Senior Guards Set Tone As Ducks Win

Wednesday, November 6

Eugene, OR

7 p.m.

University of Oregon

Nevada

Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com

11/06/24 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score: Oregon 76, Nevada 58 Photo Gallery

Oregon's senior guard duo stepped up to help the UO women beat Nevada on Wednesday, 76-58.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — Two days after Oregon's depth shined in the UO women's season opener, the Ducks leaned more heavily on their senior guard tandem Wednesday.

Deja Kelly and Peyton Scott were up to the challenge. Kelly and Scott combined for 33 points with six rebounds and six assists Wednesday as the Oregon women beat Nevada at Matthew Knight Arena, 76-58.

"It's a lot of experience, two really good senior guards," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "They led us, and we needed them tonight — every bit of them."

The Ducks (2-0) trailed after the first quarter, then blew the game open in the second, forcing eight turnovers to finish the period outscoring the Wolf Pack 28-9. Up 17 at halftime, 40-23, Oregon then had just a 36-35 scoring edge in the second half.

"I thought that second half, we just kind of went through the motions," Graves said. "Traded baskets most of the third quarter, and then the fourth quarter we just kind of went dead. … We really saw in that second quarter, when we amp it up defensively it creates better offense, and we just played better."

How It Happened: After the teams traded baskets to open the game, Scott scored six straight points to give Oregon an early 8-2 lead. The Wolf Pack answered with a 10-2 run to take the lead, and they maintained a two-point advantage at the end of the opening period, 14-12.

Kelly got going in the second, scoring two early buckets to put the Ducks up 18-14. Five straight points put Nevada back in front, before the UO women put the hammer down. Kelly scored to give Oregon the lead again, and Amina Muhammad made a layup in transition for a 22-19 lead.

Midway through the period Graves went to a lineup employing Kelly, Scott, Alexis Whitfield, Ari Long and Phillipina Kyei, and it helped the Ducks score nine more points in a row for a 31-19 lead. Scott said the team leaders made their voices heard during a timeout early in that run.

"We had to kind of look in the mirror and decide what team we wanted to be coming out," Scott said. "We wanted to show some fight, and that definitely starts with us (as leaders). And so we just came out and got a good five in, that was going to set the tone and get it back to what we wanted."

Scott finished the night with 12 points, Muhammad had 13 points with seven rebounds and Whitfield scored 10. Kelly led the way with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting, stepping up when her team needed it.

"We just wanted her to be more aggressive, more assertive," Graves said. "I don't know if she even got a shot up in the first quarter. We needed her to do that, and she did it and she started cooking."

Kelly hit two three-pointers early in the third, as Oregon outscored Nevada in the period, 24-17. She and Elisa Mevius each hit a three in the fourth, in which the Wolf Pack had an 18-12 edge and closed within 13 points in the final two minutes.

Going forward, Kelly said, the Ducks will be looking for a stronger start and a more consistent effort for 40 minutes. If Wednesday was any indication, Kelly and Scott will set the tone themselves.

"Me and Peyton know that we're the leaders and we're the voice of this team, so we have to be that consistently," Kelly said. "And I think that's what we were trying to emphasize."

Notable: Junior guard Nani Falatea played 16 minutes after leaving Monday's game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. … The Ducks again played without injured senior Salimatou Kourouma and also freshman Ehis Etute, who is fulfilling a national team obligation. … Kourouma was feared to be facing a potentially season-ending injury, but Graves said Monday she may be able to return in six-to-eight weeks.

Up Next: The Ducks host No. 12 Baylor on Sunday (7 p.m., Big Ten Network).