Oregon WBB Weekly Release: Saint Mary's
12/21/11 | Women's Basketball
Saint Mary's at Oregon LIVE COVERAGE
• Date: Wednesday, Dec. 21
• Time: 12:00 PM
• Venue: Matthew Knight Arena
• Radio: KUGN 590 AM in Eugene/Springfield; Terry Jonz, play-by-play
• Webcast: O-Zone
• Live Audio: O-Zone • Live Stats: www.GoDucks.com
• Twitter: @OregonWBB for in-game updates, stats, etc
• Facebook
• vs. Saint Mary's: Oregon leads 6-0
GAME DAY PROMOTIONS
Family Furlough Day - Wednesday, Dec. 21
All kids ages 12 and under can purchase $3 general admission tickets. Bring your ticket from the Dec. 20 men's basketball game against North Carolina Central, and receive free admission.
THIS WEEK
Oregon ends the non-conference portion of its schedule on Wednesday, hosting Saint Mary's (8-4) at 12 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.
HEALTH REPORT
• Freshman center Janitah Iamaleava suffered a season-ending left knee injury during a pre-season practice that will keep her off the floor for the 2011-12 season.
• Oregon leading scorer and rebounder Amanda Johnson suffered a left thumb fracture on Dec. 11 in a loss at Denver. She is expected to be out of action a minimum of four weeks, and will be evaluated on a weekly basis.
SAINT MARY'S NOTES
• Oregon's game on Wednesday against Saint Mary's (8-4) is a return date from last year. On Dec. 19, 2010, in Moraga, Oregon defeated SMC, 100-71, led by 19 points from Amanda Johnson and 11 assists courtesy of Nia Jackson.
• Saint Mary's appearance in the state of Oregon marks the return of three players to the state. Saint Mary's current leading scorer (16.1 ppg), senior guard Jasmine Smith played one season at Oregon State (06-07) before transferring to Saint Mary's. The Gaels' second leading scorer (12.3 ppg) is Portland native Jackie Nared. A graduate of Westview High School, Nared spent two years at Maryland before transferring to Saint Mary's, and is playing in her first season for the Gaels. Junior Andrea Bailey (The Dalles, Ore.) has appeared off the bench in 12 games, and is averaging 2.4 points per game.
• Oregon is 6-0 all-time against Saint Mary's. The Gaels last visited Eugene on Nov. 30, 2006, and UO defeated SMC 79-53 after Eleanor Haring scored 23 points and Jessie Shetters had 10 points and 10 rebounds at McArthur Court. Oregon is 1-0 this year against the West Coast Conference, defeating Portland, and head coach Paul Westhead has posted an undefeated 6-0 record against the WCC during the last three years.
• Similar to the Ducks, the Gaels also have a win over Cal Poly this season, defeating the Mustangs 65-62 on Dec. 4 in Moraga.
• The Gaels are currently on a three-game road swing through the Northwest. Saint Mary's defeated Seattle, 71-70, on Saturday and upended Oregon State, 81-61, in Corvallis on Monday night.
PLAYING FAST
Head coach Paul Westhead said before the season started that he wanted his team playing even faster. So far, so good. The Ducks' 82.1 points per game leads the Pac-12 and UO entered the week ranking sixth the country. Miami leads the nation averaging 86.9 points per game.
During head coach Paul Westhead's three years at Oregon, the Ducks have finished in the country's top-15 in scoring in back-to-back seasons, averaging 81.4 points (2010, 2nd) and 73.3 points per game (2011, 15th). In fact, during the last two seasons, the Ducks have averaged 79.0 points per game overall, out done only by Oral Roberts (84.7 ppg) and Gonzaga (82.7 ppg). In the last three years, Oregon has produced seven 100-point games, recording a 6-1 mark in those contests.
Oregon's 7.6 three-pointers per game rank 15th in the nation, as Florida Gulf Coast leads the country with 13.0 long-distance buckets per game.
The Ducks have proven to be a deadly three-point shooting team, finishing third in the country averaging 8.5 three-pointers per game in 2011, while ranking seventh in 2010 knocking down 8.4 long-distance buckets per game.
DOUBLE-FIGURES
• Oregon has recorded four wins by 10 points or more.
• Oregon's roster has totaled 35 occasions of players scoring in double figures led by Jasmin Holiday (10).
• The Ducks have also posted nine double-figure rebounding efforts led by Amanda Johnson (6).
MORE NUMBERS
• The Ducks are an undefeated 8-0 when they shoot a higher percentage than their opponent.
• Oregon is an undefeated 8-0 at Matt Arena this year.
• Oregon has not trailed in two games this season.
• In their last six games, the Ducks have held the rebounding edge (271-250), and in addition have averaged 19.0 offensive boards per game, scoring a total of 102 second-chance points.
SCHEDULE
The Ducks have compiled a difficult schedule as 14 of their opponents reached the postseason a year ago. Nine teams played in the 2011 Women's National Invitation Tournament, and five appeared in the NCAA Tournament.
TREY TROUBLE
In its five games prior to Monday's game against Cal State Northridge, Oregon had allowed opponents to knock down a total of 60 three-pointers, and allowed an individual to drain at least five three-pointers in each game during that stretch. In Monday's win over the Matadors, UO's defense held CSUN to three three-pointers, a new Oregon opponent season low.
SENIOR MOMENT
Senior Jasmin Holliday worked harder than ever this offseason, and apparently hard work pays off. The native of Chino Hills, Calif., is averaging a career-best 17.2 points per game.
She leads the team with 10 double-figure scoring games, already besting her best season total of eight from her sophomore campaign. The Chino Hills, Calif., native is also shooting a team-leading 55.6 percent from the floor.
Holliday set a new career high scoring 26 points in a loss at Nevada last Wednesday. On Monday, Holliday led the Ducks in scoring for the fourth time this season with 23 points in a victory over Cal State Northridge. It was the fourth 20-point game of her season and career.
AWARD WINNER
Before two knee injuries sidelined her for the final nine games of last season, senior guard Nia Jackson led the Pac-10 averaging 17.0 points and 5.7 assists per game. Despite missing the final half of conference play, Jackson was named to the 2011 Pac-10 First Team and the 2011 Media All-Pac-10 Team.
The Ducks were 12-9 with Jackson in the lineup, and 1-8 in the final nine games of the year without her. The Ducks averaged 80.5 points per game with Jackson in the lineup, and 66.7 points per game without her.
The Seattle native has returned from off-season surgery and is cleared to play, but is continuing to regain her strength and stamina.
Currently Jackson is averaging 10.1 points and a team-leading 4.1 assists per game. She has reached double figures in four of UO's last five games, and continues to climb two all-time statistical charts. Jackson's 174 career steals rank sixth all-time, and her 301 career assists rank ninth. Jackson has delivered at least six assists on four occasions this year.
JOHNSON ON FIRE
Before her injury, Oregon senior forward Amanda Johnson had recorded six double-doubles in nine games this season, along with eight double-figure scoring games.
The Santa Rosa, Calif., native's average of 20.1 points per game ranks second in the Pac-12 and 16th in the country, while her 10.7 rebounds per game rank third in the conference and 15th in the nation.
Johnson's career numbers include; 1,327 points (11th), 797 rebounds (8th), 142 three-pointers (7th), 178 steals (5th), 26 double-doubles (7th), 65 double-figure scoring games, three 30-point games, 18 20-point games, 33 times leading the club in scoring and 62 occasions leading the team in rebounding.
ENTERING THE STARTING LINEUP
After ending the 2010-11 season starting the last nine games of the year, Deanna Weaver and Ariel Thomas started their sophomore season on the bench as both battled injuries.
Due to Amanda Johnson's injury, Weaver has replaced her in the starting lineup. After missing three games at the start of the year with a toe injury, Weaver started her first game since March 9, 2011, at Nevada last Wednesday. She scored a career-high 18 points in the loss. She is currently averaging 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
As a freshman last season, Thomas averaged 8.0 points and 2.2 assists per game, appearing in 26 games. In the absence of Nia Jackson, Thomas took over point guard duties and started the final nine games of the year, averaging 14.3 points, 4.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game during that stretch.
With Jackson back on the floor, Thomas has moved into the starting role at shooting guard, registering her first start of the year at Nevada. She missed the first three games of the year with Achilles trouble, and is currently averaging 7.4 points per game.
FINALIZING THE TRIO
Sophomore Danielle Love finalizes the starting front court trio of herself, Deanna Weaver and Jasmin Holliday. The Everett, Wash., native has recorded three new career scoring highs this year. The latest was a 16-point effort in a Dec. 4 win over Portland. She added 10 rebounds and a career-best five assists, recording her first double-double this season and the second of her career.
Love is the one player head coach Paul Westhead can't take out of the game as she is playing a team-best 32.8 minutes per game.
MEET THE NEWCOMERS
Oregon's freshman class was ranked 49th in the country by ESPN HoopGurlz.
SHE'S A SHOOTER
Freshman guard Jordan Loera is a second generation Duck as her mother, Lori Carver Loera, played basketball at UO from 1983-84.
Loera scored a career-high and team-high tying 17 points in an 89-77 victory over UC Irvine, while also knocking down a career-best five three-pointers. The Moses Lake, Wash., native is averaging 7.1 points per game, and ties for the team lead with 18 three-pointers.
RUNNING THE FLOOR
Freshman forward Lexi Petersen (Tukwila, Wash./Seattle Christian HS) won four straight conference titles at Seattle Christian HS, and was a two-time Nisqually 1A Player of the Year (2009, 2010).
In Westhead's system, Petersen's speed has been put to good use. The rookie is averaging 4.8 points per game.
A FIRST
Freshman guard Amanda Delgado (Las Vegas/Liberty HS) was named the 2011 Gatorade Nevada Girls Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 16.1 points, 3.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a senior.
Delgado has appeared off the bench in seven games.
UNDER THE BASKET
Freshman center Megan Carpenter (Longmont, Colo./Longmont HS) was a two-time all-4A Northern Conference selection and two-time Longmont Times Call all-area selection in 2010 and 2011. In her Oregon debut, Carpenter scored two points, blocked two shots and grabbed seven rebounds. Carpenter is averaging 4.3 rebounds per game.
RUNNING THE POINT
Junior point guard Laura Stanulis continues to handle back-up point guard duties as Ariel Thomas spends time at shooting guard. A former walk-on and now on scholarship, Stanulis is averaging a career-best 5.2 points per game, and is also second on the team with 30 assists.
NEW ADDITION
Oregon freshman Liz Brenner joined the UO women's basketball team officially on Monday after being cleared for competition by the NCAA.
Brenner recently finished her freshman season competing for the UO women's volleyball team.
In her debut on Monday against Cal State Northridge, Brenner scored four points and grabbed three rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.
