AUBURN, Ala.— In a battle of unbeatens, Auburn led by 14 early in the second half but Oregon took control down the stretch to win 58-53 Sunday at Neville Arena, handing the Tigers their first loss.
“This game today is going to make us a lot better as a basketball team,” Auburn coach Larry Vickers said. “It’s frustrating in front of that great crowd to play the second half that we did. We did a lot of crying, we didn’t play hard, we just weren’t focused, and it starts with me and my staff. We’ll be back and we’ll be a lot better.”
Tied 40-40 after three quarters, Auburn scored the first four points of the fourth quarter on A’riel Jackson’s layup and Khady Leye’s up-and-under bucket in the lane.
Oregon (9-0) unleashed a 10-0 run over the next two and half minutes, getting six points from Katie Fiso and two from Ehis Etute. The Ducks’ pair combined for 40 of Oregon’s 58 points, with Etute logging a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, and Fiso scoring a game-high 24.
Jackson ended the run with a late-clock layup, but after getting a stop, Auburn failed to convert on two opportunities to make it a one-possession game before Fiso’s second 3-pointer gave Oregon a 53-46 lead.
Leye went to her left hand for a tough shot in the lane to get Auburn within three with 2:08 remaining but Fiso answered with a jumper late in the clock.
Mya Petticord, who led Auburn with 13 points, hit three free throws with 14 seconds left to again pull the Tigers within three points but Fiso secured Oregon’s win with a pair of free throws a second later.
Jackson led Auburn with six rebounds and Ja’Mia Harris had four of the Tigers’ six assists.
Trailing 13-12 after a back-and-forth first quarter, Auburn built a double-digit lead in the second quarter behind Angena Belloso, who doubled her previous season high with a 10-point outburst in eight minutes.
The senior from Spain scored 10 consecutive Auburn points on three layups, a free throw and a 3-pointer, turning a three-point deficit into a five-point lead.
“You could see her spark,” Vickers said. “When we get stops, she’s probably our best pusher in transition, our best point guard, finding people. We got stops in the second quarter, so you got to see how great she really is.”
Kaitlyn Duhon hit Auburn’s second 3-pointer, and Harris beat the shot clock with a drive to put the Tigers ahead by eight.
Belloso showcased her defensive skills, making a steal and assisting Clara Koulibaly for a layup that put Auburn on top by 12 points before the Ducks trimmed the deficit to nine at the half.
Auburn scored the first five points of the third quarter on Mya Petticord’s zone-beating 3-pointer and Duhon’s layup to take a 14-point lead.
Oregon went on an 8-0 run, sparked by back-to-back steals that led to layups. The Ducks forced five turnovers in the quarter, leading to 10 points, then closed the quarter on another 8-0 run to even the score heading to the decisive fourth quarter.
“That Oregon team does a good job forcing turnovers,” Vickers said. “Their press is similar to ours. We’ve got to understand that there are going to be scoring droughts and understand that as long as we keep playing defense, that lead isn’t going anywhere.”
Auburn (8-10) hits the road to upstate New York to take on the Syracuse Orange in the ACC/SEC Challenge Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT in the JMA Wireless Dome on ACC Network and the Auburn Sports Network.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer