Huskies play well, but not well enough
Washington women eliminated in first round
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Washington was looking for one more shot to fall, one more rebound to fall its way.
Neither happened and the sixth-seeded Huskies are headed home after an 86-80 first-round loss to No. 11 Miami on Friday, a tough ending to their first NCAA women’s basketball tournament appearance in eight years.
Five players scoring in double figures couldn’t overcome Adrienne Motley’s 30 points and Miami’s quickness.
“Their players did exactly what their players have been doing all year long,” Washington coach Mike Neighbors said. “They really played a good game. We were just standing back there in the media room thinking that was one of the better games we played. They got us at our best and they beat us.”
It just wasn’t quite the shooting game the Huskies (23-10) needed. Their best two players, sophomore Kelsey Plum and senior Jazmine Davis, shot a combined 10 for 30, Plum finishing with 17 points and Davis with 16, plus eight assists.
Plum suffered through a 1-for-7 opening half, and while she hit some big shots in the second half, Miami always seemed to have an answer.
“Our coach always says you never know what play is going to be the determining factor,” said Washington’s Talia Walton, who scored 17 points. “A lot of those shots in the first half were misses that we normally make, the whole team.
“We fought really hard, but it would have been nice at the end to have a couple of those shots go down.”
Part of Miami’s answer was the defense of Michelle Woods, who kept the pressure on Plum throughout the game. Plum, who came in averaging 22.8 points, went 5 for 14 from the field, including 3 for 7 from 3-point range.
Jessica Thomas had 19 points and Woods added 17 for the Hurricanes (20-12), who pulled off the upset in part by shooting 7 of 12 from 3-point range.
Motley hit a jumper in the lane to give Miami a 73-71 lead, and four free throws put the Hurricanes up six with a minute left.
Davis, Washington’s career scoring leader, finished with 2,277 points.
“I’m really proud of how we played, and I’m just glad that I had the opportunity to play with such great women on this team,” Davis said. “It made me a better person on and off the court.”