This time around, the Oregon Ducks weren’t having any of it.
For the Arizona women’s basketball team, the confidence of having beaten Oregon earlier in the season just wouldn’t translate into a win on the road, as the Wildcats (7-17, 3-11 Pacific 10 Conference) fell 78-58 to the Ducks (13-9, 5-8) in McArthur Court last night.
A season-high 15 3-pointers, including eight from senior guard Chelsea Wagner, sealed the win for Oregon, who avenged an 81-72 loss in Tucson on Jan. 14.
Wagner’s shot to end the first half may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Within six, 36-30, with under a minute to play in the half, the Wildcats had a chance to cut the lead even further, but sophomore guard Ashley Whisonant missed a jumper with eight seconds on the clock.
Ducks’ junior forward Eleanor Haring scooped up the rebound, swung it to Wagner who nailed her third 3-point shot of the half as time expired. She would finish with a career-high 24 points.
“”We couldn’t stop Chelsea Wagner,”” said Arizona head coach Joan Bonvicini. “”She had a great game.””
The loss is Arizona’s fifth straight and 11th in their past 13 games.
“”I think the hardest thing is we’re just tired of losing,”” Bonvicini said. “”We want to win.””
Playing without injured starters ChǸ Oh and Malia O’Neal, Arizona was extremely limited, suiting up just seven players. Both sophomore forward Oh and freshman guard O’Neal were out with concussions, as was reserve guard Jessica Arnold, a sophomore.
Freshman forward Amina Njonkou also was sidelined with a foot injury.
“”Being down numbers, I thought we played hard, but … we can’t play the normal kind of game we’d like to because of that,”” Bonvicini said.
“”(Oregon) knew we don’t want (the players) to foul out, so we’re not nearly as aggressive as we should and could be.””
The Wildcats shot 40 percent from the field and 27 percent from behind the arc, but it wasn’t enough, as they were badly out-rebounded on the defensive side of the ball, 36-23, and overall, 49-31.
Inserted into the starting lineup for the first time in her career, freshman guard Kelsey Burns managed just seven points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Junior guard Joy Hollingsworth played a game-high 37 minutes and turned it into her second double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Senior guard Natalie Jones continued her outstanding play of late, leading Arizona with 17 points and pulling down seven rebounds.
“”She just finds a way,”” Bonvicini said. “”She does whatever the team needs.””
Whisonant also chipped in with 16 points.
While Oh and Njonkou didn’t make the trip, O’Neal and Arnold are questionable for tomorrow’s game in Corvallis, Ore., against Oregon State, who downed Arizona at home Jan. 12, 64-48, behind 24 points from senior guard Mandy Close.
In that game, a strong second-half fueled the Beavers to victory over the Wildcats, who were down just two at the half.
But that was a very different Arizona team, who had the luxury of Oh, O’Neal, Arnold and Njonkou in the lineup. The four accounted for 14 of Arizona’s 48 points that night and 12 of their 38 rebounds.
The Beavers dropped their game last night as well, falling 77-67 to No. 16 ASU at home.
Senior forward Anna Chappell, making her farewell rounds on the Pac-10 tour, will have some friends in attendance for tomorrow’s 8 p.m. tip coming from nearby Canada, where she was born.
Should O’Neal return, she’ll have to wear a mask to protect her nose, which was broken in a collision with Whisonant in Saturday’s 90-64 loss to UCLA, during which she also suffered her concussion.
“”The kids hang together, which is good,”” Bonvicini said. “”We’re keeping everyone together, and play hard, and hopefully on Saturday we’ll get a couple of players back. We could definitely use them.””
Notes
The Ducks have yet to lose a game when scoring 70 or more points (9-0) … Sophomore walk-on forward Jessie Robinson saw a career-high nine minutes of action. She didn’t attempt a shot … Chappell tied a career high with five rebounds.