Colorado Up Next in Boulder

BOULDER, Colo. - The No. 3 ranked Oregon women's basketball team takes a six-game winning streak into Saturday's game against Colorado at the CU Events Center in Boulder, following a 90-63 win over Utah on Thursday in Salt Lake City.

Oregon will look to keep pace at the top of the Pac-12 standings with a win over the Buffs before playing a much-anticipated game against No. 4 UConn on Monday night in Storrs, Conn.

Game Details
Matchup: #3 Oregon (18-2, 8-1) at Colorado (14-6, 3-6)
Date: Saturday, February 1, 2020
Location: Boulder, Colo.
Venue: CU Events Center
Opening Tip: 1:06 p.m. PT

Broadcast Information
TV: Pac-12 Mountain
PxP: Thad Anderson | Analyst: Stephanie Hawk
Radio: Oregon Sports Network
Eugene: KUGN 590 AM | Portland: KDZR 1640 AM
PxP: Terry Jonz

By The Numbers
22 - Sabrina Ionescu's 22 career triple-doubles are an NCAA all-time record for both men and women; NCAA-leading 4 this season.
86.1 - The Ducks boast the nation's No. 3 ranked scoring offense entering Saturday's game at 86.1 points per game.
1.80 - Oregon is No. 1 in the nation with a 1.80 assist-to-turnover ratio; Minyon Moore ranks No. 2 individually at 4.00.
50.0 - The Ducks are No. 2 in the nation with a 50.0 field goal percentage; Ruthy Hebard is No. 4 individually at 67.0 percent.
32 - Sabrina Ionescu has made 32 consecutive free throws entering Saturday's game; she is a perfect 31-of-31 so far in Pac-12 play.

Defense Sparks Offense at Utah
Satou Sabally scored 23 points and Oregon got double-doubles from both Ruthy Hebard (21 P, 13 R) and Sabrina Ionescu (10 P, 10 A) as the No. 3 Ducks cruised past Utah on Thursday, 90-63. After falling behind in the opening minutes, the UO women broke the game open by making 12 straight baskets to jump out to a 33-16 lead early in the second quarter. The run was fueled by defense, as Oregon had four steals in the opening quarter and finished the night with 12, including a season-high six by Minyon Moore. The Ducks' tenacious defense led to efficient offense; Oregon shot 70 percent from the floor in the first half and finished the game at 55.4 percent.

Ramping Up The Resume
The Ducks' weekend sweep of then-No. 7 Oregon State gave them three wins over AP top-10 teams in four games, including a 32-point win over then-No. 3 Stanford on 1/16/20. Oregon entered this week at No. 2 in the NCAA RPI rankings, and moved up to No. 1 on Friday morning after Thursday night's win at Utah. The Ducks started the week tied atop the Pac-12 standings with No. 6 Stanford and No. 8 UCLA as they continue their quest for a third straight Pac-12 regular season title, and try to strengthen their case for a berth in the NCAA Tournament regional to be played in Portland.

First Meeting vs. Colorado (UO Won, 104-46)
The Ducks kicked off Pac-12 play with a 104-46 rout of Colorado on 1/3/20 in Eugene, using explosive offense and suffocating defense to hand the Buffs their first loss of the season. Oregon got 21 points from both Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard and 17 from Satou Sabally, and both Jaz Shelley and Taylor Chavez chipped in 10 points to give UO five players in double figures. Oregon forced the Buffs into 21 total turnovers with 10 steals while holding CU to just 26.7 percent shooting from the floor. The Ducks have since won seven of the last eight matchups against the Buffs, with the lone loss coming on 2/9/17 in Boulder. Oregon owns a 17-8 lead in the all-time series.

Coaching Connection
Head coach Kelly Graves knows Colorado head coach JR Payne well, having coached her for two years at St. Mary's before bringing her on as an assistant coach for five years when he was the head coach at Gonzaga.

Road Warriors
The Ducks are a perfect 11-0 at home this season, but they will be tested during a current stretch of eight road games in 10 contests. Oregon has opened the daunting road stretch with wins at then-No. 7 Oregon State and Utah. The Ducks are 5-1 in true road games this year and have won three straight away from home, including two against ranked foes.

Sabally On Offensive Tear
Satou Sabally has taken her game to another level since the Ducks' top-25 road win at then-No. 18 Arizona on 1/12/20. Sabally is averaging 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds over the Ducks' last six games entering Saturday's contest, headlined by a season-high 31 points on 1/19/20 against California and 23 points on Thursday at Utah. The junior has gotten to the free-throw line at an impressive rate, going 42-of-47 (.894) at the stripe over the last six games. Sabally has now scored in double figures in seven straight games and in 13 of 16 so far this season.

The "Big Three"
The Ducks' power trio of Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard and Satou Sabally is arguably the best "Big Three" in the nation. Ionescu leads the team this season with 17.4 points per game while averaging 8.7 rebounds and an NCAA-leading 8.4 assists per game. Hebard is averaging 16.6 points and a team-best 9.7 rebounds per game, and Sabally's recent offensive surge has her season averages up to 16.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. The Ducks enter Saturday's game as the only team in the nation to have three regulars averaging at least 16.0 points per game.

Leader of the Pac
With an assist on the first bucket of Oregon's 76-64 win over No. 7 Oregon State on 1/24/20, Sabrina Ionescu notched the 939th of her career and passed Gary Payton (938, OSU) as the Pac-12 all-time assists leader for both men and women. Ionescu also moved up two spots to No. 7 on the NCAA women's all-time assists list, and she enters Saturday's game 27 away from No. 6 with 960 in her career. Including men, Ionescu is the 26th player in NCAA history to reach 900 assists, and the 17th to reach 950.

Deadly at the Stripe
The Ducks have loved seeing Sabrina Ionescu go to the free throw line this season, as the senior star is a perfect 31-of-31 at the stripe through UO's first nine conference games. On the season, Ionescu leads the nation with a 94.4 percent mark from the line (51-of-54), and she has made 32 straight free throws entering Saturday's game.

Three-point Threats Off the Bench
Oregon's usual three-point snipers have gotten off to a less efficient start than expected this season, but the Ducks have gotten a huge boost off the bench from sophomore Taylor Chavez and freshman Jaz Shelley. Chavez leads the Pac-12 entering Saturday's game with a 49.1 three-point shooting percentage, and Shelley ranks sixth in the conference at 41,3. Chavez was a combined 6-of-8 from behind the arc in the last three games, and her 49.1 percent mark would lead the nation if she met the required minimum number of attempts.

With Heavy Hearts, Ducks Sweep OSU
Life goes on even in the face of unspeakable tragedy. Last Sunday's Civil War still had to be played, despite devastating circumstances. The Ducks and Beavers played shortly after news broke of the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, the father of four daughters and a spirited advocate of women's athletics who attended UO women's basketball and volleyball games earlier this academic year. The tragedy cast a pall over No. 4 Oregon's 66-57 victory, the Ducks' first win in Gill Coliseum and Civil War sweep since 2010. Sabrina Ionescu, who had developed a close bond with Bryant over the past few years, fought back tears during a moment of silence in Bryant's memory, then went on to score a team-high 19 points in the game. Ruthy Hebard posted her ninth double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, including eight offensive boards, and Satou Sabally added 16 points and nine rebounds.