Oregon women’s basketball will return from Hawaii with plenty of lessons, but with no wins.
The No. 21 Ducks lost, 75-70, to South Dakota State on Tuesday in the second of two games at the North Shore Showcase tournament in Laie, Hawaii. One day after being dominated on the boards in a blowout loss to Georgia Tech, Oregon was unable to make a late comeback against the Jackrabbits.
The Ducks (6-2) were led by 19 points from Deja Kelly, along with 10 points and eight rebounds from Amina Muhammad. The Jackrabbits (4-2) got 19 points from Brooklyn Meyer, 16 from Paige Meyer, and 15 from Haleigh Timmer — shooting 50% from three and hitting 19 of 22 free throws.
Oregon made some changes to its starting lineup, adding Nani Falatea and Ehis Etute to the mix in lieu of Sofia Bell and Phillipina Kyei.
It was a back-and-forth start, with Oregon and South Dakota State trading transition buckets. Eight lead changes and seven ties highlighted a fast-paced first quarter, with the Ducks taking a 22-19 lead through one thanks to a banked-in three by Bell.
The Jackrabbits retook the lead early in the second, however, and controlled much of the quarter by forcing turnovers and getting easy buckets in the lane. Oregon’s turnover issues fueled a 9-0 run for South Dakota State, which took a 28-24 lead.
Kelly would mount a response by carrying the Ducks on offense, hitting a few midrange jumpers to keep the game close. But the Jackrabbits hit a trio of three-pointers in the half and carried a 40-36 lead into the break.
Amid South Dakota State’s hot shooting in the third, Kelly kept up the effort on both ends for Oregon, making key shots and the right plays on defense. But the effort on the Jackrabbits’ part was relentless, and their shooting percentage climbed above 50% as they spread the ball around.
A three-pointer by Madysen Vlastuin gave SDSU a 56-49 lead late in the third as its bench erupted, and a bucket from Oregon’s Muhammad cut it to 56-51 through three.
Back-to-back buckets for Muhammad and Alexis Whitfield to start the fourth made it just a one-point game, forcing a timeout for the Jackrabbits. And Kelly remained aggressive getting to the basket as the final frame waned on, hitting the tying free throw on her and-one with 6:14 to go.
But turnovers down the stretch, and an inability to defend consistently on the other end, was the Ducks’ peril as they attempted a comeback. Kelly’s jumper made it a four-point game once again with 33 seconds left, and an immediate steal in the full-court press led to a layup by Muhammad to cut it to two.
Down three with less than 30 seconds to go, a Peyton Scott three-pointer clanked off the rim. Oregon had to play the foul game the rest of the way and couldn’t catch up.
Next game: No. 21 Oregon (6-2) vs. Washington State (2-3)
- When: Wednesday, Dec. 4
- Time: 7 p.m. PT
- Where: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene
- Streaming: B1G+
- Radio: Oregon Sports Network
— Ryan Clarke covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten Conference. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.