Oregon Hosts USC & UCLA In Final Pac-10 Games At Mac Court
02/24/10 | Women's Basketball
THIS WEEK
Oregon (16-10, 7-7) currently sits sixth Pac-10 Conference standings trailing Arizona State (16-9, 8-6) and USC (14-11, 8-6) who are tied for fourth. The Ducks had a four-game winning streak going into last week, but were tripped up with losses at No. 2 Stanford, 104-60, and California, 79-73.
The 2009-10 Ducks will have the responsibility of playing the final Pac-10 games ever at Mac Court this weekend, as Matthew Knight Arena is scheduled to open for the start of the 2010-11 conference season.
Oregon's first opponent will be the Trojans at 7 p.m., Thursday night, while the conference's second place team, UCLA (18-7, 11-3), will close it down at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The game against the Bruins will also mark senior day for Micaela Cocks, Taylor Lilley and Lindsey Saffold.
TELEVISION
Saturday's game was selected by Fox Sports Net for a wildcard broadcast. Mary Murphy and Jim Watson are expected to be on the call.
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 both of this week's games.
The O-Zone will also offer a live video and audio feed on Thursday, and just an audio feed on Saturday.
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 the final slate of Pac-10 women's basketball games to ever be played at Mac Court. The Ducks will host USC at 7 p.m., Thursday, before hosting UCLA at 2 p.m., Saturday.
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.
PIZZA HUT 100-POINT PERSONAL PAN PLAY
The second 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 85.3 points per game to lead all Division I women's basketball teams, and the Ducks have reached 100 points on three occasions this year.
MORE PROMOTIONS
When the Ducks host USC on Thursday, it will be Dads & Daughters Day at Mac Court. Fans can purchase an adult general admission ticket and receive a child's general admission ticket for free.
FORMER DUCK GREATS RETURN TO MAC COURT
USC – Feb. 25, 2010
One of only two players to receive the Pac-10 Player of the Year Award, Shaquala Williams, will return to McArthur Court to serve as the honorary captain for the Oregon-USC game. Williams played for Oregon from 1999-2003, and was both a two-time Kodak and Associated Press All-American. She was also Oregon's only Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in the history of the program after averaging 10.2 points per game and leading Oregon to its first ever Pac-10 championship in 1999. As a sophomore in 2000, Williams was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year after averaging 17.7 points and 4.3 assists per game, and leading the Ducks to a second straight Pac-10 championship.
UCLA – Feb. 27, 2010
A two-time Kodak All-American and three-time Northwest Basketball League Player of the Year, a former player and head coach, Bev Smith will be the honorary captain for the Oregon-UCLA game – the final Pac-10 women's basketball game to be played at Mac Court. Smith was a pioneer for women's athletics at the UO, playing from 1979-82. During her career, the Ducks made three postseason appearances and accumulated an astonishing record of 93-19. Smith remains the program's all-time leader in rebounds, steals and double-doubles and is second all-time in scoring.
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).
USC SERIES
USC enters the week tied for fourth in the Pac-10 rankings with Arizona State. The Trojans split last week's home games with the Washington schools, falling 64-52 to Washington State before ending what was a five-game losing streak with a 56-51 victory over Washington. The Trojans had lost five straight beginning with the Ducks 85-77 win on Jan. 30, 2010.
Ashley Corral continues to lead USC averaging 15.1 points per game, while Jacki Gemelos, a high school All-American who has missed three straight seasons with knee injuries, is averaging 10.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
USC Series History
ORE Record 17-35
ORE at Home 11-14
ORE on the Road 6-21
ORE on a Neutral Court 0-1
Streak +1
Most ORE Points: 85 (Jan. 30, 2010)
Fewest ORE Points Allowed 46 (Jan. 26, 2008)
Widest ORE Victory 24, 77-53 (Jan. 8, 1999)
Longest ORE Win Streak 5 (Feb. 27, 1997-Feb. 6, 1999)
Last ORE Win 85-77 (Jan. 30, 2010)
Last ORE Home Win 73-63 (Feb. 3, 2007)
Last ORE Road Win: 85-77 (Jan. 30, 2010
UCLA SERIES
UCLA (18-7, 11-3) looks to have NCAA Tournament hopes currently trying to clinch second place in the Pac-10 standings. California at 10-5 in the Pac-10 rests third in the table.
The Bruins are outscoring opponents by an average of 11.8 points per game, and are led by Jasmine Dixon's 14.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Earlier this season, the Bruins got the better of the Ducks, 104-80, at Pauley Pavilion led by Markel Walker's 17-point, 14-rebound, 8-assist performance on Jan. 28.
UCLA Series History
ORE Record 24-27
ORE at Home 16-8
ORE on the Road 8-18
ORE on a Neutral Court 0-1
Streak -2
Most ORE Points 106 (Feb. 4, 1999)
Fewest ORE Points Allowed 43 (Jan. 27, 2001)
Widest ORE Victory 27, 2x, last 106-79 (Feb. 4, 1999)
Longest ORE Win Streak 6 (Feb. 13, 1993-Feb. 1, 1996)
Last ORE Win 73-56 (Jan. 4, 2009)
Last ORE Home Win 66-55 (Feb. 23, 2008)
Last ORE Road Win 73-56 (Jan. 4, 2009)
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 2/22)
• Oregon (16-10, 7-7) had its four-game winning streak snapped after suffering a 44-point loss, 104-60, at No. 2 Stanford last Thursday night. The margin of defeat was the largest for the Ducks this season. The Ducks also fell 79-73 at California on Saturday night.
Oregon is currently in sixth place in the Pac-10 standings while trailing USC and Arizona State. A top-six finish for the Ducks 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 the second-highest scoring team in the nation averaging 83.9 points per game. Oral Roberts leads the country averaging 85.9 points per game. If Oregon were to continue its high scoring ways, the Ducks could possibly eclipse 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. 7 8.4
Three-Point FG Percentage No. 25 .368
• Oregon is averaging 83.9 points per game this season – close to a 30-point turnaround from last season's average of 56.6 points per game.
• UO has four players averaging double figures; Taylor Lilley (17.5), Micaela Cocks (15.1 ppg), Amanda Johnson (12.8 ppg) and Nia Jackson (10.7 ppg).
• Taylor Lilley's 3.6 three-pointers per game lead the Pac-10 and rank fourth in the nation, and her .427 field goal percentage ranks 24th .
• Micaela Cocks' 87.1 free-throw percentage ranks 20th in the nation.
RECORDS FALLING
A multitude of records have fallen this year, here is a quick recap:
- Last Saturday at Cal, Taylor Lilley knocked down four 3-pointers to reach 93 on the season, setting a new Pac-10 single-season record and surpassing the old record of 92 which Arizona's Lisa Griffith had held since 1997.
- On Feb. 11, Taylor Lilley completed the trio of Oregon 3-point records by breaking the single-season record against Arizona, surpassing Jamie Craighead's record of 81 set in 2001. Lilley now holds the single-game (9), single-season (93) and career 3-point records at the UO (239).
- 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.
- Taylor Lilley's 239 career 3-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 614 career three-point attempts are also a new UO record, passing Brandi Davis' mark of 535.
- Oregon has also knocked down 218 three-pointers this season, breaking the previous mark of 194 set in 2002.
- 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.
JOHNSON NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN
Oregon sophomore forward Amanda Johnson was named to the 2009-10 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division second team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), it was announced on Feb. 23.
Johnson, who has a 4.0 gpa and is a double major in Psychology and Sociology, is scheduled to graduate following the 2010 spring semester, and is currently in the process of applying for graduate programs. She is on track to finish with a Master's Degree at the end of her four years at the UO.
Johnson was originally named to the 2010 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District VIII First Team on Feb. 4, ensuring her placement on the ballot for All-American consideration.
TRIO COMPLETED
Senior guard Taylor Lilley completed her trio of Oregon 3-point records on Feb. 11 in the Ducks' 92-74 win over Arizona.
She now holds the UO single-season record, surpassing Jamie Craighead's mark of 81 set in 2001. Most recently Lilley broke the Pac-10 single-season three-point record by reaching No. 93 at California last Saturday. Arizona's Lisa Griffith held the previous record of 92 since 1997.
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 239 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.
Currently, Lilley's 1,269 career points rank fifth among active Pac-10 players and 11th all-time in UO history.
Lilley leads the Ducks averaging 17.5 points per game, but has increased her average in Pac-10 games, scoring 19.7 ppg, trailing only Alexis Gray-Lawson of Cal (21.7 ppg).
ALL IN THE BACKCOURT
Lilley isn't the only senior guard on the brink of breaking records. Micaela Cocks hit a significant milestone playing in 116th career game for Oregon last Thursday night at Stanford - cracking the all-time top 10. With 117 career games played, she is now tied for ninth all-time, and if she appears in UO's four remaining regular season games, would move up to fourth on the top-10 list.
Cocks also has eclipsed the 1,000-career point total in her career after a 14-point effort at UCLA on Jan. 28. Cocks is now the 22nd player in UO women's basketball history to reach 1,000 points, and currently her 1,104 career points total is18th all-time.
Cocks is averaging a career-high 15.1 points per game, and her 157 career 3-pointers rank fifth all-time for Oregon and fifth among active players in the Pac-10.
ACTION JACKSON
Oregon sophomore Nia Jackson pieced together arguably the greatest performance of her career vs. No. 2 Stanford on Jan. 23 in Eugene. 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 12.4 points, 3.1 assists, and a 2.6 steals per game. She has reached double figures in nine of her last 13 games, including scoring a team-leading 18 points and picking a game-high five steals in UO's 92-74 victory over Arizona on Feb. 11.
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 12.8 points and a team-leading 8.7 rebounds per game. Johnson's last double-double came against Arizona on Feb. 11 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 3-pointers made this year. Kenyon scored 13 points in Oregon's win over Arizona on Feb. 13, 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 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. The San Francisco native has reached double-figures in 12 games this season.
Holliday is averaging 6.3 points and 6.0 5.9 rebounds per game, and one was one board short of a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds in UO's 92-74 win over Arizona on Feb. 11.
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.
