Ducks And Bears Battle For Trip To Quarters Thursday

THIS WEEK
    The Oregon (18-15) women's basketball team is set to host California (20-13) in the third round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament at 7 p.m., Thursday. Mac Court will again be the host for the WNIT clash, as the Ducks defeated New Mexico, 93-67, in second round play on Tuesday. Oregon opened the tournament with a 95-66 win over Eastern Washington in the first round on March 18.

RADIO BROADCASTS/MEDIA
    Over the radio airwaves, Terry Jonz will provide the play-by-play on KUGN 590 in the Eugene/Springfield area.
    The O-Zone will broadcast the game at www.GoDucks.com and have a pay-per-view event fee of $9.95, but any/all current O-Zone subscribers will get Thursday's game as part of the package that they've already paid purchased.
    The audio stream (radio broadcast) will be free to all Duck fans on the O-Zone at www.GoDucks.com.

TICKETS
     Tickets are still available for Thursday's WNIT third round game with California.
       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 Oregon women's basketball program 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 81.8 points per game ,and the Ducks have reached 100 points on three occasions this year.

UPDATE ON OREGON
    Oregon is moving on to the third round of the WNIT after a 93-67 victory over New Mexico in second round action on Tuesday. The Ducks are now 18-15 on the season - the most wins for the program since 2004-05 (21-10).
    Oregon's trip to the third round of the WNIT is its third in program history. In 2007, the Ducks fell 64-62 to Wyoming in Laramie, falling short of the quarterfinals. In 2002, UO moved all the way to the championship game defeating Houston, 54-52, at Mac Court.
    Oregon's 26-point margin of victory against the Lobos on Tuesday was its third largest in postseason history, as the Ducks defeated Toledo, 93-63, in the semifinals of the NWIT in 1989, and UO outgunned Eastern Washington, 95-66, in the first round of this year's tourney on March 18.

UPDATE ON CALIFORNIA
    California (20-13) received the Pac-10's automatic berth into the WNIT after USC declined the offer. The Golden Bears will be on the road for the first time in this tournament after defeating Saint Mary's in overtime, 74-69, at Haas Pavilion on March 17 in first-round action before a 64-54 win over Utah on Tuesday.

CALIFORNIA-OREGON SERIES HISTORY
California Series History
ORE Record: 35-23
ORE at Home: 22-6
ORE on the Road: 13-14
ORE on a Neutral Court: 0-3
Streak: -8
Most ORE Points: 97 (Feb. 10, 1984)
Fewest ORE Points Allowed: 36 (March 3, 1994)
Widest ORE Victory: 39 (75-36, March 3, 1994)
Longest ORE Winning Streak: 15 (Feb. 2, 1994-Jan. 11, 2001)
Last ORE Win: 62-42 (Feb. 15, 2007)
Last ORE Home Win: 62-42 (Feb. 15, 2007)
Last ORE Road Win: 58-51 (Feb. 26, 2005)

CAL VS. OREGON IN 2009-10
    Oregon holds a 22-16 advantage over California at Mac Court, but that hasn't been the case recently. The Ducks last win over Cal at The Pit came on Feb. 15, 2007 by the score of 62-42. As freshmen, Taylor Lilley and Micaela Cocks came off the bench to score 10 and nine points, respectively. As freshmen, Lauren Greif and Natasha Vital also played in that game for the Bears.
    Oregon has now lost eight straight games to Cal with the win on Feb. 15, 2007 being the last.
    This season, Cal took both Pac-10 games defeating Oregon 72-62, on Jan. 21 in Eugene, and holding on for a 79-73 victory on Feb. 20 in Berkeley. Lilley led UO averaging 20.0 points per game against the Bears, while Cal veteran guard Alexis Gray-Lawson averaged 19.0 points per game in the season series. The Ducks were out rebounded 104-59 (45-16 offensive) in the series.

LILLEY'S RECORD NIGHT
    A record night for senior guard Taylor Lilley led the Ducks to 93-67 victory over New Mexico in the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament on Tuesday night.
    Lilley tied the Oregon program record for points in single game with 38 on Tuesday night in front of 2,317. The Newhall, Calif., native led all scorers, and hit the 30-point plateau for the third time in her career. She shot 12-of-25 from the floor, and knocked down seven 3-pointers, bringing her season total to 122 - which leads the nation. That total also ties for third all-time in NCAA single-season history.
    Lilley's 38 points matched only Debbie Adams' 38-point performance vs. Seattle on March 8, 1980 for the most scored by an Oregon player at Mac Court.
    Lilley's 593 points this season rank fifth in Oregon single-season history, and her 1,407 career points rank eighth all-time at the UO.

MORE RECORDS TO TRACK
    Taylor Lilley isn't the only Oregon player with records to track. When senior guard Micaela Cocks gets the start against California on Thursday, it will the 125th game she has played in during her Oregon career, surpassing Jenny Mowe (124) for the all-time record.
    Sophomore forward Amanda Johnson now has 11 double-doubles on the season, and her 285 rebounds rank 10th in UO single-season history. Sophomore guard Nia Jackson's 81 steals rank seventh in Oregon single-season history.

ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME
       Oregon has 18 wins during the 2009-10 season, and 14 of those victories have come at the friendly confines of Mac Court. The Ducks' 14 home wins, tie a program record set three times before; 1986-87, 1998-99, 2001-02.

ALL-PAC-10 CONFERENCE HONORS
       Oregon fourth-year seniors Micaela Cocks and Taylor Lilley were named to the Pacific-10 All-Conference team, it was announced by the league office on March 10.
    For Lilley, this is the fourth consecutive season she has received Pac-10 honors after being named Pac-10 All-Freshman honorable mention in 2007, Pac-10 Third Team in 2008 and Pac-10 honorable mention in 2009.
    Cocks' all-conference selection was the New Zealand native's second league honor of her career after she was selected to the Pac-10 Third Team following the 2008-09 season. Cocks is capable of playing all three guard positions in Westhead's uptempo style offense.
    In addition to Cocks and Lilley, Oregon sophomore forward Amanda Johnson received Pac-10 honorable mention accolades. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native is Oregon's third leading scorer averaging 12.6 points per game, while leading the squad with 8.6 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-2 sophomore has produced 11 double-doubles on the year, and has led the team in rebounding on 23 occasions.

POSTSEASON AWARDS
       Oregon held its annual banquet on Feb. 28, and the Ducks issued a slew of awards for this year's roster.
    Senior guard Taylor Lilley was voted Team MVP for the second time in her career by her teammates. She was previously named team MVP following her sophomore season at the UO.
    Senior guard Micaela Cocks was voted the Offensive Player of the Year after taking home Team MVP honors a year ago.
    Sophomore guard Nia Jackson - who returned to the floor this season following her rehabilitation from an ACL injury - was named the Defensive Player of the Year.
    Junior forward Victoria Kenyon was voted the team's Most Improved Player. Sophomore forward Amanda Johnson was given the team's Harry Ritchie Scholar-Athlete Award, which honors athletic and academic abilities. The Green and Gold Award went to junior forward Ellyce Ironmonger for contributions on and off the court.

OREGON WNIT HISTORY
       Oregon has not appeared in the postseason since 2007, when the Ducks advanced to the third round of the WNIT before falling to Wyoming, 64-62, in Laramie. Oregon opened that WNIT appearance with a first-round bye, and then defeated UC Santa Barbara, 70-54, at Mac Court on March 17, 2007.
    The Ducks also appeared in the WNIT in 2002, defeating Houston, 54-52, at Mac Court to seal the program's only WNIT championship on March 27, 2002. Oregon knocked off the Cougars in front of 6,835 fans that day - the 12th largest crowd at Mac Court in women's basketball history.
    The Ducks overall WNIT record is 6-1, and the program is undefeated playing WNIT games at Mac Court.
    Oregon also played in the National Women's Invitational Tournament in 1989 and 1979. In '89, the Ducks defeated San Diego State, 67-64, in the championship game. In '79, UO defeated N. Kentucky, 81-72 in the consolation game.

WNIT SCENARIOS
         With a win over California on Thursday, the Ducks would move into the quarterfinals of the WNIT. Waiting for UO would be one of two oppponents - Wyoming or BYU. The Cowgirls and Cougars tip off at 7 p.m. MT (6 p.m. PT) from Arena Auditorium in Laramie, Wyo., in third round action. Oregon defeated Wyoming on Dec. 20 in Laramie by the score of 78-66. In Wyoming's 68-57 overtime victory over Texas Tech in the second round, the Cowgirls drew 4,559 fans.
    Oregon leads the all-time series 10-3 with BYU, but suffered a 67-45 loss in Provo on Nov. 21, 2008.

OREGON'S CURRENT STATUS (RANKINGS AS OF 3/23)
•     Oregon (18-15, 7-11) ended the regular season on a seven-game losing streak but has regained its early-season momentum with two WNIT victories. The Ducks averaged 94 points per game in their two postseason wins, and out scored their opponents by a combined 55 points.
    After leading the country in scoring the majority of the season, Oregon's 82.8 points per game now rank third, as Oral Roberts leads the nation averaging 85.1 ppg.

Other top-25 national marks for Oregon include:
Category                                        Rank            Number
Three-Point FG Per Game              No. 8          8.4
•    Oregon is averaging 82.8 points per game this season – more than a 25-point turnaround from last season's average of 56.6 points per game.
•    Taylor Lilley's 3.7 three-pointers per game lead the Pac-10 as well as the nation. Lilley's .415 field goal percentage also ranks 24th in the country.
•     Micaela Cocks' 86.2 free-throw percentage ranks 22nd in the nation.

RECORDS FALLING
    A multitude of records have fallen this year, here is a quick recap:
-    Taylor Lilley tied the Oregon single-game record scoring 38 points in the Ducks' 93-67 win over New Mexico. Her 38 points also matched a Mac Court record, and her 18 3-point attempts broke the record at Mac Court.
-    In Oregon's 95-66 first-round WNIT win over Eastern Washington last Thursday, the Ducks hit six buckets from long distance - improving the team's season total to 264 and setting not only a new Oregon single-season record, but a new Pac-10 record, eclipsing the mark of 258 set by Stanford in 2002. The Ducks now have 276 3-pointers this year, and UO's 767 attempts is also a new conference record.
-    On March 5 at Washington State, Oregon set a new single-game record for 3-point attempts with 36 in a 67-53 loss at Washington State.
-     At Cal on Feb. 20, 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, 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.
-     On Jan. 30 at USC, Lilley broke an Oregon single-game record draining nine 3-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 3-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 268 career 3-pointers have set a new program record. Her total also ranks third in the Pac-10 all-time standings. Lilley broke the record on Jan. 1, in a win over Washington, surpassing Missy Croshaw's previous career record of 189 that was held for 16 years. Lilley's 690 career 3-point attempts are also a new UO record, passing Brandi Davis' mark of 535.
-    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.

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.

TRIO COMPLETED
    Senior guard Taylor Lilley now holds a trio of Oregon 3-point records with the single-game (9), single-season (122) and career marks (268) under her belt.
    Lilley is also the first player in Pac-10 women's basketball history to reach triple-digits for 3-pointers made in a single season with 122. Currently, Lilley leads the nation in average (3.7) and total (122) for 3-pointers this season. Lilley's single-season total of 122 treys ties for third in NCAA single-season history, and the sharp-shooter would need five more to break record of 126 shared by Alabama State's Lisa McMullen (1991) and Robert Morris' Sade Logan (2008).
    Currently, Lilley's 1,407 career points rank fourth among active Pac-10 players and eighth all-time in UO history, and her 593 points from this season rank fifth in Oregon single-season history.

ALL IN THE BACKCOURT
    Lilley isn't the only senior guard on the brink of breaking records. Micaela Cocks has now played in 124 career games for the Ducks, a total that ties for first all-time with Jenny Mowe.
    The New Zealand native will also hold the best free-throw shooting percentage at UO when she leaves after managing an .858 (218-of-254) clip during her four-year tenure.

THE SOPHOMORE SENSATIONS
    As Cocks and Lilley are playing in their final games as Ducks, the future looks to be in good hands with point guard Nia Jackson and forward Amanda Johnson waiting in the wings.
    Johnson recorded the 11th double-double of her season on Tuesday with 22 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to lead the Ducks on the boards for the fifth consecutive game and 23rd time in 2009-10. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native has 285 rebounds on the year, a number that ranks 10th in UO single-season history.
    Jackson led the Ducks with a game high and career-high tying eight assists and grabbed a career-best eight rebounds in Tuesday's win. The Seattle native's 3.7 assists per game rank third in the Pac-10, while her 2.5 steals per game rank second. She has led the team in assists 16 times this season, and her 81 steals rank seventh in UO single-season history.