Top-Five Showdown On Tap Monday in Connecticut

EUGENE, Ore. - The Oregon women's basketball team will take the national stage for its final nonconference battle of the regular season on Monday in Storrs, Conn., where the No. 3 Ducks will face the premiere program in college women's basketball, No. 4 UConn, on ESPN2.

The Ducks enter Monday's showdown on a seven-game winning streak after winning at Utah and Colorado on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Game Details
Matchup: #3 Oregon (19-2) at Colorado (19-1)
Date: Monday, February 3, 2020
Location: Storrs, Conn.
Venue: Gampel Pavilion
Opening Tip: 4:02 p.m. PT

Broadcast Information
TV: ESPN2
PxP: Adam Amin | Analyst: Rebecca Lobo | Sideline: Holly Rowe
Radio: Oregon Sports Network
Eugene: KUGN 590 AM | Portland: KDZR 1640 AM
PxP: Terry Jonz

By the Numbers
23 - Sabrina Ionescu's 23 career triple-doubles are an NCAA all-time record for both men and women; NCAA-leading 5 this season.
86.8 - The Ducks boast the nation's No. 1 ranked scoring offense entering Monday's game at 86.8 points per game.
1.86 - Oregon is No. 1 in the nation with a 1.86 assist-to-turnover ratio; Minyon Moore ranks No. 2 individually at 4.14.
888 - On Saturday, Ruthy Hebard became Oregon's all-time leader with 888 career made field goals, passing Alison Lang (883, 1980-84).
34 - Sabrina Ionescu has made 34 consecutive free throws entering Monday's game, and she leads the nation in FT percentage (94.6).

Three-Quarter Triple-Double
Sabrina Ionescu extended her NCAA all-time record with her 23rd career triple-double and fifth of the season in Saturday's 101-53 win at Colorado. Ionescu finished with 24 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, and she did so without playing at all in the fourth quarter. It was Ionescu's second triple-double in Pac-12 play this season, and ninth in her career. Ionescu was one of four Ducks to finish with double-digit points, along with Satou Sabally (17), Minyon Moore (15) and Ruthy Hebard (10), as Oregon went over 100 points for the fourth time this season and the second time in two meetings with Colorado.

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 the Ducks are up to No. 1 as of Sunday morning. 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.

Series History (Uconn Leads, 3-0)
UConn has won all three meetings against the Ducks, but Monday will be the first time Oregon is ranked when playing the Huskies. Oregon and UConn last faced off in the 2017 Elite Eight in Bridgeport, Conn., when Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard led the Ducks to the first of three straight Elite Eight appearances as true freshmen.

About No. 4 UConn
The most dominant program in college women's basketball history with 11 national titles under head coach Geno Auriemma, the No. 4 Huskies bring a 19-1 overall record into Monday's showdown, with their lone loss coming to then-No. 6 Baylor on 1/9/20 at the XL Center in Hartford. UConn is No. 4 in the nation in scoring margin at 25.1 PPG, and fifth in three-point shooting percentage at 39.4. Megan Walker leads the offense with 19.7 PPG, No. 20 in the nation, and Christyn Williams (15.8), Crystal Dangerfield (15.7) and Oliva Nelson-Ododa (11.0) all average double figures as well.

Road Warriors
The Ducks are a perfect 11-0 at home this season, but they are being tested during a current stretch of eight road games in 10 contests. Oregon has opened the daunting road stretch with three straight wins at then-No. 7 Oregon State, Utah and Colorado. The Ducks are 6-1 in true road games this year and have won four 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 20.0 points and 7.7 rebounds over the Ducks' last seven games entering Monday'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 46-of-51 (90.2) at the stripe over the last seven games. After putting up 17 at Colorado, Sabally has now scored in double figures in eight straight games - with at least 17 in all eight - and in 14 of 17 games 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 17.7 points per game while averaging 8.7 rebounds and an NCAA-leading 8.6 assists per game. Hebard is averaging 16.2 points and a team-best 9.6 rebounds per game, and Sabally's recent offensive surge has her up to second on the team with 16.5 points per game while adding 6.8 rebounds. The Ducks enter Monday's game as the only team in the nation to have three regulars averaging at least 16.0 points per game.

Ionescu Automatic 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 33-of-33 at the stripe through UO's first 10 conference games. On the season, Ionescu leads the nation with a 94.6 percent mark from the line (53-of-56), and she has made 34 straight free throws entering Monday's 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 Monday's game 14 away from No. 6 with 973 in her career. Including men, Ionescu is the 26th player in NCAA history to reach 900 assists, and the 17th to reach 950. Ionescu is looking to join Courtney Vandersloot, also coached by Kelly Graves, as the only players in history to record 2,000-plus points and 1,000-plus assists.

Shooting The Lights Out
Oregon leads the nation in scoring offense with 86.8 points per game entering Monday's contest, and the Ducks are No. 2 in the NCAA with a 50.5 field-goal percentage as a team. One of the biggest factor's in Oregon's efficiency has been its dominance in the paint, where the Ducks own a 370-point advantage and have outscored their opponents in all but one game so far. 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 66.5 shooting percentage. From three-point range, the Ducks rank No. 11 in the nation with 9.1 threes per game and No. 14 with a 37.3 shooting percentage from behind the arc.

Ionescu, Moore Lead Dynamic Offense
The Ducks boast one of the nation's most dynamic and efficient offenses, which is directed by senior guards Sabrina Ionescu and Minyon Moore. Oregon leads the NCAA with a 1.86 assist-to-turnover ratio, with Moore ranking second nationally at 4.14 and Ionescu fifth at 3.23. The Ducks are No. 3 in the country with 21.1 assists per game behind Ionescu's NCAA-leading 8.6 APG, and Oregon is also No. 3 nationally with just 11.3 turnovers per game. The Ducks are a perfect 18-0 this season when finishing with more assists than their opponent, and 12-1 when committing fewer turnovers.

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 Monday's game with an even 50.0 three-point shooting percentage, and Shelley ranks fifth in the conference at 41.7. Chavez is a combined 7-of-9 from behind the arc in the last four games, and her 50.0 percent mark would lead the nation if she met the required minimum number of attempts.

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 12/16/19 against UC Riverside after a 17-point game on 12/14/19 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 /19 vs. Utah State. Lydia Giomi had a career-high 18 points in the season-opener, and Holly Winterburn was the Pac-12 freshman of the Week on 12/9/19 after dropping 17 points against South Dakota State. As a team, Oregon has had nine different players combine for 79 double-digit scoring performances.