Ducks Look to Bounce Back in Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. - The No. 2 ranked Oregon women's basketball team is looking to bounce back from a tough Friday night loss at Arizona State when the Ducks take on No. 18 Arizona on Sunday at 11 a.m. PT in McKale Memorial Center in Tucson.

The Wildcats are the first ranked Pac-12 opponent for the Ducks this season and the third top-25 foe overall.

Game Details
Matchup: #2 Oregon (12-2, 2-1) at #18 Arizona (13-2, 2-2)
Date: Sunday, January 12, 2020
Location: Tucson, Ariz.
Venue: McKale Memorial Center
Opening Tip: 11:06 a.m. PT

Broadcast Information
TV: Pac-12 Network
PxP: Anne Marie Anderson | Analyst: Joan Bonvicini
Radio: Oregon Sports Network
PxP: Terry Jonz

Series History
Oregon owns a 41-28 lead over Arizona in the all-time series, and the Ducks enter Sunday's contest having won seven straight and 12 of the last 15 against the Wildcats. Oregon went 3-0 last season against Arizona last season, winning 93-60 in Eugene and 83-54 in Tucson before picking up a 77-63 victory in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. Ruthy Hebard (21 P, 10 R) and Sabrina Ionescu (18 P, 13 A) each had double-doubles in the Pac-12 Tournament win over the Wildcats. Satou Sabally scored 25 points in the first meeting of 2018-19 in Eugene while Ionescu had 21, and Ionescu led the way with 22 points in the final regular-season matchup in Tucson.

About The Wildcats
Arizona has lost back-to-back games to No. 10 UCLA and No. 3 Oregon State after getting off to a 13-0 start, which included a road win over then-No. 22 Texas. The Wildcats' tremendous start extended their winning streak to 19 games dating back to last season, and Arizona boasts the nation's No. 3 scoring defense with just 48.2 PPG allowed. Arizona's offense flows through Aari McDonald, who leads the Pac-12 and is tied for 16th in the nation with 19.8 PPG. Cate Reese is putting together a strong season as well with 14.3 PPG and 8.8 RPG, and two more Wildcats average at least 7.0 PPG.

Ducks Unable To Hold On in Tempe
Oregon took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter on Friday night in Tempe, but the Ducks were unable to hang on as Arizona State used a 30-14 advantage in the fourth quarter to pull off the upset, 72-66. Sabrina Ionescu nearly carried the Ducks to victory with a season-high 24 points and 10 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season, Ruthy Hebard finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, and Satou Sabally added 10 points. Arizona State's comeback win was fueled by a 14-0 run midway through the fourth quarter.

Off And Running In Pac-12 Play
The Ducks opened Pac-12 play with a statement win over Colorado on Jan. 3, using explosive offense and suffocating defense in a 104-46 rout of the then-undefeated Buffs. Oregon was led by its "Big Three" of Sabrina Ionescu (21 P, 7 A, 6 R), Ruthy Hebard (21 P, 5 R, 3 B) and Satou Sabally (17 P, 3 R, 3 S), while also getting 33 points from its bench. The Ducks shot 58.0 percent from the floor while holding the Buffs to just a 26.7 mark, and Oregon matched its season-high with 21 forced turnovers. The Ducks used a similar formula two days later in an 88-51 win over Utah, forcing the Utes into 20 total turnovers and just 37.3 percent shooting. Minyon Moore enjoyed a strong game with a season-high 17 points, Hebard (13 P. 12 R) notched her seventh double-double of the season and Ionescu (17 P, 8 R, 7 A) was on triple-double watch, as usual. Oregon saw 10 different players record at least one assist, and eight Ducks made at least one field goal.

Moore Breaks Out Against Utah
Minyon Moore has provided a steady presence at the point guard position all season for the Ducks, but the former USC star hadn't put up big numbers in the scoring column until Oregon's 1/5/20 win over Utah. The senior scored a season-high 17 points against the Utes while going 7-of-11 from the floor, and she continued to be a bulldog on the defensive end with two steals.

Ionescu Reaches 900 Career Assists
Sabrina Ionescu continued her year of milestones with another big one in UO's win over Colorado on 1/3/20. With seven assists, the senior superstar hit 900 even for her career to become just the 12th player in the history of NCAA women's basketball to join the 900 assists club. Ionescu enters Sunday's game with 911 career assists, good for No. 10 on the NCAA all-time list.

Hebard Joins 2K Club
Ruthy Hebard reached a big milestone on 1/3/20 against Colorado, becoming just the fifth player in Oregon history to surpass 2,000 career points, along with teammate Sabrina Ionescu. Hebard enters Sunday's with 2,032 points, and she is the only active NCAA player to have 2,000+ career points and 1,000+ career rebounds (1,115). Hebard is one of only 12 players in Pac-12 history to reach the 2,000/1,000 milestone.

Ionescu, Moore Lead Dynamic Offense
The Ducks boast the nation's most dynamic and efficient offense, which is navigated by senior guards Sabrina Ionescu and Minyon Moore. Oregon leads the NCAA with a 1.83 assist-to-turnover ratio, with Moore ranking second nationally at 4.40 and Ionescu third at 3.40. The Ducks are second in the country with 21.7 assist per game behind Ionescu's NCAA-leading 8.5 APG, and Moore is in the national top 60 as well at 4.7 APG. UO leads the Pac-12 and is No. 8 nationally with 11.9 turnovers per game.

Shooting The Lights Out
Oregon is among the nation's most efficient shooting teams entering this weekend's action, ranking No. 2 in the NCAA with a 50.3 field goal percentage. One of the biggest factor's in Oregon's efficiency has been its dominance in the paint, where the Ducks own a 260-point advantage and have outscored their opponents every game so far, including a 56-16 advantage over Colorado and a 50-18 advantage against Utah. Ruthy Hebard has elevated Oregon's field goal percentage a great deal as the senior post ranks No. 3 in the nation individually with a 69.5 shooting percentage.

Ramping Up The Defensive Intensity
The Ducks are clearly one of the nation's premiere offensive teams, but they have made it a point over the last several games of turning up the intensity on the defensive end as well. Oregon has held six of its last seven opponents under 60 points, including three to 46 points or less, and have recorded 63 total steals and 23 blocked shots while forcing 115 total turnovers over the last seven games. The Ducks' defensive improvement was sparked by a new three-quarter court press implemented during the South Dakota State game, when the Ducks held the Jackrabbits to just 37.2 percent shooting while forcing 13 turnovers, including 10 in the first half. Oregon matched its season-high with 21 forced turnovers in its Pac-12 opener against Colorado, and the Ducks are up to No. 32 nationally in scoring defense at 56.1 PPG allowed.

Ducks Boast Improved Depth
Depth was one of Oregon's biggest issues in 2018-19, but the Ducks' bench is much deeper in 2019-20. Jaz Shelley has come on in a big way, erupting for 32 points and a UO record 10 three-pointers on 12/16 against UC Riverside after a 17-point game at Long Beach State. Taylor Chavez has matched Shelley with four double-figure scoring games, headlined by a career-high 25 points on 11/13 vs. Utah State. Lydia Giomi is averaging 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds and had a career-high 18 points in the season-opener, and Holly Winterburn was the Pac-12 freshman of the Week on 12/9 after dropping 17 points against South Dakota State. As a team, Oregon has already had nine different players combine for 52 double-digit scoring performances.

Up Next
Oregon will return home to host No. 5 Stanford on Thursday night in Matthew Knight Arena (6 p.m. PT, ESPN).