Arizona State & Pink Zone Set For Saturday
02/12/10 | Women's Basketball
THIS WEEK
Oregon (15-8, 6-5) began its weekend on the right foot with a 92-74 victory over Arizona on Thursday. The Ducks now face a big test facing Arizona State (15-8, 7-5) at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Sun Devils have won 10 straight against the Ducks, and seniors Taylor Lilley and Micaela Cocks have yet to score a win in their careers against ASU.
RADIO BROADCASTS/MEDIA
Over the radio airwaves, Terry Jonz will provide the play-by-play on THE SCORE 95.3 in the Eugene/Springfield area for Saturday's game.
The O-Zone will also offer a live video feed of both games.
O-ZONE: ONLINE VIDEO & AUDIO
Women's basketball fans can now watch all non-televised home games live on the O-Zone at www.GoDucks.com. All home games will offer live video and audio.
TICKETS
Tickets are still available for this weekend's games at Mac Court. Tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE, calling 1-800-WEB-FOOT, or in person at the Casanova Center ticket office. Tickets can also be purchased at the McArthur Court ticket window 90 minutes prior to game time. The doors to Mac Court open 60 minutes prior to tip.
PINK ZONE
For the fourth consecutive season, the Oregon women's basketball team is proud to partner with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association for its Pink Zone initiative.
The Ducks will hold their fourth-annual Pink Zone game on Saturday with the Arizona State Sun Devils in town.
What are we asking Oregon fans to do?
Duck fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game for a Mac Court “Pink Out.” Oregon is partnering with the Willamette Valley Cancer Research Center, which will be on-site to collect donations on gameday.
A raffle will also be held with various signed products (T-Shirts, game balls, etc.) from the Oregon women's basketball team up for grabs. Proceeds from the raffle will also be donated toward the cause.
PIZZA HUT 100-POINT PERSONAL PAN PLAY
The highest-scoring Division I women's basketball team in the nation has a new promotion at Mac Court: The Pizza Hut Personal Pan Play.
Oregon has teamed with Pizza Hut, and each time the Ducks reach 100 points in a game, every fan in attendance at McArthur Court will receive a free personal pan pizza.
Oregon is currently averaging 85.2 points per game to lead all Division I women's basketball teams, and the Ducks have reached 100 points on three occasions this year.
FORMER DUCK GREATS RETURN TO MAC COURT
ARIZONA STATE – Feb. 13, 2010
One of the most prolific players in Oregon history will return to Eugene for the UO-Arizona State game as Stefanie Kasperski will visit Mac Court. A member of the Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame, Kasperski remains one of the most prolific players in Oregon women's basketball history, ranking third all-time in both scoring (1,956 points) and rebounding (996).
MAC COURT MEMORIES
The Oregon Athletics Department wants fans to submit their favorite Mac Court memories online and at all home basketball games. Duck fans can write-in their favorite memory of McArthur Court and/or send pictures in to athletics@uoregon.edu (all submissions become the property of the athletic department and will not be returned).
What else is happening during Saturday's game against Arizona State?
Becky L. Sisley Award Presentation
Former Oregon women's tennis player Sarah Grall will become the 13th former UO women's athlete to receive the Becky L. Sisley Award. Grall arrived at the University of Oregon in 1982 and was a four-year member of the Oregon women's tennis team while studying in the College of Human Development.
Coached by Nancy Osborne, and later Sue Jacobson, Grall was a walk-on with the Ducks but eventually held the #1 spot in singles and doubles. To read more click HERE.
Alumni Weekend
Saturday will also serve as Alumni Weekend for the Oregon women's basketball program. Former members of the UO women's basketball program are invited back to Eugene to enjoy a weekend of activities and one of the final Pac-10 games to be played at Mac Court.
GODUCKS LIVE
For fans who want to hear first-year head coach Paul Westhead's take on last weekend's games and his forecast for the upcoming week, tune into GoDucks Live on www.GoDucks.com or KSCR 1320 AM with Jerry Allen every Monday at 9:15 a.m.
COACHES SHOW
The sixth edition of this year's coaches' show will air at 8 p.m., Monday, Feb. 15, on Comcast SportsNet Northwest. The show will feature interviews with UO men's basketball head coach Ernie Kent and women's basketball head coach Paul Westhead, as well as game highlights and interviews with student-athletes from both teams.
Tipoff Tuesday live from The Cooler
Oregon head coach Paul Westhead will be at the The Cooler each Tuesday night during the Pac-10 season talking with Oregon play-by-play announcer Terry Jonz. The broadcast can be heard on KUGN 590, and will also be simulcast on the O-Zone. Following coach Westhead will be Oregon men's basketball coach Ernie Kent speaking with veteran announcer Jerry Allen.
ARIZONA RECAP
Oregon extended its winning streak to three games with a 92-74 victory over the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday night at Mac Court.
The Ducks improved their record to 15-8 overall and 6-5 in the Pac-10, tying for fifth in the league standings with California.
Arizona fell to 11-11 overall and 5-7 in the Pac-10.
The Ducks had six players in double figures led by sophomore guard Nia Jackson's 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and game-high five steals.
Senior guard Taylor Lilley was one assist shy of a double-double with 15 points and a career-high nine dishes. The Newhall, Calif., native also completed her quest to own a trio of Oregon 3-point records. Already the possessor of the career and single-game 3-point records, Lilley knocked down three baskets from long distance on Thursday night to claim the single-season record.
Lilley, who now has 83 treys this season, broke the record of former Duck Jamie Craighead, who knocked down 81 three-pointers in 2001.
ARIZONA STATE SERIES
Arizona State has a 10-game winning streak on the Ducks dating back to 2005. The Sun Devils (15-8, 7-5) are fourth in the conference standings as they make their final trip to Mac Court.
In this season's earlier meeting on Jan. 14 in Tempe, Oregon fell 73-68 as ASU was led by senior Danielle Orsillo's game-high 17 points. Oregon fourth-year seniors Taylor Lilley and Micaela Cocks have yet to defeat the Sun Devils during their time with the Ducks.
Arizona State Series History
ORE Record: 27-26
ORE at Home: 16-9
ORE on the Road: 10-15
ORE on a Neutral Court: 1-2
Streak: -10
Most ORE Points: 100 (Jan. 24, 1998)
Fewest ORE Points Allowed: 44, 2x, last Jan. 12, 2006
Widest ORE Victory: 39, 2x, last Jan. 24, 1998
Longest ORE Winning Streak: 11 (Feb. 23, 1995-March 2, 2000)
Last ORE Win: Feb. 17, 2005
Last ORE Home Win: Feb. 17, 2005
Last ORE Road Win: March 2, 2000
PRESEASON POLL
Oregon was selected to finish eighth in both the Pac-10 Preseason Coaches' Poll and the Pac-10 Preseason Media Poll.
The results are not a surprise citing UO's finish to the 2008-09 season which included dropping its final six games of the season and losing 10 of the final 11 tilts of the year.
OREGON'S CURRENT STATUS (RANKINGS AS OF 2/8)
• Oregon (15-8, 6-5) is now on a three-game winning streak after picking up wins at USC (Jan. 30), at home vs. Oregon State last Saturday, and against Arizona on Thursday. The Ducks currently are tied for fifth in the Pac-10 standings. A top-six finish for Oregon would be UO's best mark in the Pac-10 since a sixth-place finish in 2006-07. It would also guarantee the Ducks a first-round bye at the Pac-10 Tournament.
• The Ducks are leading the nation in scoring averaging 85.5 points per game. If Oregon were to maintain that average, it would be the highest scoring year in program history. The record is 84.6 points per game set during the 1978-79 season.
• Also, if the Ducks were to end the season as the national scoring leader, it would be the fourth time head coach Paul Westhead has led a collegiate squad that topped the country in scoring. During his tenure at Loyola Marymount, the Lions led the nation in scoring for three consecutive seasons; 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90.
Other top-25 national marks for Oregon include:
Category Rank Number
Three-Point FG Per Game No. 5 8.6
Assist-to-Turnover Ratio No. 23 0.98
Field Goal Percentage No. 25 .447
• Oregon is averaging 85.5 points per game this season – close to a 30-point turnaround from last season's average of 56.6 points per game.
• UO has five players averaging double figures; Taylor Lilley (17.4 ppg), Micaela Cocks (15.0 ppg), Amanda Johnson (13.1 ppg), Nia Jackson (10.8 ppg) and Nicole Canepa (10.4 ppg).
• Taylor Lilley's 3.6 three-pointers per game lead the Pac-10 and rank third in the nation.
RECORDS FALLING
A multitude of records have fallen this year, here is a quick recap:
- On Feb. 11, Taylor Lilley completed the trio of Oregon 3-point records. With 83 3-pointers on the year, she broke the UO-single-season record against Arizona, surpassing Jamie Craighead's record of 81 set in 2001. Lilley now holds the single-season, single-game and career 3-point records at the UO.
- Oregon has also knocked down 196 three-pointers this season, breaking the previous mark of 194 set in 2002.
- On Jan. 30 at USC, Taylor Lilley broke an Oregon single-game record draining nine three-pointers. The previous record of eight three-pointers in a single game was shared by Lilley, who tied it against Washington on New Year's Day, Chelsea Wagner vs. Arizona on Feb. 9, 2006, and Jessica Schutt vs. Hawai'i on Nov. 26, 1993.
- Lilley's nine from long distance also tied for the most three-pointers scored by a player in a Pac-10 game. Stanford's Lindsey Yamasaki is the only other player to accomplish the feat, draining nine vs. Washington on Feb. 24, 2001.
- On Jan. 16 at Arizona, the Ducks and Wildcats obliterated the previous record for the highest scoring game in women's Pac-10 history. With Oregon on the losing end of a 119-112 decision, the 231 combined points bested the previous combo of 221 set by California (115) and USC (106) on March 10, 1989.
- Oregon's 112 points were also the most scored by a losing team in Pac-10 history.
- Nicole Canepa's career-high doubling 38 points scored at Arizona on Jan. 16, were the most an Oregon player has ever scored against a Pac-10 opponent. The mark also ties with Bev Smith and Debbie Adams for the UO single-game record.
- Oregon's 119 points allowed at Arizona (Jan. 16) were the most the Ducks have ever surrendered. The previous record was 107 at Stanford on Feb. 25, 1989.
- Earlier this season, Oregon set a new single-game record for single-game three-point attempts with 31 in an 102-70 win over Long Beach State on Dec. 6.
- Taylor Lilley's 229 career three-pointers have set a new program record. Her total also ranks fifth in the Pac-10 all-time standings. Lilley broke the record on Jan. 1, in an 82-71 win over Washington, knocking down what was then a career-high eight treys and tying a single-game and Mac Court record. Missy Croshaw held the previous career record of 189 for 16 years. Lilley's 592 career three-point attempts are also a new UO record, passing Brandi Davis' mark of 535.
JOHNSON NAMED TO ACADEMIC DISTRICT VIII FIRST TEAM
Oregon sophomore forward Amanda Johnson was named to the 2010 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VIII First Team as it was announced last Thursday by the Academic All-America® Committee.
Johnson, who has a 4.0 gpa and is double majoring in Psychology and Sociology, will now be eligible for Academic All-America consideration.
TRIO COMPLETED
Senior guard Taylor Lilley completed her trio of Oregon 3-point records on Thursday night in the Ducks' 92-74 win over Arizona.
Needing just two 3-pointers to break the record, Lilley hit three, and with 83 treys on the year, she now holds the UO single-season record, surpassing Jamie Craighead's mark of 81 set in 2001.
Lilley also holds the Oregon single-game and all-time 3-point records. On Jan. 30 at USC, Lilley helped UO to its first win at the Galen Center since its opening in 2007. It was also the Ducks first win over the Trojans in Los Angeles since Feb. 27, 2003. Lilley scored a career-high 36 points, which ties for fourth all-time in Oregon single-game history. She also broke the Oregon single-game 3-point record, and set a new career high knocking down nine three-pointers. The mark also ties for the most 3-pointers in a Pac-10 game, a record Lilley shares with Stanford's Lindsey Yamasaki, who drained nine 3-pointers vs. Washington on Feb. 24, 2001.
Lilley's 229 career 3-pointers have already set a new all-time record at the UO, while that number also ranks fifth all-time in the Pac-10.
Averaging 3.6 three-pointers per game, Lilley also has her sights Pac-10 single season record. With 83 3-pointers on the season, she is just 10 shy of breaking Lisa Griffith's (Arizona) Pac-10 record of 92 buckets from long distance in 1997.
Currently, Lilley's 1,214 career points rank fifth among active Pac-10 players and 12th all-time in UO history.
Lilley leads the Ducks averaging 17.4 points per game, but has increased her average in Pac-10 games, scoring 20.1 ppg, trailing only Alexis Gray-Lawson of Cal (21.5 ppg).
ALL IN THE BACKCOURT
Lilley isn't the only senior guard on the brink of breaking records. Micaela Cocks hit a significant milestone in her 14-point effort at UCLA on Jan. 28, eclipsing the 1,000-point total for her career. Cocks is now the 22nd player in UO women's basketball history to reach 1,000 points, and currently her 1,056 career points rank 20th in that group.
Cocks is averaging a career-high 15.0 points per game, and her 152 career three-pointers rank fifth all-time for Oregon and fifth among active players in the Pac-10.
The New Zealand native also needs to play in just two more career games to break into the UO all-time top-10.
ACTION JACKSON
Oregon sophomore Nia Jackson pieced together arguably the greatest performance of her career vs. No. 2 Stanford on Jan. 23. The Seattle native scored a career-high 26 points and led the Ducks with four assists, while also making 15 trips to the free-throw line and frustrating the Cardinal defense into three 3-point play opportunities.
With defenses focusing on Cocks and Lilley, head coach Paul Westhead is urging Jackson to get to the basket. In Pac-10 games, Jackson has increased her production across the board averaging 13.1 points, 3.3 assists, and a league-leading 2.8 steals per game. She has reached double figures in eight of her last 10 games, including scoring a team-leading 18 points and picking a game-high five steals in UO's 92-74 victory over Arizona on Thursday.
TEAM LEADER
While just a sophomore, forward Amanda Johnson already has nine career double-doubles - eight from this season - to her credit. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native is averaging 13.1 points and a team-leading 9.2 rebounds per game. Johnson's last double-double came against Arizona on Thursday as the 6-foot-2 forward scored 13 points and added a game-high 14 rebounds.
MISSING LINK
Junior forward Victoria Kenyon has been praised by head coach Paul Westhead for her defensive efforts on Oregon's full-court press. That success has led to added confidence on the offensive end. Kenyon has set career highs in points, rebounds, steals and three-pointers made this year. Kenyon scored 13 points in Oregon's win over Arizona on Thursday, and knocked down three first-half 3-pointers.
THE BENCH
While not a part of the starting lineup, sophomore Jasmin Holliday and junior Nicole Canepa are the first two players head coach Paul Westhead looks to off the bench.
Canepa is averaging career highs with 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. The San Francisco native has reached double-figures in 12 games this season.
Holliday is averaging 6.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and one was one board short of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds in Thursday's win over Arizona.
WORLD VISION INVITATIONAL
The Oregon women's basketball program would like to thank all fans that donated to “Operation Safety Net” during the World Vision Invitational.
World Vision raised $1,083 during the tournament enough to provide a net of protection for 180 children and one adult. One net covers two people.
