Defense Keys Another Comeback by UO Women

Friday, January 24

Eugene, OR

6 p.m.

University of Oregon

15-5,6-3Big Ten

Indiana

12-7,4-4Big Ten

Indiana

Oregon

Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com

01/24/25 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score: Oregon 54, Indiana 47 Photo Gallery

Oregon used its defensive pressure and two different 10-0 runs in the second half to beat Indiana on Friday.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — Both Iowa and Indiana average better than 70 points per game, and each makes more than 44 percent of its field-goal attempts. Not that you'd know it from watching the Hawkeyes and Hoosiers this past week at Matthew Knight Arena.

Five days after holding Iowa under 50 points in a dramatic come-from-behind victory Sunday, the Oregon women's basketball team followed a similar script Friday to beat Indiana, 54-47. The Ducks held both teams below 38 percent shooting to give themselves a chance to come from behind, doing so Friday with a decisive 10-0 run with less than four minutes left in the game.

"This is incredible," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "Two great offensive teams, and to hold both of them under 50 is really getting it done. It's been our strength. It carried us, and our defense kept us in the game."

The late spurt to take the lead for good was Oregon's second 10-0 run of the night, after one in the third quarter fueled by the Ducks' bench that tied the game. Defense keyed the one in the fourth quarter, with both Elisa Mevius and Peyton Scott scoring in transition off two of the 17 turnovers the UO women forced Friday.

"I thought we played a little bit more desperate, took some more chances defensively late," Graves said. "That kind of pressure for the whole game, they just let down a little bit. And I thought the crowd really helped out."

Scott's late layup helped her finish with a team-high 14 points. Ehis Etute provided a forceful presence in the post, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds, and seven Ducks finished with four points on the night as the Ducks got 27 points — half their total in the game — off the bench.

"We've said it since day one, our depth is going to win us games," Scott said. "And tonight it won us a game."

Oregon improved to 15-5 with the win, and 6-3 at the halfway point of Big Ten play. The UO women finished off a perfect 3-0 homestand, improving to 13-1 this season at Matthew Knight Arena.

How It Happened: The Ducks trailed 11-8 after the first quarter Friday, a testament to their resilience as they went the first 5:41 of the game without a field goal. Indiana's Sydney Parrish, a transfer from Oregon, had five points during the period as the Hoosiers built a 9-4 lead, before Amina Muhammad and Sarah Rambus scored late for the Ducks to tighten it back up.

It was 16-12 early in the second when the UO women took their first lead of the night, albeit briefly. Scott banked in three-pointers from the top of the circle on consecutive possessions to put Oregon in front.

"We talk about not being short; give the ball a chance," said Scott, who was 4-of-4 shooting both from the field and from the line, and who grabbed six rebounds. "I just tried to give it a chance."

Indiana responded to those threes with a 7-0 run to retake the lead, and went into halftime up 25-22. Again the Ducks opened a half with a cold stretch, going the first 4:57 of the third quarter without a field goal. That's when the UO bench stepped up.

Nani Falatea hit a three to spark a 10-0 run, which also included two buckets from Etute and a three-pointer from Sofia Bell. Etute was a decisive factor in the game, providing a scoring touch in the paint and also securing several 50-50 balls that were going to Indiana earlier in the game.

"I believe we wanted the ball more," Etute said. "That's what it comes down to at the end, who wants it more. … In the end, that was just us."

Indiana led 36-34 entering the fourth, and the teams traded scores early in the period. Ari Long and Etute each scored twice during that stretch, which left the UO women trailing 45-42 with less than 5 minutes left.

But after a basket by Phillipina Kyei got the Ducks back within one, a steal by Deja Kelly led to a bucket in transition by Mevius that gave the Ducks the lead for good. Another steal, by Bell, led to Scott being fouled in transition and making two free throws, and Scott had a steal-and-score moments later during what became a 10-0 run fueled by Oregon's defensive tenacity.

"I think we were able to wear them down," said Bell, who had three of Oregon's 11 steals on the night. "And they broke a little bit there."

Up Next: The Ducks play at Michigan State on Thursday (3 p.m., BTN).