Dec. 16, 2009
Getting Defensive:
Through their first nine games, coach Paul Westhead’s run-and-gun Oregon Ducks averaged 89.6 points per game. The nation’s second-rated offense looked like anything but against Georgia Tech’s full-court, 40-minute pressure.
The Jackets, who were allowing just 51.5 points per game, held Oregon to 69 points, its second-lowest point total of the season. Only in a 59-57 loss to Wisconsin, the Ducks’ first defeat of the year, had Oregon scored fewer than 86 points in a game. Tech was particularly defensive in the first half, against a team that had averaged 49 points in the first half of the previous four games and 44.4 through Oregon’s first nine games. Trailing 47-39 at halftime, the Ducks only had 55 points with just over 7 minutes left Wednesday. This, from a team that scored 117 points against Cal State Fullerton and 102 against Long Beach State.
Oregon, which was averaging 9.4 3-pointers a game, managed just 6 on 27 attempts (22.2 per cent).
Welcome Back, Alex:
In her first appearance in Alexander since ACL surgery last March, Alex Montgomery looked right at home. The junior, who sat out the previous three home games, hit her first shot Wednesday, a 3-pointer from the left wing. She didn’t stop until finishing with 16 points in just 19 minutes.
Wearing a knee brace, Montgomery was 6-for-13 from the floor, hitting 3 of her first 4 3-point attempts. She tired in the second half, missing her last four 3-pointers. No matter: Tech’s leading scorer last season had 2 assists and 4 rebounds (helping the Jackets to a 53-34 advantage on the boards). Most important, she looked, and felt, fine.
By the numbers:
Deja Foster recorded her second career double-double, scoring a team-high 21 points and tying her career best with 11 rebounds.
Brigitte Ardossi’s basketball diary? Perfect this night. The senior from Melbourne, Australia hit all nine of her shots, had 9 rebounds and finished with a career-high 19 points.
Sophomore guard Metra Walthour tied her career best with 9 points.
