Thursday, February 6
Eugene, OR
6 p.m.
University of Oregon
16-7,7-5Big Ten
61
vs
79
Maryland
18-5,8-4Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
Maryland
19
20
29
11
79
Oregon
9
13
23
16
61
Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Slow Start Haunts Ducks
02/06/25 | Women's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon got season highs from both Ehis Etute and Ari Long, but a sluggish start proved too much for the Ducks to overcome Thursday night in a 79-61 loss to No. 16 Maryland at Matthew Knight Arena.
Oregon (16-7, 7-5) dropped its second straight game and just its second game at home this season. UO went 3-for-16 from the field in scoring nine first-quarter points, and finished the half with 22 points on 7-of-27 shooting (26 percent). Maryland's offense hummed at a 57 percent clip in the opening half, helping create a 17-point halftime lead.
"We rely on our defense so much that we feel like if we can't score that's okay, the defense will keep us in it," UO head coach Kelly Graves said. "We've come back from big deficits here this season, but these guys were too good.
"This was a big one we let slip away. We can't let any more slip away like this."
The Oregon starting five combined for 12 points on 2-of-20 shooting, while its bench produced 49 points while going 17-for-39 (44 percent). Etute (14) and Long (11) each turned in season-high point totals off the bench.
Long set a career high with three 3-pointers, while Sofia Bell also added three triples. Eight of UO's 19 made field goals came from behind the arc to mark its most in a Big Ten game this season. Oregon scored 39 second-half points and outscored the Terrapins 16-11 in the fourth quarter.
"I thought the last 15 minutes of the game we actually played really hard, played well," added Graves. "If we would've started like that, with that same kind of energy, enthusiasm and toughness, it might've been a different game."
How It Happened: The Ducks shot just 3-for-16 in the first quarter, with two of their field goals coming from the 3-point line courtesy of Peyton Scott and Bell. Conversely, Maryland shot at a 64 percent clip (7-for-11) in opening a 10-point lead through 10 minutes, due in large part to an 11-0 run.
The Terps put together another 11-0 run midway through the second quarter, stretching their lead to 22 points after a 3-pointer. The Ducks went over seven and a half minutes without a field goal, but a Bell triple at the halftime horn snapped the stretch and brought the Ducks within 17, 39-22, at the half.
UO committed 10 first-half turnovers leading to 11 Maryland points. The Terrapins ended the half shooting 57 percent while Oregon managed 26 percent from the floor. Bell was the Ducks' leading scorer with six points, all coming from behind the arc.
Maryland produced scoring runs of 12, eight and six points in the third quarter, helping create a gap as large as 31. Oregon answered with an 8-0 run, trimming its deficit to 19 points with just under two minutes to play in the quarter, but Maryland scored six of the final eight to put the score at 68-45 after 30 minutes of action.
The Ducks scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to claw within 16 points, 68-52. Long knocked down her third 3-pointer of the game in that stretch, helping UO outscore the Terps 16-11 in the fourth. Long scored all 11 of her points in the second half, as did Etute with her team-high 14 points.
Notable: The Oregon bench scored 49 points, its sixth game this season scoring over 40 points … Phillipina Kyei is now 12 rebounds away from 1,000 for her career … The game marked Maryland's first win in the series' history, with UO now holding a 2-1 edge … Oregon's two newest head coaches were introduced to the crowd after the first quarter: head volleyball coach Trent Kersten and head soccer coach Tracy Joyner … Scott left the game in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury and did not return.
Up Next: The Ducks host No. 1 UCLA on Sunday (1 p.m., B1G+).
Oregon (16-7, 7-5) dropped its second straight game and just its second game at home this season. UO went 3-for-16 from the field in scoring nine first-quarter points, and finished the half with 22 points on 7-of-27 shooting (26 percent). Maryland's offense hummed at a 57 percent clip in the opening half, helping create a 17-point halftime lead.
"We rely on our defense so much that we feel like if we can't score that's okay, the defense will keep us in it," UO head coach Kelly Graves said. "We've come back from big deficits here this season, but these guys were too good.
"This was a big one we let slip away. We can't let any more slip away like this."
The Oregon starting five combined for 12 points on 2-of-20 shooting, while its bench produced 49 points while going 17-for-39 (44 percent). Etute (14) and Long (11) each turned in season-high point totals off the bench.
Long set a career high with three 3-pointers, while Sofia Bell also added three triples. Eight of UO's 19 made field goals came from behind the arc to mark its most in a Big Ten game this season. Oregon scored 39 second-half points and outscored the Terrapins 16-11 in the fourth quarter.
"I thought the last 15 minutes of the game we actually played really hard, played well," added Graves. "If we would've started like that, with that same kind of energy, enthusiasm and toughness, it might've been a different game."
How It Happened: The Ducks shot just 3-for-16 in the first quarter, with two of their field goals coming from the 3-point line courtesy of Peyton Scott and Bell. Conversely, Maryland shot at a 64 percent clip (7-for-11) in opening a 10-point lead through 10 minutes, due in large part to an 11-0 run.
The Terps put together another 11-0 run midway through the second quarter, stretching their lead to 22 points after a 3-pointer. The Ducks went over seven and a half minutes without a field goal, but a Bell triple at the halftime horn snapped the stretch and brought the Ducks within 17, 39-22, at the half.
UO committed 10 first-half turnovers leading to 11 Maryland points. The Terrapins ended the half shooting 57 percent while Oregon managed 26 percent from the floor. Bell was the Ducks' leading scorer with six points, all coming from behind the arc.
Maryland produced scoring runs of 12, eight and six points in the third quarter, helping create a gap as large as 31. Oregon answered with an 8-0 run, trimming its deficit to 19 points with just under two minutes to play in the quarter, but Maryland scored six of the final eight to put the score at 68-45 after 30 minutes of action.
The Ducks scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to claw within 16 points, 68-52. Long knocked down her third 3-pointer of the game in that stretch, helping UO outscore the Terps 16-11 in the fourth. Long scored all 11 of her points in the second half, as did Etute with her team-high 14 points.
Notable: The Oregon bench scored 49 points, its sixth game this season scoring over 40 points … Phillipina Kyei is now 12 rebounds away from 1,000 for her career … The game marked Maryland's first win in the series' history, with UO now holding a 2-1 edge … Oregon's two newest head coaches were introduced to the crowd after the first quarter: head volleyball coach Trent Kersten and head soccer coach Tracy Joyner … Scott left the game in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury and did not return.
Up Next: The Ducks host No. 1 UCLA on Sunday (1 p.m., B1G+).
Team Stats
MD
Oregon
FG%
.543
.322
3FG%
.450
.381
FT%
.870
.789
RB
36
27
TO
17
14
STL
6
11
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballKelly Graves | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Deja Kelly, Peyton Scott & Phillipina Kyei | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Peyton Scott & Ari Long: "A good, competitive basketball game."
Thursday, February 27
Kelly Graves: "We've played really well."
Thursday, February 27
