Ducks Look To Even Score With Bears In Waco On Sunday
04/09/15 | Acrobatics & Tumbling
The Ducks (5-2) will be looking to even the score with Baylor (8-0) this weekend when they travel to Waco, Texas for a rematch with the Bears at noon (PT) at the Ferrell Center. Once again, the meet will be a matchup of the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the NCATA, with Baylor claiming the top spot in the most recent NCATA Coaches' poll and the Ducks right behind them in second.
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Scouting the Bears
Since knocking off the Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena on March 12, Baylor has shown improvement in their next two meets, defeating Azusa Pacific 285.675 – 272.425 at home, and then edging out Fairmont State (266.630) and Alderson Broaddus (270.320) in a tri-meet in Fairmont, W.Va., with a score of 284.240.
Most recently at Fairmont State, Alderson Broaddus trailed Baylor by just one point at halftime (98.15 – 97.15), but the Bears saw their lead balloon in the second half thanks to a 57.800 in tumbling and a 99.64 in the team event to put the Battlers away by more than 13 points.
The 285.675 that the Bears produced at home against Azusa Pacific was the highest overall score for any NCATA team on the year. The 102.85 in the team event was also a season high for BU.
Last Time Out
UO last competed on the islands of Hawai'i two weeks ago and were unfortunately on the losing end of a 282.050 – 280.295 dual meet with Hawai'i Pacific. The Ducks trailed 96.90 – 95.50 at the half, but the Green and Yellow mounted a comeback that saw them take the lead going into the final event.
Oregon nabbed their first event victory of the evening thanks to a 28.95 – 28.75 win in the pyramid event, and then used that momentum to earn their best tumbling score of the year (56.975). The Ducks took a razor-thin 181.025 – 180.950 lead heading into the team event.
UO earned a 99.27 in the team event which was another high score for the year, but Hawai'i Pacific scored a 101.10 to win the overall meet.
Even though UO dropped the match, the Ducks still managed season-high scores in four out of the six events. The 280.295 was also Oregon's second-highest overall score on the season.
Series History
Despite the Bears' victory at MKA earlier this season, the Ducks still have a stranglehold on the all-time series with an 11-1 advantage. Oregon is a perfect 3-0 against Baylor in Joe Retton Arena, with all three of their victories coming by an average margin of 10.97 points.
Last Regular Season Meet
The meet this Sunday will be the final contest of the regular season before the Ducks begin concentrating all of their focus on the NCATA National Championships in Fairmont, W.V., from April 23-25. UO will be vying for their fifth-straight NCATA National Championship when they head to Fairmont State in two weeks.
Switching Roles
In years past, it has been opponents trying to spoil a perfect Oregon season, but this time it's the Ducks who are the spoilers coming into the meet on Sunday. Baylor already has their best season in school history locked up, but now UO will try to keep the Bears from completing an undefeated regular season.
Texas Stars
Junior Shelby Armstrong and sophomore Jordyn Fox will be making their homecoming to the state of Texas when they compete at Waco this weekend. Armstrong hails from Caddo Mills, just 136 miles north of Waco, and Fox was raised in Georgetown, which is just 74 miles south.
