Notes - No. 3 Oregon Visits Michigan State for ESPN2 Showdown

EUGENE, Ore. - The No. 3 ranked Oregon women's basketball team visits Michigan State on Sunday for a noon PT tip on ESPN2.

#3 OREGON DUCKS (7-0, 0-0 Pac-12)
PPG: 94.7 | FG%: 54.3 | 3FG%: 42.2 | FT%: 85.0
Notes: The Ducks have one of the most efficient offenses in the NCAA so far this season. UO's 94.7 points per game ranks first in the NCAA. UO also leads the nation with a 2.03 assist-to-turnover ratio. UO's 10.6 turnovers per game are the second fewest in the NCAA while its 21.4 assists per game are seventh in the NCAA. UO is second in field goal percentage (54.3), seventh in three-point percentage (42.2) and first in free throw percentage (85.0).

MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (7-1, 0-0 Big 10)
PPG: 86.4 | FG%: 47.8 | 3FG%: 41.8 | FT%: 69.2
Series: UO leads, 2-0 (Never met in East Lansing)
Last: UO won, 88-55 on Nov. 22, 2016 in Eugene
Notes: Michigan State has won four straight games since suffering its only loss, 78-74, to No. 10 NC State at the Cancun Challenge. Like the Ducks, MSU has five players averaging 10+ points per game, led by Jenna Allen's 15.0 ppg. Taryn McCutcheon has knocked down a team-high 25 threes, shooting 43.1 percent from deep.

KEY STORYLINES
- Sabrina Ionescu needs one more triple-double to break the NCAA overall career record (12, Kyle Collinsworth, BYU)
- Sabrina Ionescu is the only player in the NCAA averaging 18+ points, 8+ rebounds and 8+ assists per game.
- Ruthy Hebard ranks third in the NCAA, shooting 71.2 percent from the field. She has two double-doubles.
- All five of Oregon's starters are averaging 12+ points per game this year, led by Sabrina Ionescu's 18.0 ppg.
- Despite having only nine players, Graves has balanced minutes well. No Duck is in the top-100 of the NCAA in mpg.
- Ionescu is one of five AP preseason All-Americans (Asia Durr, Katie Lou Samuelson, Arike Ogunbowale, Kalani Brown)
- UO features both the national point guard of the year (Ionescu) and the national power forward of the year (Hebard).

THE DUCKS IN THE POLLS
The Ducks are ranked No. 3 in the AP poll for the fifth straight week. It's the highest ranking in program history. UO finished the 2017-18 season ranked No. 5 in the Coaches Postseason Poll.

BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV - ESPN2 with Eric Frede and Kara Lawson
Stream - WatchESPN.com with a cable login
Radio - Terry Jonz on the call at 590 AM (Eugene), 1640 AM (Portland) & TuneIn. Search for "Oregon IMG" in the TuneIn app or online at TuneIn.com.

KARA CONNECTION
ESPN announcer Kara Lawson was the coach for USA's 3x3 team at the FIBA World Cup this summer in the Phillipines. The Ducks made up the entire roster - Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard, Oti Gildon and Erin Boley - after the squad went undefeated and won the USA basketball 3x3 championship earlier in the year in Colorado Springs. USA went 4-0 in pool play at the World Cup but lost, 17-14, to Italy, the eventual champs, in the quarterfinals. Ionescu tallied a team-high 31 points (1s and 2s) over the five games and she, Hebard and Gildon all ranked in the top-25 of the tournament in points.

MICHIGAN STATE HISTORY
- Oregon is 2-0 all-time against Michigan State.
- UO defeated No. 24 ranked MSU, 88-55, in Eugene on Nov. 22, 2016. Prior to that, the Ducks won, 65-54, also in Eugene, on March 23, 2002 as part of the postseason WNIT.
- Last year Michigan State participated - along with Oregon, UConn and Oklahoma - in the women's version of the PK80 event at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene. Oregon topped Oklahoma, 92-74, while UConn beat Michigan State, 96-62.

NCAA STAT RANKINGS
- The Ducks lead the NCAA in scoring, averaging 94.7 points per game.
- Oregon leads the NCAA with a 2.03-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Ducks are averaging 21.4 assists per game, good for seventh in the NCAA, and just 10.6 turnovers per game, the second fewest in the NCAA.
- The Ducks also lead the NCAA in free throw percentage, at 85.0 percent. Oregon has made 119 free throws on 140 attempts this year.
- The Ducks rank second in the NCAA in field goal percentage (54.3%) and seventh in three-point percentage (42.2%).
- Oregon is second in the nation in fewest fouls. UO has been whistled for just 10.6 fouls per game.
- Ruthy Hebard is third in the NCAA in field goal percentage (71.2%).
- Sabrina Ionescu is third in the nation in assists per game (8.6) and fourth in total assists (60).
- Ionescu is ninth in the NCAA in three-point percentage (55.0) and Maite Cazorla is 14th (53.6).

IONESCU BREAKS UO ASSISTS RECORD
On Dec. 2 in a 110-42 win over Long Beach State, Sabrina Ionescu tallied 17 assists, breaking the previous UO single-game record of 14. Ionescu had matched that old record twice (Dec. 2, 2017 vs. Weber State, Dec. 17, 2017 vs. Ole Miss) and shared it with Corrie Mizusawa (Nov. 25, 2003 at Gonzaga) and Vanessa Selden (Dec. 7, 1990 vs. New Mexico State). Ionescu already owns the UO single-season assists record wtih 298 last year.

SYRACUSE SHOCKER
The No. 3 ranked Ducks pulled off a thrilling comeback win over No. 18 Syracuse on Nov. 10 at Matthew Knight Arena. Down six points with just over two minutes left to play, the Ducks hit back-to-back-to-back three-pointers (two by Sabrina Ionescu and one from Erin Boley) to take a 70-67 lead. Oregon hit its free throws down the stretch to hold on for a 75-73 win over the Orange.

ESPNW PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sabrina Ionescu was chosen as ESPNW's preseason national player of the year. The junior already has an NCAA record 11 triple-doubles in her career and is coming off a season in which she claimed the Nancy Lieberman Award (national PG of the year), unanimous first team All-America honors, the Pac-12 player of the year and the Pac-12 Tournament MVP.

ESPNW PRESEASON TOP-25 PLAYERS
In ESPNW's preseason list of the top-25 players in the NCAA this season, both Ruthy Hebard and Sabrina Ionescu were ranked. Ionescu was picked No. 1 as ESPNW's preseason player of the year. Hebard was picked No. 10.

PRESEASON WATCH LISTS
- Both Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard were named to the preseason Wade Trophy watch list on Nov. 20, 2018.
- Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard were both named to the preseason Wooden Award watch list on Nov. 6. The list includes 30 players.
- Of the 50 players named to the Naismith Trophy Watch List, three were Ducks. Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard and Satou Sabally were all selected to the watch list for the Atlanta Tipoff Club's national player of the year honor. Only Notre Dame (5) and UConn (4) have more players on the list. The field will be cut to 30 for the midseason watch list.
- After winning the award a season ago as a sophomore, Sabrina Ionescu has been named to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list for her junior season. The award is annually presented to the top point guard in the country.
- A year after being named the Pac-12 freshman of the year, sophomore Satou Sabally has been named to the watch list for the Cheryl Miller Award, given annually to the nation's top small forward.
- A year after winning the inaugural Katrina McClain Award for the nation's top power forward, Ruthy Hebard is on the watch list again this season.