SEATTLE - Call it going small if you will. Mostly, it's about going with experience.
Often over the past month, the Oregon women's basketball team has relied heavily on a lineup that includes Taylor Lilley, Tamika Nurse, Micaela Cocks and Kaela Chapdelaine. All four are guards, making for intriguing matchups. But more important, they are the four veterans on a team that also includes six freshmen.
"We have a lot of experience at the guard position, and that experience gets to be on the floor at the same time," Nurse said.
The lineup got one of its first extensive looks in Oregon's last victory, a two-point win over Washington on Jan. 19 in McArthur Court. The Ducks (10-14, 4-9 Pac-10) have lost six games since, entering the rematch tonight in Bank of America Arena at 7 p.m.
On the line tonight is sixth place in the conference race, and the final first-round bye in the conference tournament if nothing else changes the rest of the way. It's also a chance for Oregon to end a road losing streak that stands at six games, matching its overall streak of defeats.
In such a critical game, why not go with the experienced lineup again? It worked well last time out against the Huskies (9-15, 4-8), who have a group of athletic wings who demand quickness on defense.
"We feel very comfortable with that rotation, both offensively and defensively," UO coach Bev Smith said.
The key to the small lineup is Chapdelaine's versatility. The senior came to Oregon as a point guard, starts most games at small forward and moves to power forward when the Ducks go small.
They miss her rebounding from the "three" position, but her quickness on defense helps against more agile "four" players.
"There are times of course where we do need to have a solid two-post presence, and Ellie (Manou) and Nicole (Canepa) definitely provide that," Nurse said. But the smaller lineup, she added, "is a different look for us and it's different for the teams that have to guard us. It's an adjustment they're going to have to make."
It puts four of the team's top five scorers on the floor, and Oregon's top four three-point shooters. Lilley remains at her natural two-guard spot, with either Cocks or Nurse running the point. When Nurse has the ball, she can either drive into the lane and shoot, look to dish to whichever post is on the floor, or kick out to Lilley, Cocks or Chapdelaine on the wing for a three-pointer.
The perimeter players have been Oregon's best scoring threats of late, and the young group of forwards has struggled against Pac-10 competition.
The low point came in blowout losses to No. 6 Stanford and No. 9 California last week, leading to an intense week of practice for the Ducks the past four days.
Each of Oregon's forwards has seen her scoring average slip since conference play began.
"We're working on getting them to think of other things on offense, like being effective screeners, so that takes the emphasis off the scoring part," Smith said. "When that happens, I think, you play a little freer when you do have the ball in your hands."