WBB: Shorthanded Huskies fall in Oregon

The late scratching of Christyn Williams set the pace for a painful holiday afternoon for the Connecticut Huskies.

EUGENE - Already beset by several injuries, one more medical absence awaited the Connecticut Huskies upon their arrival to Matthew Knight Arena for a non-conference showdown with the Oregon Ducks. It turned out to be too much to handle, as Christyn Williams’ placement in COVID-19 protocols set the stage for more unwanted history.

With Williams added to the list of UConn’s all-star medical absences, the Huskies used only six of eight players available for their non-conference showdown on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Caroline Ducharme (22 points, 10-of-21 FG) and Olivia Nelson-Ododa (17 points, 7-of-9 FG, 8 rebounds) did what they could to carry the load but they weren’t enough to withstand the rise of the surging Ducks, who wowed their supporters with a 72-59 win on Monday evening. Te-Hina Paopao broke 20 points for the third straight game, pacing the Ducks with 22.

Combined with their Dec. 9 loss at Georgia Tech, the Huskies (9-4) have now dropped multiple contests against unranked foes for the first time since the 2003-04 season. They also became the second straight victim of the surging Ducks (10-5) to reside in the AP’s top ten, as they previously topped seventh-ranked defending national finalists from Arizona with a buzzer-beater on Saturday.

UConn responded to the late notice of Williams’ departure (which was paired with the publicized absences of Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd) with gusto in the early going, leaping out to a 10-0 lead (all but one point put in by either Ducharme or Nelson-Ododa) over the first three minutes. After Oregon got on the board with triples from Sydney Parrish and Nyara Sabally, with a Nelson-Ododa layup forming a 12-6 UConn advantage, Paopao began a one-woman show that gave Oregon the lead for good. Two layups, a triple, and a trip to the foul line for a pair over the final 4:38 of the opening frame created a 9-2 run established entirely by the sophomore sensation.

The Ducks kept the good vibes rolling by scoring the first nine points of the second quarter, finishing off a run of 18 consecutive points that UConn never fully recovered from. They managed to trim the lead to eight by the three-minute mark, but yet another 9-2 run, capped off by Endyia Rogers’ and-one finale with seven seconds to go, creating Oregon’s 39-24 halftime advantage. UConn’s burial was partially dug by nine turnovers over the second ten minutes, which Oregon won by a 24-10 advantage.

Connecticut never got the deficit back below 10 in the second half, finally done in by a 15-3 fall over the final five minutes of the third quarter. They did manage to keep the score respectable by winning the fourth quarter by an 18-10 tally, earned mostly after Oregon relented. UConn did manage to avoid one dubious mark, as they still haven’t lost a game by at least 20 points since their exit at the 2007 NCAA Tournament against LSU.

Ducharme and Nika Muhl (3 points, 6 rebounds in taking Williams’ spot in the starting five) played all 40 minutes for the Huskies while Evina Westbrook played all but two. Aaliyah Edwards (4 points, 5 rebounds) was the only Husky to come off the bench and appeared in 23 minutes of action.

In addition to Paopao’s scoring assault, Sedona Prince came off the bench to put up 14 in relief for the Ducks. Oregon’s win carried a bittersweet note, as Sabally needed assistance from Prince and Kylee Watson to leave the floor after suffering an apparent lower body injury. Sabally returned to the bench in the final stages with her right knee heavily iced. Oregon improved to 3-2 all-time against the Huskies, creating a small winning streak that began when the teams last met in Storrs in February 2020.

The Huskies will look to get back on track when Big East play resumes on Friday night, as they’ll battle the Seton Hall Pirates on Friday night in Storrs (7 p.m. ET, SNY). UConn has won 34 consecutive meetings over Seton Hall, their last loss coming in 1994. The Pirates (7-7, 2-4 Big East) are coming off a healthy 62-42 road win over Providence on Sunday, courtesy of a 30-point showing from Lauren Park-Lane.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags