Ducks Drop Shootout In Overtime

Wednesday, February 19

Lincoln, NE

5 p.m.

University of Oregon

18-9,9-7Big Ten

Nebraska

18-9,9-7Big Ten

OT 1

Oregon

Nebraska

Photo by: Brielle Moseley/GoDucks.com

02/19/25 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score: Nebraska 94, Oregon 90 Photo Gallery

It took a remarkable display of three-point shooting by Nebraska on Wednesday to beat the UO women.

LINCOLN, Neb. — With the game on the line, Oregon women's basketball has been tough to beat this season. It took a remarkable display of shooting to knock off the Ducks in overtime on Wednesday.

Nebraska made its last eight three-point attempts against the UO women Wednesday, one to force overtime and another four in the extra period as the Ducks dropped a 94-90 decision at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Oregon returns home for its Senior Day on Sunday after a two-game road trip that began with a win at Minnesota and looked like a potential sweep until Nebraska's late sharp-shooting Wednesday.

"Both teams played really well; that's as good as basketball can get," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "We're obviously really disappointed. I thought we had chances tonight. And credit Nebraska — they made every three, every shot when they had to."

Alexis Markowski hit the three to force overtime and one of the Huskers' four in the extra period, on her way to 35 points with 15 rebounds. Deja Kelly had 22 points with six assists to lead the Ducks, Nani Falatea added 20 points with six three-pointers – one that put Oregon up three in the final minute of regulation before Markowski tied it — and Phillipina Kyei finished with 16 points and nine rebounds.

Oregon fell to 18-9 overall and 9-7 in the Big Ten, the same records the Huskers now sport after Wednesday's win. Both teams remain right on the bubble to finish in the top nine of the standings and earn a first-round bye to the conference tournament.

"These are the games as a coach you kind of beat yourself up over," Graves said. "We could have done a lot better ourselves. But we've got to get back on the horse."

How It Happened: The Ducks knocked down four of their first five shots to start the game, including three-pointers from Falatea and Kelly, in racing out to a 10-0 lead just over two minutes into the game. The run also included layups from Kyei and Elisa Mevius.

The Cornhuskers rallied behind four made three-pointers in the first quarter to tie the score 18-18 after 10 minutes. Nebraska finished on a 7-2 spurt over the final two minutes. Five Ducks got into the scoring column, led by five from Kelly.

It was a 10-3 Nebraska run to start the second quarter, with the Huskers knocking down two more triples to stretch their lead to 28-21.

Back-to-back threes from Mevius and Peyton Scott got the Ducks within one, and later another Scott trey tied the game at 35. The Huskers hit three three-pointers in the quarter to take a one-point lead into the locker room, 40-39.

Scott knocked down three from behind the arc in the second quarter, as UO registered seven threes in the half. Oregon was outrebounded 25-14 in the first half, with the Huskers grabbing 13 offensive rebounds that led to 11 second-chance points.

UO began the third quarter on a 19-6 run to open up a 12-point lead, 58-46, for its largest of the game. The run included a pair of three-pointers from Falatea and seven points from Kelly. Falatea finished the third with three 3-pointers, as the Ducks outscored Nebraska 28-17 in the quarter to take a 67-57 lead into the fourth.

"We're getting pretty good shots, we're confident," Graves said of Oregon's three-point accuracy of late.

Peyton Scott

UO shot 58 percent from the floor in the third while holding the Huskers to 43 percent shooting and 0-for-4 from deep.

The Cornhuskers cut the 10-point deficit in half after they scored the first five points of the fourth, and the lead was trimmed to four, 69-65, just over two minutes into the quarter after Nebraska's ninth three-pointer of the game. Later, a three-point play from Markowski tied the game at 70 with just under six minutes on the clock.

Another and-one conversion for the Huskers, this one from Jessica Petrie, gave her team a 73-72 lead with less than five minutes to go. With the game tied at 78, Falatea knocked down a three from the corner with 37.7 on the clock, only to see Markowski answer with a three of her own 10 seconds later.

Tied and with possession, the Ducks played for the final shot, but a three-pointer from Scott skipped off the rim and the game went into overtime tied at 81.

In overtime, the Huskers knocked down three three-point attempts over the first four minutes to open up a 90-85 lead. Kyei converted an and-one to bring the Ducks within two with 44.8 on the clock, but on its next possession Nebraska connected on its 15th three-pointer of the day to push the lead back to five.

"We've been really great in close games; this is the first one we didn't pull out," Graves said. "But proud of the fight, proud of the effort."

Notable: The all-time series between Oregon and Nebraska is now even 1-1, with this being the first game in Lincoln … The game marked UO's first overtime contest since Jan. 15, 2023, against Washington State … 12 made three-pointers was one shy of the Ducks' season high set in the season opener against California Baptist … Falatea's six made threes were a season high by any Duck … Third time UO has scored at least 90 points this season while the 90 points marked a high in Big Ten play … Five Ducks in double figures for the second time this season (also done at Northwestern).

Up Next: The Ducks host Rutgers on Sunday (2 p.m., B1G+).