UCLA Comeback Dooms Oregon, 77-70

The Bruins shot 41 percent for the game and held a 45-39 rebounding edge.

Tamika Nurse had a career-high 18 points in the loss vs. UCLA. Photo: goducks.com

LOS ANGELES - The Oregon Ducks had their chances, but UCLA’s strong second half proved too difficult for the visitors to withstand in a 77-70 Pac-10 loss Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.

Senior Noelle Quinn and junior Lindsey Plumier shared the game-high with 21 points apiece for the Bruins (9-9 overall, 3-3 Pac-10) as UCLA overcame a six-point halftime deficit and outscored the Ducks (9-5 overall, 1-3 Pac-10) 46-33 after the break.

Senior Carolyn Ganes led Oregon with 20 points. Sophomore Tamika Nurse scored a career-high 18 and senior Cicely Oaks finished with 10.

“I thought we competed very well in both of these games on the road, but there are no moral victories,” said sixth-year head coach Bev Smith. “We got wrapped up in UCLA’s tempo in the second half and that hurt us.”

The two teams combined for just 16 turnovers in a cleanly played game.

UCLA, which came in averaging 21 turnovers per game, had only six and none in the second half.

The Bruins shot 41 percent for the game and held a 45-39 rebounding edge.

Oregon also shot 41 percent, but converted only 13-of-36 (31 percent) in the final 20 minutes.

The Ducks watched a six-point lead evaporate in the opening minutes of the second half as UCLA went on a 14-7 run to take a 45-44 lead.

Senior guard Cicely Oaks stopped the bleeding by knocking down a three-ball to put Oregon back up by two.

The two sides traded the lead back and forth for the next several minutes before UCLA went ahead 57-53 at the 8:45 mark on a reverse layup by Amanda Livingston, taking back the momentum for long enough to withstand a late UO run.

Oregon stormed out to a 37-31 halftime lead thanks to some hot early shooting. The Ducks made 11-of-17 attempts from the floor at the start of the first half and finished the period at a 47-percent clip.

Ganes scored 15 points in the opening stanza, hitting 6-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-3 from three-point range.

Plumier was nearly her equal, scoring 14 points and draining both of her attempts from behind the arc.

UO’s biggest lead came at 37-27 before UCLA closed out the half on a mini 4-0 run.

The Ducks return to McArthur Court next week for games against Arizona and Arizona State on Thursday and Saturday.

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