Ducks Return to MKA to Host Gophers

Wednesday, January 21

Eugene, OR

6 p.m.

University of Oregon

Minnesota

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The Oregon women's basketball team takes on No. 15 Michigan State at Matthew Knight Arena on Jan. 11, 2026.

Photo by: GoDucks.com

01/20/26 | Women's Basketball

Game Notes (PDF)

UO takes on Minnesota Wednesday (6 p.m., B1G+).

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon women's basketball team returns home after a two-game Midwest swing, as the Ducks host Minnesota on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.

The Ducks look to snap a season-long three-game skid after dropping a 94-62 double-overtime decision at Wisconsin on Sunday. Minnesota has lost two straight, and three of its last five, after a 67-54 setback at Washington.

Oregon is 3-0 all-time against the Golden Gophers after a 76-70 win in Minneapolis a season ago in the inaugural matchup as Big Ten foes.

GAME #21
Oregon (14-6, 2-5) vs. Minnesota (12-6, 3-4)
Wednesday, Jan. 21 | 6 p.m. | Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV/Stream: B1G+
Play-by-play: Charles Martindale | Analyst: Owen Brock | Sideline: Olivia Arciniega
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (KUGN 98.1 FM | ESPN Portland 910 AM)
Play-by-play: Chris Clayton | Analyst: Bev Smith
Listen Online | Live Stats | Tickets

A WIN WOULD…
» End Oregon's season-long three-game skid.
» Improve the Ducks' home record to 10-2 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play.
» Give the Ducks their 24th consecutive home win against an unranked team.
» Improve Oregon's all-time record against Minnesota to 4-0.
» Be UO's second win at home against the Golden Gophers and a 2-0 record as members of the Big Ten.
» Give Oregon a 4-3 record following a loss this season.

LAST TIME OUT
Sunday's matchup between Oregon and Wisconsin was an epic back-and-forth battle.

In a game that featured 14 ties and a dozen lead changes, the Badgers clawed out a 94-92 double-overtime thriller at Kohl Center.

"We had plenty of opportunities to win this game and just didn't take advantage," said head coach Kelly Graves. "I hurt for the team. I hurt for them, we tried hard. We've just got to figure out a way to make key plays."

Wisconsin scored the final six points of regulation to force the game to an extra period at 69-69. In the first overtime, Oregon went on a 9-3 run to take a three-point lead with under 10 seconds left, only to see UW's Destiny Howell hit a game-tying three with under five seconds on the clock, sending the game to another five-minute period.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Minnesota (12-6, 3-4), who is receiving votes in the latest Associated Press top-25 poll, enters Wednesday's contest having dropped back-to-back games after its 67-54 loss at Washington on Sunday. The Golden Gophers have lost three of their last five overall after winning their previous four outings.

Grace Grocholski is the team's leading scorer at 13.4 points a night, followed by Tori McKinney's 12.6 points and Mara Braun's 11.3. Amaya Battle grabs a team-leading 7.2 rebounds per game, with Sophie Hart second with her 6.1 boards.

Grocholski ranks third in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting at 45.5 percent, making 2.5 per game on average. Battle is 10th in rebounding and 12th in the league with a 2.03 assist-to-turnover ratio.

As a team, the Gophers lead the nation in fewest turnovers per game with 10.5, and are ninth nationally in scoring defense allowing 53.9 points a game (leads Big Ten). Their team assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.57 comes in at No. 8 in the country.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Oregon is unbeaten against Minnesota, winning all three of the previous meetings dating back to 1979. The Ducks and Golden Gophers met twice in postseason play before the initial meeting as members of the Big Ten a season ago. In last year's meeting in Minneapolis, Oregon pulled out a 76-70 victory helped in part by a 28-5 edge in bench scoring. The Gophers trimmed the deficit to four points with under four minutes to go, but the Ducks were able to pull away the road victory.

Wednesday's meeting will be the second at Matthew Knight Arena between the teams, as they met in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The sixth-ranked Ducks advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with a 101-73 victory that day.

OFF AND RUNNING
Oregon began the 2025-26 season 10-0 for just the third time in program history before suffering its first loss of the season on Dec. 7 at No. 4 UCLA. It marked the first 10-0 start since beginning the 2015-16 season 11-0, and the second 10-0 start or better under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves. The Ducks' 12-1 start was its best 13-game start since the 2019-20 season, and the third 12-1 start or better under Graves. UO's offense has scored 80 or more in 11 of 20 games, including five straight to begin the season - its longest streak to open a season since seven straight such games to open the 2019-20 season. UO's scoring offense of 78.5 points per game ranks 32nd nationally and ninth in the Big Ten.

Seven different Ducks have led or tied for the team lead in scoring, with 11 different players producing a double-digit scoring performance. Four times this season five different players finished in double figures, most recently on Dec. 18 in win over Portland: Mia Jacobs (21), Amina Muhamad (12), Avary Cain (11), Sarah Rambus (11) and Katie Fiso (10). Five of the 11 players with a double-figure scoring game came off the bench (Avary Cain, Ehis Etute, Muhammad, Astera Tuhina and Janiyah Williams).

» Oregon's offensive rating of 104.1 (points per 100 possessions) ranks 11th in the Big Ten while averaging 73.7 possessions per 40 minutes (fourth in Big Ten). UO had an offensive rating of 96.0 with an average of 70.2 possessions per 40 minutes last year.
» UO's field goal percentage of 46.6 is No. 25 in the country, with its 52.2 percent on two-point shots ranking ninth in the conference.
» Oregon ranks 25th in the country and seventh in the league with an effective field goal percentage of 52.5 percent.
» The Ducks' bench is averaging 25.1 points per game, good for fourth in the Big Ten, after scoring 32 points at Iowa - their seventh 30-point outing of the season.
» UO's 18.1 assists per game are good for 21st nationally, posting an assisted shot rate of 62.0 percent (sixth in the Big Ten).
» The Ducks are third in the Big Ten and No. 19 in the country in free throw shooting (78.0 percent), while their 1.18 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 37th nationally.

STORM AND SWARM
Oregon's suffocating defense, a chief reason for Oregon's success a season ago, is back again this year. The Ducks have forced at least 20 turnovers 12 times and recorded double-digit steals in 15 of 20 contests to start the season. The 15 games with 10 or more steals are tied for the seventh-most in the country, and two shy of the national leaders, while the 12 20-turnover games are tied for 15th-most nationally and six games behind the nation's leaders. In 12 games this season, UO's defense has recorded double-digit steals while forcing 20 or more turnovers - tied for the eighth-most such games in the country and four games behind the nation's leaders.

Oregon forced a season-high 32 turnovers behind 24 steals against West Georgia in the season opener, its most steals in a game since 2013. Oregon's defense recorded 12 or more steals and forced at least 23 turnovers in four consecutive games to begin the season. UO turned in 10 or more steals in five consecutive games from Nov. 23 to Dec. 3, matching the longest streak from a season ago. The four consecutive games with 20-plus turnovers to start the season marked its longest since eight straight such games during the 2010-11 season.

» The 15 games with double-digit steals are already tied for the most in a season under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves, matching the total from the 2019-20 season. The Ducks produced 16 such games in 2013-14.
» Oregon created at least 22 turnovers in three straight outings, forcing 29 vs. Utah State, 26 against Saint Mary's and 22 against Old Dominion. UO has two different stretches of at least three consecutive games with 22 or more forced turnovers.
» The Ducks are one of 10 teams with 12 games forcing a minimum of 22 turnovers, and one of two teams in the Big Ten.
» The Ducks' defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) is 83.0, which ranks eighth in the Big Ten.
» Oregon is recording a steal on 13.6 percent of opponent possessions, which is the fourth-highest rate in the Big Ten and 27th-highest in the nation.
» Opposing teams are turning the ball over on 23.9 percent of its possessions, the fourth-best rate in the conference.

CARDIAC DUCKS
Oregon has been no stranger to close games this season. Sunday's double-overtime contest at Wisconsin marked the second time this season that the Ducks have gone to double overtime, also playing two extra periods against then-sixth-ranked Michigan on Dec. 29. UO has played five games this season that have been decided by five points or less, going 2-3 in those games, while also playing five "clutch games" - games that are within five points with five minutes to play or less. Since the start of last season, Oregon has played 20 clutch games, winning over half of them (11).

At then-No. 21 USC on Jan. 6, Oregon overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to upset the Trojans on their home floor 71-66. Junior guard Ari Long went 3-for-3 from the beyond the arc over the game's final 2:43 to erase a six-point hole and finish the game on a 14-0 run. The comeback victory tied for the second-largest halftime deficit overcome under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves, tying a 16-point comeback at USC back on Jan. 13, 2017. Trailing at one point by 17 in the third quarter, it was the largest comeback win since the 2021-22 season against Arizona.

» The win against the Trojans marked the second double-digit comeback win of the season after Oregon trailed by 14 points at Auburn on Nov. 30, outscoring the Tigers 34-20 in the second half.
» The double-OT game against the Wolverines was the first time the Ducks have gone into double overtime since the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament against Belmont on March 19, 2022.
» This Ducks played a pair of overtime games a season ago, including a 77-73 win over Vanderbilt in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament in Durham, N.C.
» This marks the first season with multiple double-overtime games played since 2021-22, when UO played two over the season's final five games. Oregon played three games that season that went into an extra period, going 1-2.
» Over the last two seasons, the Ducks have participated in 15 games that have been decided by five points or fewer, going 9-6 in those tilts with five wins coming away from home.
» The five games decided by five points or fewer are tied for the most such games in the Big Ten this season.

GO, FISO, GO
Sophomore point guard Katie Fiso has stepped into the Ducks' lead guard spot this season, as she takes over after the departures of graduate guards Deja Kelly and Peyton Scott. Fiso, who was the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Washington her senior season, got her first career start in the season opener against West Georgia on Nov. 3 and turned in her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists - without a turnover. She produced her first 20-point scoring effort while handing out 10 assists against Grand Canyon on Nov. 11 and has since recorded points-assists double-doubles against Army (12 points, 10 assists), Saint Mary's (15 points, 10 assists), Oregon State (23 points, 14 assists) and Portland (10 points, 11 assists). She set a career high with 26 points at Wisconsin on Jan. 18 and now owns a team-best seven 20-point games this season.

Against Oregon State on Dec. 3, Fiso turned in one of the best games of her career with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting to go with a career-high 14 assists. Her 14 assists equaled the second-highest assist total in a game in program history, and were three shy of Sabrina Ionescu's record of 17 set in 2018. The 14 assists are tied for the second-most in a game by any player in the Big Ten, while there have been just 10 games nationally this season where someone produced at least 14 assists.

» Fiso leads the Ducks with 15.7 points per game after averaging just 3.1 a game last season. Her increase of 12.6 points per game is the highest improvement from a season ago among Big Ten players (17th-highest nationally).
» Fiso's seven 20-point games are tied for sixth-most in the league among Big Ten guards.
» Against the Wolverines, she scored 22 of her 24 points in the second half and both overtime periods.
» Over the last seven games, Fiso has scored 83 of her 124 points after halftime - good for 66.9 percent of her scoring.
» She is averaging 11.9 points in the second halves and overtime periods while averaging 17.7 points per game overall over her last seven contests.
» Her six points-assists double-doubles this season lead the nation, while only 13 players in the country have multiple points-assists double-doubles.
» There have been 11 points-assists double-doubles in the Big Ten this season, with Fiso accounting for six of them and the only player with more than two.
» Six total double-doubles are tied for second-most in the Big Ten and tied for 48th-most in the nation.
» Turned in the first 20-point, 10-assist double-double by a Duck since Sabrina Ionescu had 20 points and 12 assists against Stanford on March 8, 2020.
» First Duck with multiple points-assists double-doubles in a season since Ionescu during the 2019-20 campaign (17).
» Her and Ionescu are the only two Ducks since at least 1999 to have a minimum of four points-assists double-doubles in a season.
» First Duck with 10-plus assists without a turnover since Minyon Moore did so at USC on Feb. 16, 2020, and first Duck since Ionescu on Feb. 1, 2020 with a point-assists double-double without committing a turnover.
» Led (or tied) UO in assists in all 20 outings this season and ranks second in the Big Ten at 7.0 assists a night (eighth nationally).
» On Dec. 8, Fiso earned her second selection to the Big Ten's weekly honor roll after averaging 18.5 points and 10.5 assists.
» Fiso is one of four players in the country averaging at least 7.0 assists and shooting 45.0 percent or better from the floor, and the only player in the Big Ten.

MAMA MIA
Senior forward Mia Jacobs, a Fresno State transfer, has made an immediate impact for the Ducks on the young season. She ranks second on the team in scoring at 14.6 points per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the floor. Jacobs finished as the team's leading scorer in three of the first four games to begin the season, and is second on the team with five games with 20 points or more. She dropped a season-high 30 points behind six 3-pointers at Wisconsin in her last outing, the sixth 30-point effort of her career. Additionally, she has connected on 72-of-84 free throw attempts to rank eighth in the Big Ten at 85.7 percent.

» Jacobs' 30-point game against the Badgers marked the first Duck with 30 or more points since Endyia Rogers dropped 35 against Utah on Feb. 5, 2023. She scored 22 after halftime, with nine coming over the two overtime periods.
» Jacobs scored in double figures in 10 consecutive games from Nov. 30-Jan. 11, the longest such streak of her career ending at Iowa on Jan. 15. Additionally, she hit at least one 3-pointer in nine straight contests before the game at Iowa while knocking down multiple triples eight times in that span.
» Jacobs produced a double-double in three consecutive games from Dec. 14-21 - the first double-doubles of the season after recording 19 a season ago while at Fresno State.
» Jacobs turned in her first double-double against Montana State on Dec. 14 with 13 points and 10 rebounds before scoring 21 points with 10 boards against Portland on Dec. 18.
» On Dec. 21 against Stanford at Chase Center, Jacobs grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds while scoring 11 points.
» On Dec. 7 at UCLA, Jacobs eclipsed 1,500 points for her career and her 1,644 points rank 27th among all active players and fifth-most among active players in the Big Ten.
» Jacobs' 44 made 3-pointers lead the team and are second-most among Big Ten forwards (No. 9 nationally among forwards), and just one back of Minnesota's Grace Grocholski.
» She went 12-of-13 from the free throw line against Grand Canyon on Nov. 11, marking the most made free throws by a Duck since Sabrina Ionescu made 17 against Mississippi State on Dec. 18, 2018.
» Her free throw percentage of 85.7 is fifth-best in the nation among forwards with at least 50 made free throws and second in the Big Ten.

RING THE BELL
Junior guard Sofia Bell is a phenom on the court and in the classroom. Bell earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon after only two years and is already enrolled in an MBA program at UO. On the basketball court, she is a disruptor to opposing offenses and has developed into a knock-down 3-point shooter. The 6-foot Bell leads the team with 15 blocks and ranks second in made 3-pointers (36) and steals (35), recording at least one steal in 18 of 20 games this season with multiple steals in 12 contests. Bell has registered at least one theft in 51 of her 69 career games (73.9 percent), while finishing with multiple steals 28 times. Fifteen of her 30 career blocks have come this season after having just three over 28 games last year.

On the offensive end, she is shooting 37.5 percent from behind the 3-point line (36-of-96) - up from 29.7 percent from a season ago - and had a career day against No. 15 Michigan State on Jan. 11, going 6-of-8 from downtown on her way to a career-high 18 points. Bell went 4-for-4 from the deep in the first quarter against the Spartans on her way to a career-best six made 3-pointers. Bell produced her 11th game this season with multiple 3-pointers with a team-high three at No. 11 Iowa on Jan. 15. Her 15 points against Montana State on Dec. 14 marked the first time in her career she led the Ducks in scoring, becoming the seventh different player to lead UO in points this season. Bell is the only player in the Big Ten, and one of just 11 players in the nation, to have at least 15 blocks while making at least 36 3-pointers.

EHIS THE BEAST
Sophomore F Ehis Etute has begun to tap into her raw potential in her second season in Eugene. The Luxembourg product has scored in double figures in nine of her last 12 games, logging a career-best 17 points to go with 13 boards at No. 21 USC on Jan. 6. Etute turned in a then-career-high 15 points to go with eight rebounds against Old Dominion on Thanksgiving Day before a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double off the bench at Auburn on Nov. 30. It marked Etute's first double-double of her career while grabbing a career high in rebounds, going 7-of-10 from the floor. She scored 13 points and hauled in seven rebounds in the Ducks' comeback victory against the Trojans.

» Etute has started each of the last five games, her first starts of the season, after making one start during her freshman season.
» Etute produced her third double-double of the year at Wisconsin on Jan. 18, scoring 13 points to go with 11 boards (five offensive rebounds). She scored nine points on 4-of-4 shooting in the third quarter to help UO overcome a five-point halftime deficit.
» All three of her career double-doubles have come this season.
» Over a four-game stretch from Nov. 27 to Dec. 14, Etute averaged 13.3 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 55.9 percent from the field. She averaged 22.4 minutes off the bench in that stretch, the third-most minutes of anyone on the team.
» Etute has led UO in rebounding in 13 of 19 games in which she has played this season and has finished as the team leader 17 times in her career.
» Against Washington State on Nov. 19, she hauled in 13 rebounds for her first 10-rebound effort, with eight coming on the offensive end - the second-best total by any player in the Big Ten this season.
» Etute boasts a total rebounding rate of 21.3 percent, the highest rate in the Big Ten and 17th-highest rate in the country among players averaging at least 15.0 minutes per game, with her offensive rebounding rate of 19.2 percent is tops in the Big Ten and 11th nationally among those players.

THE LONG GAME
Junior guard Ari Long has cracked the starting lineup for the first time in her career this season, starting each of the last 18 games in place of the injured Elisa Mevius, who will miss the season due to a knee injury. Long, standing at 6-foot, leads the Ducks with 39 steals and ranks second on the team with 12 blocks. Her 12 blocks are tied for the eighth-most among Big Ten guards, while she is one of just two Big Ten guards with at least 12 blocks and 39 steals. She is part of a group of just 21 guards in the country with those numbers.

» On Jan. 18 against Wisconsin, she turned in an all-around effort with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals - setting career highs in rebounds and assists while equaling her season high in steals.
» She is the first Duck with at least 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals since Oti Gildon (20-8-5-4) on Dec. 30, 2018, while it is just the fifth time since at least 1999 a Duck produced that stat line.
» Her 39 steals rank as the fifth most in the Big Ten.
» Against No. 21 USC on Jan. 6, she knocked down three 3-pointers over the game's final three minutes to help Oregon complete a 17-point comeback and come away with a 71-66 victory.
» With UO trailing 66-60 with under three minutes to play, Long connected from deep range on consecutive trips to tie the game before knocking down the go-ahead triple with just over 30 seconds remaining.
» Long has led or tied for the team lead in steals eight times this season while pacing the team in blocks six times.