Wednesday, February 4
Eugene, OR
6 p.m.
University of Oregon
vs
Illinois
Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com
Ducks Eye Fourth Straight Win
02/03/26 | Women's Basketball
UO hosts Illinois on Wednesday night (6 p.m. B1G+).
EUGENE, Ore. — Following a 2-0 East Coast road trip, the Oregon women's basketball team returns to Matthew Knight Arena to kick off a two-game homestand beginning with Illinois at 6 p.m. on Wednesday night.
The Ducks concluded the cross-country trip with their second road win over a top-25 team on Saturday, taking down No. 16 Maryland, 68-61. UO has won three straight games after snapping its season-long four-game skid.
The all-time series between Oregon and Illinois is tied 2-2, after the Illini held off the Ducks 64-59 in Champaign a season ago. Each team is 2-0 on its home floor, with UO last hosting Illinois during the 2011-12 season.
In recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the televised broadcast of the game will be produced by an all-female crew. Seventeen women in total will contribute to the broadcast, including play-by-play announcer Lily Crane, analyst Olivia Arciniega, sideline reporter McKenna Rowland and producer Sophie Fowler.
GAME #25
Oregon (17-7, 5-6) vs. Illinois (16-6, 6-5)
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 6 p.m. | Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV/Stream: B1G+
Play-by-play: Lily Crane | Analyst: Olivia Arciniega | Sideline: McKenna Rowland
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (KUGN 98.1 FM | ESPN Portland 910 AM)
Play-by-play: Chris Clayton | Analyst: Bev Smith
Promotion: Stomp Out Cancer (wear pink)
Listen Online | Live Stats | Tickets
A WIN WOULD…
» Give Oregon four straight Big Ten wins for the first time this season
» Improve the Ducks' home record to 11-3 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten play.
» Give Oregon its 25th win in its last 26 home games against unranked opponents.
» Give the Ducks a 3-2 lead in the all-time series with Illinois.
» Improve UO's home record against the Fighting Illini to 3-0.
» Give Oregon a 1-1 record against the Illini as members of the Big Ten.
LAST TIME OUT
The first road game of January for the Oregon women's basketball team was an upset of a ranked opponent, and the month ended in the same fashion.
The Ducks went across the country and knocked off No. 16 Maryland on Saturday, 68-61, taking the lead midway through the fourth quarter on a trio of three-pointers by junior Sofia Bell. That capped an 11-0 run that put the Ducks up 61-54, a run sparked by two of Ehis Etute's career-high 26 points before Bell caught fire from behind the arc.
The UO women won their first road game of January at No. 21 USC, and capped the month with another ranked win Saturday. The Ducks (17-7, 5-6 Big Ten) ended the month with a season-best three-game win streak in conference play, and play three of their next four at home beginning Wednesday against Illinois.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois (16-6, 6-5), who is receiving votes in the latest Associated Press top-25 poll, has split their last six games overall after beginning its West Coast swing with a 75-66 win at No. 25 Washington on Sunday.
Against the Huskies, two Fighting Illini turned in 20-point efforts, getting 23 points from Cearah Parchment and 22 points from Berry Wallace. Illinois owned a 33-24 rebounding edge in the game, and committed just eight turnovers in its first road ranked win of the season.
Wallace paces the Illini offense with her 19.5 points a game, with Parchment next at 13.1 a night to go with 8.1 rebounds while both shoot over 50.0 percent from the floor. Gretchen Dolan (12.9 PPG) and Maddie Webber (11.4) round out four who score in double figures.
As a team, Illinois is the nation's leading free throw shooting team at 82.3 percent and are third in fewest turnovers per game in the conference, giving up just 12.5 a game.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Oregon and Illinois have split five all-time meetings, with each side winning twice on its home floor. The Ducks picked up home victories in 1994 and 2011, while the Illini have won the last two meetings in Champaign. In the first matchup between the teams as Big Ten members, Illinois was able to hold off the Ducks for a 64-59 win at State Farm Center. Oregon's bench outscored Illinois' 29-13, but the Ducks shot just 30.8 percent from the floor as a team. Illinois last visited Eugene during the 2011-12 season, with Oregon coming away with a 77-74 win at Matthew Knight Arena.
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 13 of 24 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 77.5 points per game ranks 34th 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 103.9 (points per 100 possessions) ranks 11th in the Big Ten while averaging 73.3 possessions per 40 minutes (sixth in the Big Ten). UO had an offensive rating of 96.0 with an average of 70.2 possessions per 40 minutes last year.
» The 13 80-point outings are the most since also posting 13 such games in 2022-23, while one more would mark the most such games since doing so 25 times during the 2019-20 season.
» UO's field goal percentage of 46.4 is No. 21 in the country, with its 51.9 percent on two-point shots ranking ninth in the conference.
» Oregon ranks 26th in the country and seventh in the league with an effective field goal percentage of 52.3 percent.
» The Ducks' bench is averaging 24.0 points per game, good for sixth in the Big Ten, scoring 42 points against Penn State on Jan. 24 - their seventh 30-point outing and third 40-point effort of the season.
» UO's 18.0 assists per game are good for 19th nationally, posting an assisted shot rate of 62.7 percent (fifth in the Big Ten).
» The Ducks are fifth in the Big Ten and No. 17 in the country in free throw shooting (77.8 percent), while their 1.20 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 32nd 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 17 of 24 contests this season. The 17 games with 10 or more steals are tied for the seventh-most in the country, and most in the Big Ten, while the 12 20-turnover games are tied for fourth-most in the conference. In 12 games this season, UO's defense has recorded double-digit steals while forcing 20 or more turnovers - the third-most such games in the Big Ten and two games behind the league 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 17 games with double-digit steals are already the most in a season under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves, and equaling the total games produced during the 2022-12 and 2009-10 seasons. UO produced 20 10-steal performances during the 2010-11 season.
» The Ducks are one of 16 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 82.9, which ranks sixth in the Big Ten.
» Oregon is recording a steal on 13.2 percent of opponent possessions, which is the fourth-highest rate in the Big Ten and 32nd-highest in the nation.
» Opposing teams are turning the ball over on 22.9 percent of its possessions, the sixth-best rate in the conference.
CARDIAC DUCKS
Oregon has been no stranger to close games this season. The Ducks' double-overtime contest at Wisconsin on Jan. 18 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 six games this season that have been decided by five points or less, going 2-4 in those games, while playing seven "clutch games" - games that are within five points with five minutes to play or less. Since the start of last season, Oregon has played 22 clutch games, winning over half of them (12).
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 16 games that have been decided by five points or fewer, going 9-7 in those tilts with five wins coming away from home.
» The six games decided by five points or fewer are tied for the most such games in the Big Ten this season.
» A season ago, UO went 9-5 in clutch games, winning six straight at one point, while going 5-0 in games decided by two points or less and 7-1 in games decided by four points or less.
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), Portland (10 points, 11 assists) and Penn State (15 points, 10 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 15.0 points per game after averaging just 3.1 a game last season. Her increase of 11.9 points per game is the second-highest improvement from a season ago among Big Ten players (24th-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 11 games, Fiso has scored 102 of her 169 points after halftime - good for 60.3 percent of her scoring.
» Her seven points-assists double-doubles this season lead the nation, while only 18 players in the country have multiple points-assists double-doubles.
» There have been 12 points-assists double-doubles in the Big Ten this season, with Fiso accounting for seven of them and the only player with more than two.
» Seven total double-doubles are tied for second-most in the Big Ten and tied for 49th-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 23 of 24 outings this season and ranks second in the Big Ten at 6.8 assists a night (ninth 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 6.5 assists and shooting 45.0 percent or better from the floor, and the only player in the Big Ten.
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 12 of her last 16 games, logging a career-best 26 points to go with 11 rebounds in UO's win at No. 16 Maryland on Jan. 31. Three days prior at Rutgers, she tied her then-career high of 17 points in the Ducks' 74-53 win to begin their East Coast road trip. The 6-foot Etute was tabbed Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 2, becoming the first Duck to earn the weekly honor after averaging 21.5 points and 10.0 rebounds during the week.
» Etute has started each of the last nine games, her first starts of the season, after making one start during her freshman season.
» With 11 points and 12 rebounds against Minnesota, Etute turned in a double-double in back-to-back games for the first time in her career. Four of her five double-doubles this season have come over her last eight games, while she was one rebound shy of a double-double at Rutgers and one point away from another against Penn State.
» Over her last eight games, she is averaging 14.9 points with a team-high 10.1 rebounds and shooting 61.0 percent.
» 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 and send the game into overtime.
» All five of her career double-doubles have come this season, as she has the second-most double-doubles on the team.
» Over a four-game stretch from Nov. 27 to Dec. 14, Etute averaged 12.7 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 16 of 23 games in which she has played this season and has finished as the team leader 20 times in her career, including six straight games and in eight of her last 10 games.
» 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 21.8 percent, the second-highest rate in the Big Ten and eighth-highest rate in the country among players averaging at least 15.0 minutes per game, with her offensive rebounding rate of 20.2 percent is tops in the Big Ten and fourth nationally among those players.
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 17 blocks and ranks second in made 3-pointers (44) and steals (44), recording at least one steal in 22 of 24 games this season with multiple steals in 14 contests. Bell has registered at least one theft in 55 of her 73 career games (75.3 percent), while finishing with multiple steals 30 times. Seventeen of her 34 career blocks have come this season after having just three over 28 games last year.
On the offensive end, she is shooting 39.3 percent from behind the 3-point line (44-of-112) - 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 deep in the first quarter against the Spartans in making a career-best six made 3-pointers. Bell produced her 13th game this season with multiple 3-pointers at No. 16 Maryland on Jan. 31, going 4-of-6 and hitting three straight from downtown in the fourth quarter to help complete a fourth-quarter comeback. 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 14 players in the nation, to have at least 17 blocks while making at least 44 3-pointers.
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 22 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 49 steals and ranks third on the team with 13 blocks. Her 13 blocks are tied for the ninth-most among Big Ten guards, while she is one of just two Big Ten guards with at least 13 blocks and 49 steals. She is part of a group of just 18 guards in the country with those numbers.
» Long turned in her first career double-double at Rutgers, scoring 12 points while securing a career-high 12 boards. Additionally, she added four steals, three assists and a block in the Ducks' 74-53 win.
» 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.
» She is one of just four players in the Big Ten to produce a game with at least 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals this season, and just the second during Big Ten play.
» Her 49 steals rank as the fourth-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 10 times this season while pacing the team in blocks seven times. She has tallied multiple steals in eight of her last 10 games and leads Oregon with nine games with at least three steals.
PROTECTING THE NEST
Since its opening in 2011, the Ducks have been dominant in defending Matthew Knight Arena, posting an all-time record of 183-74 (.712). Since 2017-18, UO is 115-27 (.811) at home, with a 49-23 (.681) conference record, while outscoring opponents by an average of 19.1 points a game in that span. Opponents are averaging just 60.9 points per game at Matthew Knight Arena this season, while shooting at a 40.1 percent clip overall and 26.6 percent from the 3-point line.
» Oregon has won 21 straight home games against nonconference teams.
» The Ducks have won 24 of their last 25 home games against unranked teams.
» This season, the Ducks are 10-3 at home while averaging 82.9 points per game and winning by an average margin of 22.0 points.
» UO boasts a record of 86-4 (.956) against nonconference teams at home under head coach Kelly Graves (since 2014-15), and has won 81 of its last 83 nonconference home tilts.
» Since Graves' arrival in 2014-15, the Ducks average 77.7 points per game at home, which ranks as the 25th-highest average in the country in that span.
» The Ducks have posted a .500 record of better at home in 13 straight seasons, dating back to 2013-14.
The Ducks concluded the cross-country trip with their second road win over a top-25 team on Saturday, taking down No. 16 Maryland, 68-61. UO has won three straight games after snapping its season-long four-game skid.
The all-time series between Oregon and Illinois is tied 2-2, after the Illini held off the Ducks 64-59 in Champaign a season ago. Each team is 2-0 on its home floor, with UO last hosting Illinois during the 2011-12 season.
In recognition of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, the televised broadcast of the game will be produced by an all-female crew. Seventeen women in total will contribute to the broadcast, including play-by-play announcer Lily Crane, analyst Olivia Arciniega, sideline reporter McKenna Rowland and producer Sophie Fowler.
GAME #25
Oregon (17-7, 5-6) vs. Illinois (16-6, 6-5)
Wednesday, Feb. 3 | 6 p.m. | Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV/Stream: B1G+
Play-by-play: Lily Crane | Analyst: Olivia Arciniega | Sideline: McKenna Rowland
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (KUGN 98.1 FM | ESPN Portland 910 AM)
Play-by-play: Chris Clayton | Analyst: Bev Smith
Promotion: Stomp Out Cancer (wear pink)
Listen Online | Live Stats | Tickets
A WIN WOULD…
» Give Oregon four straight Big Ten wins for the first time this season
» Improve the Ducks' home record to 11-3 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten play.
» Give Oregon its 25th win in its last 26 home games against unranked opponents.
» Give the Ducks a 3-2 lead in the all-time series with Illinois.
» Improve UO's home record against the Fighting Illini to 3-0.
» Give Oregon a 1-1 record against the Illini as members of the Big Ten.
LAST TIME OUT
The first road game of January for the Oregon women's basketball team was an upset of a ranked opponent, and the month ended in the same fashion.
The Ducks went across the country and knocked off No. 16 Maryland on Saturday, 68-61, taking the lead midway through the fourth quarter on a trio of three-pointers by junior Sofia Bell. That capped an 11-0 run that put the Ducks up 61-54, a run sparked by two of Ehis Etute's career-high 26 points before Bell caught fire from behind the arc.
The UO women won their first road game of January at No. 21 USC, and capped the month with another ranked win Saturday. The Ducks (17-7, 5-6 Big Ten) ended the month with a season-best three-game win streak in conference play, and play three of their next four at home beginning Wednesday against Illinois.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois (16-6, 6-5), who is receiving votes in the latest Associated Press top-25 poll, has split their last six games overall after beginning its West Coast swing with a 75-66 win at No. 25 Washington on Sunday.
Against the Huskies, two Fighting Illini turned in 20-point efforts, getting 23 points from Cearah Parchment and 22 points from Berry Wallace. Illinois owned a 33-24 rebounding edge in the game, and committed just eight turnovers in its first road ranked win of the season.
Wallace paces the Illini offense with her 19.5 points a game, with Parchment next at 13.1 a night to go with 8.1 rebounds while both shoot over 50.0 percent from the floor. Gretchen Dolan (12.9 PPG) and Maddie Webber (11.4) round out four who score in double figures.
As a team, Illinois is the nation's leading free throw shooting team at 82.3 percent and are third in fewest turnovers per game in the conference, giving up just 12.5 a game.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Oregon and Illinois have split five all-time meetings, with each side winning twice on its home floor. The Ducks picked up home victories in 1994 and 2011, while the Illini have won the last two meetings in Champaign. In the first matchup between the teams as Big Ten members, Illinois was able to hold off the Ducks for a 64-59 win at State Farm Center. Oregon's bench outscored Illinois' 29-13, but the Ducks shot just 30.8 percent from the floor as a team. Illinois last visited Eugene during the 2011-12 season, with Oregon coming away with a 77-74 win at Matthew Knight Arena.
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 13 of 24 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 77.5 points per game ranks 34th 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 103.9 (points per 100 possessions) ranks 11th in the Big Ten while averaging 73.3 possessions per 40 minutes (sixth in the Big Ten). UO had an offensive rating of 96.0 with an average of 70.2 possessions per 40 minutes last year.
» The 13 80-point outings are the most since also posting 13 such games in 2022-23, while one more would mark the most such games since doing so 25 times during the 2019-20 season.
» UO's field goal percentage of 46.4 is No. 21 in the country, with its 51.9 percent on two-point shots ranking ninth in the conference.
» Oregon ranks 26th in the country and seventh in the league with an effective field goal percentage of 52.3 percent.
» The Ducks' bench is averaging 24.0 points per game, good for sixth in the Big Ten, scoring 42 points against Penn State on Jan. 24 - their seventh 30-point outing and third 40-point effort of the season.
» UO's 18.0 assists per game are good for 19th nationally, posting an assisted shot rate of 62.7 percent (fifth in the Big Ten).
» The Ducks are fifth in the Big Ten and No. 17 in the country in free throw shooting (77.8 percent), while their 1.20 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 32nd 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 17 of 24 contests this season. The 17 games with 10 or more steals are tied for the seventh-most in the country, and most in the Big Ten, while the 12 20-turnover games are tied for fourth-most in the conference. In 12 games this season, UO's defense has recorded double-digit steals while forcing 20 or more turnovers - the third-most such games in the Big Ten and two games behind the league 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 17 games with double-digit steals are already the most in a season under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves, and equaling the total games produced during the 2022-12 and 2009-10 seasons. UO produced 20 10-steal performances during the 2010-11 season.
» The Ducks are one of 16 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 82.9, which ranks sixth in the Big Ten.
» Oregon is recording a steal on 13.2 percent of opponent possessions, which is the fourth-highest rate in the Big Ten and 32nd-highest in the nation.
» Opposing teams are turning the ball over on 22.9 percent of its possessions, the sixth-best rate in the conference.
CARDIAC DUCKS
Oregon has been no stranger to close games this season. The Ducks' double-overtime contest at Wisconsin on Jan. 18 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 six games this season that have been decided by five points or less, going 2-4 in those games, while playing seven "clutch games" - games that are within five points with five minutes to play or less. Since the start of last season, Oregon has played 22 clutch games, winning over half of them (12).
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 16 games that have been decided by five points or fewer, going 9-7 in those tilts with five wins coming away from home.
» The six games decided by five points or fewer are tied for the most such games in the Big Ten this season.
» A season ago, UO went 9-5 in clutch games, winning six straight at one point, while going 5-0 in games decided by two points or less and 7-1 in games decided by four points or less.
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), Portland (10 points, 11 assists) and Penn State (15 points, 10 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 15.0 points per game after averaging just 3.1 a game last season. Her increase of 11.9 points per game is the second-highest improvement from a season ago among Big Ten players (24th-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 11 games, Fiso has scored 102 of her 169 points after halftime - good for 60.3 percent of her scoring.
» Her seven points-assists double-doubles this season lead the nation, while only 18 players in the country have multiple points-assists double-doubles.
» There have been 12 points-assists double-doubles in the Big Ten this season, with Fiso accounting for seven of them and the only player with more than two.
» Seven total double-doubles are tied for second-most in the Big Ten and tied for 49th-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 23 of 24 outings this season and ranks second in the Big Ten at 6.8 assists a night (ninth 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 6.5 assists and shooting 45.0 percent or better from the floor, and the only player in the Big Ten.
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 12 of her last 16 games, logging a career-best 26 points to go with 11 rebounds in UO's win at No. 16 Maryland on Jan. 31. Three days prior at Rutgers, she tied her then-career high of 17 points in the Ducks' 74-53 win to begin their East Coast road trip. The 6-foot Etute was tabbed Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 2, becoming the first Duck to earn the weekly honor after averaging 21.5 points and 10.0 rebounds during the week.
» Etute has started each of the last nine games, her first starts of the season, after making one start during her freshman season.
» With 11 points and 12 rebounds against Minnesota, Etute turned in a double-double in back-to-back games for the first time in her career. Four of her five double-doubles this season have come over her last eight games, while she was one rebound shy of a double-double at Rutgers and one point away from another against Penn State.
» Over her last eight games, she is averaging 14.9 points with a team-high 10.1 rebounds and shooting 61.0 percent.
» 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 and send the game into overtime.
» All five of her career double-doubles have come this season, as she has the second-most double-doubles on the team.
» Over a four-game stretch from Nov. 27 to Dec. 14, Etute averaged 12.7 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 16 of 23 games in which she has played this season and has finished as the team leader 20 times in her career, including six straight games and in eight of her last 10 games.
» 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 21.8 percent, the second-highest rate in the Big Ten and eighth-highest rate in the country among players averaging at least 15.0 minutes per game, with her offensive rebounding rate of 20.2 percent is tops in the Big Ten and fourth nationally among those players.
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 17 blocks and ranks second in made 3-pointers (44) and steals (44), recording at least one steal in 22 of 24 games this season with multiple steals in 14 contests. Bell has registered at least one theft in 55 of her 73 career games (75.3 percent), while finishing with multiple steals 30 times. Seventeen of her 34 career blocks have come this season after having just three over 28 games last year.
On the offensive end, she is shooting 39.3 percent from behind the 3-point line (44-of-112) - 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 deep in the first quarter against the Spartans in making a career-best six made 3-pointers. Bell produced her 13th game this season with multiple 3-pointers at No. 16 Maryland on Jan. 31, going 4-of-6 and hitting three straight from downtown in the fourth quarter to help complete a fourth-quarter comeback. 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 14 players in the nation, to have at least 17 blocks while making at least 44 3-pointers.
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 22 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 49 steals and ranks third on the team with 13 blocks. Her 13 blocks are tied for the ninth-most among Big Ten guards, while she is one of just two Big Ten guards with at least 13 blocks and 49 steals. She is part of a group of just 18 guards in the country with those numbers.
» Long turned in her first career double-double at Rutgers, scoring 12 points while securing a career-high 12 boards. Additionally, she added four steals, three assists and a block in the Ducks' 74-53 win.
» 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.
» She is one of just four players in the Big Ten to produce a game with at least 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals this season, and just the second during Big Ten play.
» Her 49 steals rank as the fourth-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 10 times this season while pacing the team in blocks seven times. She has tallied multiple steals in eight of her last 10 games and leads Oregon with nine games with at least three steals.
PROTECTING THE NEST
Since its opening in 2011, the Ducks have been dominant in defending Matthew Knight Arena, posting an all-time record of 183-74 (.712). Since 2017-18, UO is 115-27 (.811) at home, with a 49-23 (.681) conference record, while outscoring opponents by an average of 19.1 points a game in that span. Opponents are averaging just 60.9 points per game at Matthew Knight Arena this season, while shooting at a 40.1 percent clip overall and 26.6 percent from the 3-point line.
» Oregon has won 21 straight home games against nonconference teams.
» The Ducks have won 24 of their last 25 home games against unranked teams.
» This season, the Ducks are 10-3 at home while averaging 82.9 points per game and winning by an average margin of 22.0 points.
» UO boasts a record of 86-4 (.956) against nonconference teams at home under head coach Kelly Graves (since 2014-15), and has won 81 of its last 83 nonconference home tilts.
» Since Graves' arrival in 2014-15, the Ducks average 77.7 points per game at home, which ranks as the 25th-highest average in the country in that span.
» The Ducks have posted a .500 record of better at home in 13 straight seasons, dating back to 2013-14.
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/ Women's BasketballEhis Etute & Ari Long: "Believing that we can."
Tuesday, February 03
Kelly Graves: "We played really well."
Tuesday, February 03
Ehis Etute, Katie Fiso, & Sarah Rambus | Postgame vs. Penn State
Monday, January 26
Kelly Graves | Postgame vs. Penn State
Monday, January 26
