Huskies drop stunner at home

SEATTLE – So many things to which the University of Washington men’s basketball team held dear came crashing down on Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies’ 18-game winning streak at Hec Edmondson Pavilion fell by way of a 90-79 loss to Oregon, as did UW’s supremacy in the Pac-10.

A spirited Ducks team that was coming off a double-overtime win over Washington State used a 15-2 spurt late in the first half to pull ahead and answered nearly every UW basket the rest of the way while maintaining the lead for the game’s final 25 minutes.

After going almost an entire year without losing at home, the Huskies were in a state of shock after stepping into the role of Wile E. Coyote – both in the second half of Saturday’s game and in the Pac-10 standings.

“I thought we would come out more prepared. I really don’t know how to explain it,” UW senior Quincy Pondexter said after the 17th-ranked Huskies’ first home loss since Jan. 10, 2009. “There’s no way a Husky team should play like this on our home court with so much at stake.”

Oregon (10-4, 2-0 Pac-10) turned the ball over just eight times, including only two during the pivotal first 15 minutes of the second half.

In a game that featured only 17 total turnovers between the two teams, the key spurt came after a rare run of sloppiness by the UW offense.

The Huskies (10-2, 1-1) opened the game with 13 minutes of error-free ball while pulling out to a 31-23 lead. But after Pondexter threw an errant pass into the lane with 6:50 remaining in the half, UW caught the turnover bug.

The Huskies turned the ball over six times in just less than 41/2 minutes to help Oregon go on a 15-2 run. The Ducks took their first lead of the game, at 32-31, and scored three consecutive baskets off UW turnovers to go ahead 38-33. That span of 4:27 accounted for six of the Huskies’ nine turnovers for the game.

“We were playing pretty good, then we turned the ball over, and they got back into it with a lot of confidence,” UW coach Lorenzo Romar said.

Oregon held onto the lead throughout the second half, thanks in large part to the Ducks’ ability to cut off any thoughts of a UW run. During one span from early in the game until late in the second half, UW went 331/2 minutes without scoring back-to-back, unanswered field goals. The Huskies’ longest run of the second half was 5-0, and that came in the final four minutes, after Oregon had pulled out to a comfortable 14-point lead. UW’s only other second-half run of more than three points came when the Huskies scored the final two baskets of the game.

Oregon opened the second half with an 8-1 run and maintained a lead of at least five points the rest of the way. When Teondre Williams’ 3-point shot hit the rim and bounced in for a 76-61 Oregon lead with 6:35 remaining, the Huskies’ fate was all but sealed.

Oregon shot 57 percent from the field in the second half. The Ducks’ Michael Dunigan scored 16 of his 20 points after halftime.

Oregon 90, (17) Washington 79

Oregon (10-4, 2-0)—Wilson 3-6 2-2 8, Singler 2-3 0-0 4, Dunigan 7-10 6-7 20, Armstead 9-17 2-2 21, Porter 5-16 2-4 16, Sim 0-1 0-0 0, Jacob 2-4 0-0 4, Longmire 2-2 1-2 5, Williams 3-5 0-0 8, Crittle 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 35-66 13-17 90.

Washington (10-3, 1-1)—Bryan-Amaning 0-3 1-2 1, Gant 2-3 1-2 5, Thomas 6-17 11-12 25, Gaddy 2-5 1-4 5, Pondexter 6-12 4-7 16, Overton 5-7 3-4 14, Trent 0-1 0-0 0, Suggs 2-4 0-0 6, Holiday 1-3 0-0 2, Turner 0-0 0-0 0, Breshers 2-3 1-4 5. Totals 26-58 22-35 79.

Halftime—Oregon 42-41. 3-Point Goals—Oregon 7-17 (Porter 4-8, Williams 2-2, Armstead 1-3, Sim 0-1, Singler 0-1, Wilson 0-2), UW 5-18 (Suggs 2-4, Thomas 2-8, Overton 1-2, Holiday 0-1, Pondexter 0-1, Gaddy 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Oregon 35 (Dunigan 14), UW 31 (Pondexter 6). Assists—Oregon 13 (Armstead 6), UW 8 (Gaddy 4). Total Fouls—Oregon 23, UW 17. A—10,000.