Ducks Survive Friday Night Scare - University of Oregon Athletics

Friday, November 6

Eugene, OR

7 p.m.

University of Oregon

2-0,0-0Big Ten

Washington State

0-2,0-0Pac-12

Team	1	2	3	4	F
Washington St.	8	28	11	10	57
Oregon	13	9	24	18	64

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11/06/26 | Women's Basketball

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Oregon overcomes 14-point halftime deficit to defeat WSU.

EUGENE, Ore. — Since joining the Big Ten, Oregon has been no stranger to close game and come-from-behind wins. And the Ducks got an early taste of the chaos in just the second game of the 2026-27 season.

The Oregon women's basketball team crawled out of a 14-point halftime deficit to thwart a game Washington State squad on Friday night, claiming a 64-57 victory at Matthew Knight Arena in front of 4,531 fans.

"Kind of seems like old times," said UO coach Kelly Graves. "That was our M.O. in the past: we dig a hole, 15 to 18 points and find a way to dig ourselves out."

The Ducks began the game on a 9-0 run, only to look up at the scoreboard at halftime to find themselves trailing 36-22. The Cougars put together a 28-9 second quarter in which they held UO to 3-of-17 shooting. Much of WSU's success was due to star guard Eleanora Villa, who accounted for half of her team's 38 first-half points.

"I told the team before the game that she might be the best guard we'll play pre-Big Ten," Graves said of Villa. "She's just really good, and she showed it tonight."

The Oregon women's basketball team takes on Washington State at Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 6, 2026.

The Oregon women's basketball team takes on Washington State at Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 6, 2026.

Oregon's defense limited Villa to just four points in the second half, as the Ducks' perimeter defense yielded just one 3-pointer on 14 attempts over the game's final 20 minutes. The defensive effort allowed Oregon to chip away at the deficit and finish off its sixth double-digit comeback win since the start of the 2024-25 season.

Katie Fiso finished with 19 points and seven rebounds while freshman Brooklynn Haywood scored 14 off the bench, with nine coming in the second half. Avary Cain scored all 11 of her points in the second half, as she went 3-of-4 from the 3-point line, with her third triple giving the Ducks the lead for good with just over five minutes to play.

"I was a lot more open in the second half," said Cain. "I think just staying ready, that mentality, is really beneficial, especially for a shooter."

How It Happened: Fiso got the Ducks going early, as she hit her first three field goal attempts to kick start a 9-0 run to begin the game while Ehis Etute added four points during the spurt. WSU responded by scoring eight of the next 11 points to claw within four before UO took a 13-8 lead after one quarter of play.

The Cougars offense caught fire in the second quarter as they outscored Oregon, 28-9. WSU shot 60.0 percent from the floor (9-of-15), hitting 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc. Conversely, UO's offense went cold and connected on just 3-of-17 field goal tries and 1-of-6 from deep. Washington State put together a 15-2 run midway through the quarter and finished by scoring 16 of the half's final 19 points to carry a 14-point lead into halftime.

Fiso led the Ducks with eight first-half points while Haywood added five. Villa accounted for half of WSU's points, scoring 18 points on 5-of-8 shooting to pace the Cougars who led 36-22 at the break.

UO's defense limited the Cougars to 4-of-14 shooting in the third quarter, giving its offense a chance to chip away at the halftime deficit. After trailing by as many as 16, the Ducks trimmed the lead to just one after a 10-0 run in the latter stages of the quarter. Cain scored eight points in the frame, including a layup in the closing seconds to put her team down one after three, 47-46. Fiso and Haywood each scored hit clutch triples in scoring five points apiece.

"Brooklynn showed tonight she's fearless," said Graves. "She was in the game when we made the runs. She's a scorer, she's an elite scorer."

The Oregon women's basketball team takes on Washington State at Matthew Knight Arena on Nov. 6, 2026.

The fourth quarter held five lead changes, with the Ducks taking the lead for good on a Cain 3-pointer that put UO in front 55-53 at the 5:08 mark. Cain's triple, which was her third of the night, ignited a seven-point Oregon run, as the Ducks closed the game by outscoring the Cougars 12-4 over the final five minutes.

WSU shot just 1-of-14 from the 3-point line in the second half, while the Ducks shot at a 60.0 percent clip from downtown. Cain and Fiso spearheaded the offense with 11 points apiece, while UO owned a 22-11 rebounding edge in the second half.

Up Next: The Ducks hit the road for the first time this season, visiting Grand Canyon on Monday (7 p.m. PT, CBS Sports Network).