Oregon Ducks women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves was concerned after his team’s close victory over Southern Utah a few days ago. He didn’t know how they would respond against stiffer competition.
Although the No. 18 Ducks came up short 85-79 to No. 8 North Carolina, the effort was definitely there and it’s a game the young Oregon team wins later in the season.
The Ducks held a double-digit lead in the second half, but a 17-4 run to end the third quarter brought the Tar Heels back and UNC actually had a 56-56 lead with 10 minutes to go.
Coming out for the fourth quarter, the Ducks went on a 10-2 run and had a 66-58 lead, but then North Carolina’s experience took over and the shots for the Ducks stopped dropping. Those 18 turnovers didn’t help matters as Oregon lost for the first time this season.