Different Faces Step Up As Ducks Beat UW

#13 Oregon 69, Washington 52 | Postgame Notes: Washington | Updated Season Stats | Updated Conference Stats | Boxscore

EUGENE, Ore. — Lydia Giomi had a double-double and freshman Angela Dugalic nearly recorded one as well in her first career start, as the No. 13 Oregon women's basketball team overcame the absence of three players to beat Washington on Sunday, 69-52 in Matthew Knight Arena.

Giomi came off the bench to score 11 points and grab 10 rebounds for the Ducks, and Dugalic added 12 points with eight rebounds. Playing without starters Erin Boley and Nyara Sabally, plus reserve post Kylee Watson, Oregon battled through 18 turnovers but also had 21 assists on 27 field goals.

"We had some stretches where we played some really ugly basketball, and that's unfortunate," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "But I'm really proud of our effort. Down two starters, and three rotation players, that's not easy."

How It Happened: Te-Hina Paopao opened the matinee for the Ducks with a three-pointer, and Sedona Prince continued her resurgence with a hook shot. Prince hit a couple of jumpers from the elbow later in the period, Giomi took a pass from Taylor Mikesell and scored on the break, and Sydney Parrish added a three-pointer as Oregon jumped out to a 17-10 lead.

Giomi scored in transition again to open the second, and Prince hit two more jump shots, one from the elbow and one from the free-throw line. Washington ended a stretch of 4:36 without a field goal to get within 26-15, and eventually pulled within 26-20 thanks to a 26-20 run. But Dugalic rebounded a miss and put it back in to end the run, and she had another putback later in the second to help Oregon enter halftime up 32-23.

Dugalic said Graves told her Saturday she would start against UW, and told her not to be nervous. "I just played it off, like, 'OK' " she said. "Definitely last night, it was very hard to sleep."

Yet another putback by Dugalic early in the third put Oregon up 36-23, and after some back-and-forth, Paopao hit a three-pointer for Oregon's biggest lead to that point, 48-30. Two free throws from Maddie Scherr pushed the lead to 20, at 52-32. The Ducks led 52-37 through three.

The lead eventually got as high as 22, on a putback by Giomi for a 63-41 lead. She also grabbed her 10th rebound in the fourth, to complete a double-double.

"We needed her tonight, and she played really well," Graves said. "What she does is, she runs the floor every time. She got a couple looks in transition, which was great. And she's a good defender, and quite frankly our best screener. I'm really happy for her."

Who Stood Out: Prince led the Ducks with 16 points, looking all the way back from the injury issues that plagued her earlier this month. She added seven rebounds and five blocked shots, in a team-high 32 minutes. Paopao had 10 points, six assists and four rebounds, with three steals and two blocks. Parrish scored 12 points and had two steals, giving the Ducks five scorers in double figures including Giomi and Dugalic.

What It Means: The Ducks continue to play stellar defense, limiting Washington to 30.2 percent shooting. Oregon's offense still isn't totally clicking, but the Ducks hit seven three-pointers — two more than in the previous two games combined — and the inside presence of Prince, Dugalic and Giomi was too much for the Huskies.

"Offensively it's still just kind of a struggle," Graves said. "For whatever reason, we just don't have a flow. But we're going to make a lot of those shots we missed. And defensively, we've been doing a good job. That's been a real plus."

Notable: Sabally did not play after injuring an ankle Friday, and Boley sat out Sunday due to back discomfort. … Paopao is now the only player to have started every game this season for the Ducks. …  Giomi's double-double was her second of the season. … Watson remains sidelined while in concussion protocol, although Graves expressed optimism she could play next week.

Up Next: The Ducks play at Utah on Friday (2 p.m., Pac-12 Network).