Garbage time, it wasn't.
Not to be lost in the otherwise forgettable showing by Oregon on Saturday at Stanford were promising contributions from three freshman reserves late in the second half. Nia Jackson, Tatianna Thomas and Nicole Canepa each played at least 12 minutes in the Ducks' 83-49 loss, a defeat blamed partly on fatigue, which could become a less prominent issue if that trio can continue to produce.
In Thursday's loss at California, four starters played at least 30 minutes, with Micaela Cocks on the floor for 36 and Kaela Chapdelaine in for 35. Only two reserves played more than seven minutes, and the Ducks wore themselves out trying in vain to steal a win on the road.
Two days later, Oregon was in a deep hole right from the start at Stanford. But the Ducks (8-8, 2-3 Pac-10) used the blowout to get extended minutes for their reserves, a trend that could continue entering games this week at home against Washington State, on Thursday at 7 p.m., and Washington on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“We're in a lot better place right now than we have been in a long time," UO coach Bev Smith said of her depth.
Four of the five reserves who played at Stanford are true freshmen, and all have battled injuries that slowed their progress over the last month. Ellie Manou continues to deal with a foot injury, but Jackson (knee), Thomas (Achilles) and Canepa (ankle) are all back practicing close to full speed.
That's giving the coaching staff its best chance yet to evaluate how each can best be used, and how many minutes they can play.
"We know how to handle people now," Smith said. “As we get into the middle part of this Pac-10 season, that's a relief."
Canepa began the season as the starting post before spraining her ankle during the team's trip to Mexico. Her timing and conditioning suffered; Canepa was 2-of-8 with three turnovers in 16 minutes Saturday. But on Monday, Canepa was able to weather a grueling conditioning drill at the conclusion of practice.
Jackson, a point guard, has focused on her ball handling while limited by the knee injury. Thomas has made defense and rebounding her priorities in practice, and shooting the focus of her individual workouts.
“I've just been waiting for the opportunity," said Thomas, a 5-foot-11 wing. “Encouraging my team the best I can from the bench, and then when I do get in, playing as hard as I can."
Thomas was a whirling dervish Saturday, making 2-of-3 shots, grabbing five rebounds — two offensive — and plucking three steals from a Stanford team that was also playing mostly reserves. She missed her only three-point attempt, falling to 0-of-4 on the season, but Thomas said her shot is improving.
“She's been really working hard away from practice, so that's really helped her game," Smith said. “She's caught up, with putting in extra time, and you can see it."
Thomas played 13 minutes at Stanford, one more than Jackson, who had three points, two rebounds, two assists and two turnovers. At one point, Jackson stole the ball and passed up the court to Thomas for a layin.
“We like to push that tempo," Thomas said. “We like that pace, and it's something that's just a little bit different."
More than anything, the reserves provided a needed boost in energy and intensity at the tail end of a blowout. Capably providing the starters with rest during meaningful first-half action would increase their value even further.
“We just continue to learn from the starters," Jackson said. “We're getting better, improving, and it's good to go out there and play what we've been practicing."
Better On The Boards
The Ducks fell one spot from third to fourth in the conference in rebounding margin after last week, but remain well ahead of their ninth-place showing in the Pac-10 last season.
Stanford and California continue to have the top margins in the conference. But while each had a margin close to plus-10 last week, while Oregon was around plus-four, the Ducks were only outrebounded by a total of three in their two games.
“It's an emphasis for is, and I think that emphasis has allowed them to understand they've got to go (to the boards) every time," Smith said. “We'll continue to work on it every day, because it's a habit thing. And once you get into that habit, then you just go automatically, or you block out automatically."
Entering this season, the Ducks added an extra guard to their rebounding efforts, sending four players to the boards in most situations. The posts are encouraged to box out as far from the hoop as possible, allowing guards to dart in for rebounds, like the 13 Taylor Lilley had in two games two weeks ago, and the nine Cocks had at California.
Still, better production in the post would be welcomed: starting forwards Ellyce Ironmonger and Victoria Kenyon combined for 11 rebounds in the two games in the Bay Area.
Odds And Ends
Oregon still leads the Pac-10 in free-throw shooting at 74.6 percent, including 81.7 percent in conference games. ... Youth wearing any Kidsports jersey to Saturday's game against Washington can purchase a general admission ticket for $1 at McArthur Court. ... Cal's Ashley Walker was named Pac-10 player of the week Monday after averaging 21 points and 7.5 rebounds last week.