dooms Huskies' Upset Bid vs No. 9 Oregon

February 09, 2018 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

SEATTLE – Washington hung with No. 9 Oregon through the first half, but the Ducks pulled away with a big second half as the Huskies lost 76-63 on Friday night at Alaska Airlines Arena.

The Huskies fall to 7-17 and to 1-12 in the Pac-12 while the ninth-ranked Ducks improve to 22-4 and remain atop the conference standings at 11-2.

Amber Melgoza had a solid night with 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting for the Huskies while Mai-Loni Henson added 16 points—one shy of her career-high—including a game-high four three-pointers. Hannah Johnson added 10 rebounds.

However, Oregon's size was just too much for the Huskies as the Ducks scored 46 of their 76 points in the paint and out-rebounded UW 44-30. Ruthy Hebard had a career-high 30 points on 13-of-15 shooting, adding 14 rebounds. Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate Sabrina Ionescu was held to just 10 points—the fewest she has scored in conference play this season—with six coming from the free throw line. She was the only other Duck in double figures.

Oregon came out of the gate firing, quickly opening up a 7-0 lead just under two minutes into the game. Melgoza ended the early run with a nice runner in the lane, sparking a 6-3 UW run over the next three minutes to make it a 10-6 game with 4:45 left. The teams exchanged buckets over the two minutes with Mai-Loni Henson draining a three-pointer with 2:39 left to make it 14-11. After the Ducks scored three-straight points, Jenna Moser drained a contested three-pointer at the buzzer to make it a 19-16 game after one.

The Huskies kept the momentum going early in the second quarter, opening with a 9-1 run to take their first lead of the game. Henson opened the quarter with a three-pointer right in front of the Oregon bench with Melgoza scoring three the old-fashioned way on the next possession. That three-point play put the Huskies up 22-19 two minutes in. Oregon scored its first point of the quarter on a free throw at the 7:38 mark, but Washington came right back down and got a three-pointer from Johnson to stretch it up to a 25-20 lead with 7:19 left.

But Washington's offense went quiet over the next six minutes as Oregon went on a 13-0 run to take a 33-25 lead with a minute left before the half. Washington got its first points in a while as Melgoza hit a mid-range jumper with 40 seconds left and the Huskies forced a turnover on the next Oregon possession to make it a 33-27 game at halftime.

The Ducks opened the second half with a quick putback bucket but Melgoza answered back with a three in transition to make it 35-30 just over a minute in. The teams would exchange buckets over the next two minutes before Oregon pulled away again with a long 14-3 run over the next five minutes and took a 51-35 lead on a pair of free throws by Sabrina Ionescu at the 3:44 mark. Melgoza snapped the run with a nice driving layup, then after four points by Oregon, got another two on a driving layup. After the teams traded three-pointers, the Ducks got a bucket in the paint to close out the quarter with a 60-42 lead.

Oregon kept the pressure going in the fourth, outscoring Washington 15-5 over the first four minutes. Washington would close out the game on a 13-1 run, winning the quarter XX-XX, but it was not enough to pull out the victory.

The Huskies close out the homestand on Sunday, hosting No. 16 Oregon State at 3:00 p.m.