University of Washington
Oregon State
Beavers Go Zone To Sink Huskies, 51-46
February 05, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2011
Postgame Press Conference: Jackson, Kingma & Morton
SEATTLE - Just when the post-game press conference Sunday afternoon was about to wrap up, Tia Jackson augmented the team's message with an addendum.
This does not define us.
Yes, the 51-46 loss to Oregon State stings. But the Dawgs know enough not to let one miscue in the Pac-10 Conference snowball into something worse. The Huskies will regroup and refocus themselves in preparation for a tough road trip to the Bay Area Schools.
Oregon State is known for its suffocating 2-3 zone, and the defense passed muster at Alaska Airlines Arena. The Beavers extended on Kristi Kingma and took away options in the low post. When Washington struggled to knock down 17-footers, Jackson knew scoring would come at a premium.
Despite the offensive malaise, the Huskies (9-11, 4-7) had a chance to steal a win - and a weekend sweep of the Oregon schools - late. But turnovers and dagger 3-pointers from Beavers' guard Sage Indendi sealed the Huskies fate.
The win was the Beavers' first in conference this season. And the consensus around the league is that OSU is much better than its 8-14, 1-10 record belies. Jackson made sure to credit Beavers' coach Scott Rueck after the game for preparing his team to play.
Compliments aside, Jackson declared her team would rebound.
"Going forward, I know it's not something we're going to let happen again," the fourth-year coach said.
Afterwards, a sullen group of Huskies' captains also took responsibility for the loss. Even with shots not falling, Kingma and Sarah Morton want to ensure attention to detail with other aspects of the game.
"There is no one to blame but ourselves," Kingma said. "As captains, we have to make sure that we are prepared for every game. We may not be hitting our shots, but we have to make sure we give it to the right people and rebound."
Indendi led the Beavers with 17 points. The sophomore drained 5-of-7 shots from beyond the arc, killing one Huskies' rally after another with each make.
The Huskies were staked offensively by Regina Rogers, who wrapped up a monster weekend with 17 points and 12 rebounds off the bench against the Beavers. Overall, Rogers combined for 35 points and 22 boards against the Oregon schools, signaling her arrival as one of the top posts in the Pac-10.
But the Huskies needed more scoring from Rogers' teammates. The Beavers made life impossible for Kingma, who was held to just eight points as she faced constant double-teams and switches. Take away Rogers, and the Huskies shot 9-of-34 from the field.
"If you're not hitting outside shots, it's going to be a long night for you," Jackson said. "We couldn't hit our 17, 19-footers and that can make it a tough. That's what the zone is designed to do."
The Huskies return to action this Thursday night when they take on Cal at Haas Pavilion.
