UA comeback bid falls short

Ryan A. Mihalyi Arizona Daily Wildcat UA forward Adia Barnes goes up against Oregon's 6-foot, 5 inch center Jenny Mowe last night at McKale Center. The Wildcats cut Oregon's lead to within three with five seconds left, but lost 85-81.

The Ducks' Cindie Edamure hit both free-throws in a one-and-one situation with 5.2 seconds remaining to put Oregon up 85-81 and Arizona had no anwser for the 1,775 in attendance.

"I didn't think that this could happen because of how well we have been playing," UA head coach Joan Bonvicini said. "Tonight, It was just too little, too late."

The Wildcats (19-5, 9-4 in the Pacific 10 Conference) were within six points, when Oregon's third post player, 6-foot, 5-inch freshman Jenny Mowe fouled out, but Arizona could only out-score the Ducks' 8-6 from that turn on.

"I don't know what the different was, " Oregon head coach Jody Runge said. "They did a great job coming back in the second half. Our bench has been pretty strong this year, but I'm always concerned when we play on the road."

UA's Adia Barnes scored 27 of her career-high 35 points in the second half, but the junior forward couldn't find the range, just like the rest of the team,in a three-point attempt with less than a minute to play.

"We lost to team that out-hustled us and out-played us in the end," Barnes said. "Now teams are after us. We are the one that usually have our backs against the wall. They came in here basically having to win this game and accomplished it."

Oregon's Natalie Hughes hit two three-point shots just after the opening tip and Arizona wasn't able to collapse on Ducks inside players from that period on.

The Wildcats simply played a dimal first half. As a team they shot 28 percent. After seven minutes the scoreboard read: Oregon 16, Arizona 2.

"I was very dissappointed that we didn't come out intense," Bonvicini said. "We never seemed to be playing with a purpose."

But slow starts have plagued Arizona all year, but in those games the Wildcats kicked on the afterburners in the closing minutes of the first half. The 36-26 halftime score, is the farthest Arizona has been down all season.

"Sometimes the shots fall, sometimes they don't," said sophomore guard Monika Crank, who finished with 10 points and seven turnovers. "We knew that we would have to come out shooting from the start. We were just a little short."

After a back-to-back Lisa Griffith and Crank three-point shots to close the gap to 54-41 with 10 minutes remaining, the Wildcats started to get some life. When the Ducks' starting center Renea Fegent and power forward Arianne Boyer fouled out, the crowd responded as well.

"I have seen Arizona come back before, even though we were up 20 points. I was still doubtful," Boyer said.

Yet, Oregon's bench was just as hot as the starters. As a team they shot 60 percent in the second half and made 17 of 22 free-throws, most coming in final minutes.

"Their free-throw shooting was key, statiscally we made more field goals (29-26), but they were clutch from the line," Bonvicini said.

While Arizona usually turnes the game around with its press, last night they slowed things up and kicked it down to Barnes to let her work. But while Barnes was everywhere, she finished with 11 rebounds as well, the Ducks would go away.

"Tonight every one on their team did something well," Barnes said.

Down by three with just over 60 seconds, the Wildcats, who only have a one senior, did what a young team does - press themselves. Instead of continuing with what got them back in the game, UA players were looking for the three-point shot. Crank, Barnes, Griffith, junior Mikko Giordano and freshman Felecity Willis all missed, most being off-balance attempts.