The road misery continues: The Washington Huskies lost their third Pac-10 Conference basketball road game in a row, this one an 81-76 decision Saturday afternoon in Eugene at Oregon’s new, $227 million Matt Court.
After a 68-56 loss at Oregon State Thursday, the Huskies were swept in the state for the first time since 2007. At 7-4 in the Pac-10 and 15-7 overall, they are out of first place and likely out of the top-25 polls.
Matthew Bryan-Amaning led the Huskies with 21 points but there was insufficient help in the backcourt. Already missing injured guard Abdul Gaddy, the Huskies received only five minutes from Darnell Gant who had a thigh bruise.
The Ducks are 12-11 and 5-6 in conference. Thursday, they routed Washington State 69-43. The Ducks are 10-6 at home.
First half:
— Same starting lineup for the Huskies as the past five games: Scott Suggs, Isaiah Thomas, held to a season-low nine points Thursday, Bryan-Amaning, Justin Holiday and Aziz N’Diaye, who had no points in 12 minutes in the last outing.
— UW is coming off a season-low 32.3 percent from the ?eld and 47.4% from the line against the Beavers.
— UW open in a 2-3 zone, believed to be the first time that’s happened this year. Lorenzo Romar’s big guys had some foul trouble in the previous game.
— Isaiah Thomas looks smooth and relaxed in shooting a pair of threes. He misses both. He was 2 of 11 against OSU.
— Oregon misses its first four shots. That zone is keeping them out and the Ducks aren’t even close. Huskies missed their first three three-point attempts but still lead 4-0 and Ducks coach Dana Altman calls a timeout. They can’t get inside but E.J. Singler hits a three.
— Bryan-Amaning looks like a different player, active, aggressive. He has two inside baskets.
— A pair of threes and an uncontested lay-in give the Ducks an 8-6 lead.
— Portland native Terrence Ross hits a three, puts the Huskies up 10-9 inside of 16 minutes. It’s the first three in five attempts.
— Huskies, playing a matchup zone, fall behind 14-11. But they seem the playing more aggressively overall.
— Venoy Overton takes the dribble inside, the first Husky to do so. He’s rewarded with a pair of free throws. He misses both.
— Terrible pass by Overton turned into a three-pointer and a 17-11 deficit. Thomas is out of the game now. Unusual.
— Second media timeout and the Ducks leading by seven. Huskies 1-for-7 from behind the arc.
— Coming out of the timeout, Thomas remains on the bench. Overton misses one of two free throws. It’s 20-14 inside of 11 minutes.
— Ducks have misses two high-fashion dunks attempts. Too bad for them showboating isn’t outlawed.
— Thomas is in.
— Huskies, with energy early, have cooled, reverting to Thursday’s effort. Oregon leads by nine, 25-16 with 8:50 left.
— Thomas gets his pocket picked, results in a fast-break lay-in.
— Holiday hits a three. Lead down to six, 29-23.
— Thomas, looking poised and in control, hits a three-pointer. It’s 29-26 with 6:22 left at a timeout.
— Washington has a 15-7 edge on the boards but has made six turnovers. N’Diaye had six points and five rebounds. He has reappeared.
— Back to back traveling violations for the Huskies. Now 10 turnovers. They look rushed, like they can’t wait to win. They’re losing by seven.
— Good to see entry passes again. Huskies finding MBA inside more times in this half than the entire game against OSU. He has 12 points, three rebounds and no fouls. He also has a bloody nose. It’s not a good time for him to sit down, with 2:55 left and Oregon leading by five.
— Suggs is getting help from his teammates; he’s not helping. He has no points – after 18 Thursday.
— Successive threes, by Ross and C.J. Wilcox, and the lead is down to three, 37-34, with 1:02 left.
— MBA misses underneath, and the tip. He could have closed it to one. Instead, it’s 37-34 at half.
First-half summary:
— Huskies used a zone the entire half. That hasn’t happened this season. It’s helpful. Ducks are shooting 41 percent from the floor and 30 percent from three missing their last six three-point attempts.
— Huskies are trying but still not getting the ball inside enough, putting up 13 trey attempts and going to the line just three times, making one.
— Thomas has put up just three shots, making one. Despite just three points, Thomas is at the threshold of the school’s top 10 list. He now is tied with Doug Smart (1957-59) for 11th place with 1,478 points. No. 10 Deon Luton (1997-2000) at 1,488, 10 points away.
— Bryan-Amaning didn’t have much resistance and got closer to the basket than he’s been the past two games. He’s the key to the second half.
Second-half game thread:
— Holiday opens with a quick three. It’s tied.
— N’Diaye is dizzy as he leaves after getting hit in the temple by a stray elbow.
— Why so many empty seats? The arena is three games old! How do you not fill it, at least the lower bowl, against the school rival? Maybe it’s karma, as the old Mac Court was arguably the greatest college arena in the nation.
— Ross hits a three. UW takes 43-42 lead.
— Ducks push the lead back to four. UW misses. It’s leaking.
— MBA steals. Flips it to himself. Completes the fast break with a dunk.
— Long delay looking at shot clock replays. The wait results in an immediate in-bounds turnover by the Huskies. Poor execution coming out of a timeout.
— Huskies can’t run, just like Thursday. The Ducks have just about taken away the transition game.
— Tyrone Nared hits a 16-footer, puts the Ducks up 55-47 under 12 minutes.
— Holiday counters with a three. Lead down to five. Garrett Sim’s three. Eight up. Romar calls a timeout.
— Media timeout: 58-52 with 9:32 left. MBA at the line shooting two. He misses both.
— UW in man to man, finally. Joevan Catron blocks Thomas with a hard foul. Maybe that’ll wake up the junior guard. He has three points.
— Largest lead of the game, 62-52. Suggs hits his first basket, a three. Couldn’t come at a better time. Timeout. Huskies have to make a move and sustain it. Big hill to climb.
— Ross hits a three. Four down. Back to six with 7:15 left.
— Thomas, on the drive. Inside. Basket. Where has that been?
— Singler follows with a three-point play. It’s 67-60 with 6:27 left.
— Two drives/baskets in a row for Thomas. Without much resistance. What was he waiting for?
–No one with foul trouble on either side.
— Three-point play by MBA. Huskies going inside for three straight possessions. It’s 68-65 at 5:30. He has 21.
— Goal-tend by MBA. Huskies back in zone.
— Holiday three. He has 16.
— Fast break by the Huskies, stolen back. Easy basket, 72-68 with 3:02 left. Killer turnover. The Huskies were poised to tie. Huskies have 15 turnovers, coming off their 24-turnover game.
— Missed Oregon shot; Huskies called for foul. Catron hits both free throws for a 74-70 lead with 2:33 left.
— Under 90 seconds. 76-72. Husky ball. Timeout. Huskies desperately need a successful play out of the timeout. Ross misses a three.
— A rare fast break, finished by a Thomas layin on a Holiday outlet. It’s 76-74 with 32.8 seconds left, 28 on the shot clock. Timeout Oregon.
— Thomas fouls Singler, 81 percenter at the line. He makes both with 25.7 left. Huskies may need to go for the trey.
— Overton lays it in after a six-second sprint down the floor. Two-point game. Timeout. Look for a foul.
— Singler hits two again. Overton misses final lay-in attempt. Oregon wins, Huskies bewildered.
