University of Washington
Oregon
Huskies Hold Off Ducks In 72-69 Thriller
February 09, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 9, 2012
Red Box Photo Gallery | Postgame Press Conference Video
SEATTLE - Walking off the floor, wheezing because of a nagging chest illness, Jazmine Davis could barely muster a fist pump. She and the Huskies had another win under their belts, despite a few hiccups late that conjured up images from games past.
Davis scored a game-high 27 points, the latest in a monster series of games for the freshman point guard, as the Huskies escaped with a 72-69 win against Oregon. In the process, the Huskies (13-9, 5-7) avenged an earlier season loss to the Ducks, one that saw the Dawgs drop a 16-point, second-half lead. Regina Rogers added 15 points and 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double this season.
Following the game, Kevin McGuff was asked if the late-game flurry by Oregon (13-11, 5-7) had him worried. But the first-year UW coach didn't sweat because he had just seen his team close out a tough win over USC in Los Angeles.
The Huskies held a 15-point lead in the second half, only to watch Oregon whittle it down to three (66-63) with 2:01 left in the game. But UW did enough down the stretch to keep the Ducks at bay, starting with a three-point play by Davis with 1:15 to go and a steal by Mollie Williams as the clock expired. McGuff would have liked for his team make a late-game free throw, but a win is a win and he'll bank it each time out.
Oregon struggled to make shots in the first half against UW's man-to-man defense, but stymied the Huskies in turn with a 3-2 zone that smothered the perimeter. Washington turned on the offense in the second, thanks to Davis and Rogers, who powered inside for layup. What also loosened the Ducks' zone was the shooting display from Kellie McCann-Smith, who made 4-of-6 threes for 12 points off the bench. It was a performance similar to the Huskies first game against the Ducks this year, when McCann-Smith erupted for a career-high 26.
The Huskies held the Ducks to just 33 percent shooting from the field, 22 percent from three. Oregon took a season-high 40 three pointers, including nine from star Amanda Johnson, who led her team with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
During the game, the Huskies honored former letterwinner Kayla Burt, who is now raising awareness for the Hope Heart Institute. Burt underwent two heart episodes as a Husky player, and it was an emotional pre-game speech that several Huskies credited for powering them through the game.
The Huskies return to the court on Saturday when they host Oregon State at 2 p.m.
