LOS ANGELES - Oregon had more than enough defense to beat Southern California on Saturday. The Ducks just couldn't find any offense.
A scoreless stretch that lasted 7:01 of the first half augured what was to come. After halftime, Oregon went 4:21 without a point, and then 5:16, and then 4:40. That last dry spell came at the end of the game, and sealed a miserable weekend for the Ducks.
For the second straight year, the team's trip to Hollywood was a horror show. For the second straight year, the Ducks lost a heartbreaker to open the trip. And for the second straight year, they let a second-half lead slip away to end the week.
Thanks to 34 percent shooting and 19 turnovers, Oregon failed to capitalize on a gritty defensive effort Saturday, scoring a season-low point total in a 46-42 loss to Southern California before 1,015 in the Galen Center.
"You can't hold a team to 46 points and lose a game," UO senior Kaela Chapdelaine said.
The Ducks (10-10, 4-5 Pac-10) entered the week tied for fourth place in the conference with UCLA and USC, and head home alone in sixth after being swept by the Bruins and Trojans. Oregon's young roster put forth a pair of impressive efforts on the week, but two losses by four points each made for a frustrating flight back to Eugene.
"We were right there on the verge of fourth place," UO junior Tamika Nurse said. "And it's disappointing because we were right there in both games."
Nurse played 30 minutes after injuring a shoulder ligament Thursday, which was expected to sideline her Saturday. But the joint loosened up overnight after treatment by UO athletic trainer Tom Embree, and Nurse decided during pregame warmups to give it a go.
That summed up Oregon's toughness Saturday, along with Chapdelaine's 12 rebounds while playing out of position at power forward, and the Ducks' 38-36 rebounding advantage that included 12 offensive boards, and a defense that held USC to 32.2 percent shooting.
But the Ducks couldn't overcome their own offensive woes. After a Victoria Kenyon layin put Oregon ahead 31-20 early in the second half, the Trojans scored 11 straight to tie it. Taylor Lilley hit a three-pointer on her way to a team-high 13 points, and Chapdelaine added a layin to give the Ducks a five-point lead, but they went dry again and USC pushed into a 40-36 lead.
A Micaela Cocks layin with 4:40 left was Oregon's last basket, and got the Ducks within two at 44-42. They missed three three-pointers and two two-point field goals in their final seven possessions, and had two turnovers. The score was still 44-42 with 15.2 seconds left when Lilley stole an inbounds pass and turned upcourt, but a Trojan tipped the ball away, and USC sealed the win with two free throws.
"There's some frustration offensively that we have to work on, to try and liberate some of our perimeter players," UO coach Bev Smith said. "But we have to get the ball in the paint: we have to score with our posts, score with penetration."
The Ducks were outscored only 22-18 in the paint, but much of their production came after offensive rebounds. Rarely was an Oregon post able to receive an entry pass and create a scoring chance. The Trojans, on the other hand, got all of Kari LaPlante's 10 points in the second half thanks mostly to her creativity in the low block.
LaPlante's output helped USC (13-7, 6-3) overcome starting center Nadia Parker's being limited to 10 minutes due to four fouls. Parker had only three rebounds, but two were of missed three-pointers by Oregon in the final minutes.
The Ducks were also frustrated by their 2-of-8 free-throw shooting, having come into the game leading the Pac-10 with at 73.8 percent. Both Lilley and Ellyce Ironmonger failed to complete three-point plays during Oregon's final scoring burst, which was capped by the Cocks layin.
Still, despite all their frustrations, UO players tried their best to put a positive spin on a trying week.
"We're fighting, and we're definitely competitive in this conference," Chapdelaine. "What's positive is, we're very confident we can get them at home and play hard again. We're confident that we can beat teams in the Pac-10. Yeah, it's disappointing we got these losses, but we have to look forward."