Oregon Weekly WBB Release - Week 4
12/02/10 | Women's Basketball
THIS WEEK
Before taking an 11-day layoff for finals week, Oregon travels to Boise State (5-2) for 6 p.m. (PT) tip-off on Friday night at Taco Bell Arena. The Ducks hold a 9-4 advantage in the all-time series, and have won the three last meetings with the Broncos, but in Boise the series is even at 3-3. The last time Oregon traveled to Taco Bell Arena, the Ducks got the best of the Broncos, 70-50 on Dec. 5, 1998.
Oregon at Boise State
• TV: None
• Radio: OSN - THE SCORE 95.3 FM; Terry Jonz, play-by-play
• Live Audio: OSN - THE SCORE 95.3 FM; Terry Jonz, play-by-play
• Live stats: www.GoDucks.com
• Video: O-Zone at www.broncosports.com
• Live Blog: www.GoDucks.com
TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased by clicking HERE, calling 1-800-WEB-FOOT, or in person at the Casanova Center ticket office. Tickets can also be purchased at the McArthur Court ticket window 90 minutes prior to game time. The doors to Mac Court open 60 minutes prior to tip.
SAYING GOODBYE TO McARTHUR COURT
Oregon will play its final game at McArthur Court hosting the University of Washington on Jan. 8, 2011. It will be the final UO basketball game in Mac Court, as the UO men will play Arizona State in their final game on Jan. 1.
HELLO MATTHEW KNIGHT ARENA
The Ducks will make their first appearance at Matthew Knight Arena hosting Oregon State in Civil War action on Jan. 23, 2011. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net as UO attempts to Pack The Pit. General admission tickets are currently available online for $2, and will be available on the day of the game at the ticket box office. Fans will also be able to show their BI-Mart card while purchasing a reserved ticket to the Oregon State game on Jan. 23, and will receive a free general admission ticket to the game against California at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 29.
The school's sparkling new 12,500 seat venue is scheduled to make its grand opening on Thursday, Jan. 13, when the Oregon men's basketball team faces USC, with tipoff for that contest scheduled for 8 p.m.
SACRAMENTO STATE RECAP
Oregon claimed the 2010 Oregon Invitational title with a commanding 110-60 victory over Sacramento State on Sunday afternoon at McArthur Court.
Three tournament teams – Oregon, Idaho and CSU Bakersfield – finished with a record of 2-1 at the Invite, but point differential was the tie breaker. The Ducks (5-1) defeated Idaho by 26 points on Friday, before falling to CSU Bakersfield, 82-78, on Saturday afternoon. With Sunday's 50-point victory over the Hornets (1-6), UO posted a +72 scoring margin for the tournament to claim the title.
Junior forward Amanda Johnson was named the Oregon Invitational Most Valuable Player after averaging 20.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.0 steals per game while shooting .464 from the floor and knocking down five 3-pointers in three tourney games. Junior point guard Nia Jackson was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 17.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.3 steals per game.
Senior guard Kristi Fallin led the Ducks in scoring for the first time in her career. The Roseburg, Ore., native scored a game and career-high 26 points, shooting 9-of-13 from the floor and a lethal 6-of-8 from 3-point range.
The Ducks shot 40.7 percent from the field and attempted a program single-game record 113 field goals. Oregon also held a 75-61 rebounding advantage over Sacramento State, with UO's total of 75 setting a new program single-game record.
BOISE STATE PREVIEW
Boise State enters Friday's game with a 5-2 record. The Broncos are on a two-game winning streak, but suffered a season-opening loss to Portland (Nov. 12), and an 82-65 defeat at Pepperdine (Nov. 23). Katie Isham currently leads the Broncos averaging 13.3 points and 2.7 assists per game.
BSU is shooting .456 from the floor and, holding opponents to a .366 percentage. The Ducks hold a 9-4 advantage in the series and defeated the Broncos 88-61 last season (Dec. 4), led by Amanda Johnson's game-high 20 points. The last time UO traveled to Boise, Oregon left with a 70-50 victory on Dec. 5, 1998.
INJURY UPDATE
The Oregon women's basketball team begins the 2010-11 season with 15 student-athletes on the roster, including six seniors. Fourth-year senior Ellyce Ironmonger is currently rehabbing from offseason surgery on her right ankle and has returned to the court for partial practices this week, but is not expected to be available for the Boise State game.
PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Oregon junior forward Amanda Johnson was named Pac-10 Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 22-28.
Johnson helped Oregon to a 3-1 record last week, while also leading the Ducks to the Oregon Invitational crown over the weekend. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native, was voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player, and led the Ducks in scoring (20.5 ppg), rebounding (10.8 rpg), steals (15) and blocks (6) during UO's four games last week.
En route to leading the Ducks to the Oregon Invitational title, Johnson led the tournament field averaging 20.7 points and 4.0 steals per game, while finishing second in the field with 10.3 rebounds per game. She shot 46.4 percent from the floor and knocked down five 3-pointers.
Johnson currently is averaging 18.3 points (2nd Pac-10), 9.8 rebounds (T-2nd Pac-10) and 3.3 steals (T-2nd Pac-10) per game. This is Johnson's second-career Player of the Week honor and Oregon's 36th all-time.
MILESTONES
Amanda Johnson scored the 700th point of her career in UO's 83-79 at Portland on Nov. 22. The junior has now scored 779 career points, and has recorded 15 double-doubles, surpassing Angelina Wolvert for eighth all-time. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native, has now recorded 39 double-figure scoring games, 15 double-figure rebounding games and eight 20-point efforts.
Junior guard Nia Jackson scored the 500th point of her career against Sacramento State on Sunday. Jackson has reached double figures in all six games this season, and has led the team in assists on five occasions.
FALLIN'S FIRE
Senior guard Kristi Fallin completely obliterated her previous career highs last Sunday as she scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Ducks in an 110-60 win over Sacramento State.
The Roseburg native shot 9-of-13 from the floor and knocked down a career-best six 3-pointers while also grabbing two rebounds and setting another new career high with two steals.
RECORDS FALL
Oregon's 100-60 victory over Sacramento State on Sunday created some edits in the record book. The Ducks' 110 points matched their highest scoring total of the season, and the 50-point margin of victory was UO's largest since a 102-36 victory over Prairie View A&M on Dec. 10, 2005.
Oregon's 113 field goal attempts set a new program single-game record – the previous was 102 vs. Hawai'i on Jan. 16, 1979. The Ducks' 75 rebounds also set a new program single-game record – the previous was 72 at Portland State on Jan. 25, 1982. Both clubs managed to fire up 65 combined 3-point field goal attempts, which set another single-game record.
COMPARING THE PAC-10 & THE NATION
Currently only two squads in the Pac-10 remain undefeated, third-ranked Stanford (5-0), and 13th-ranked UCLA (5-0). The Ducks currently lead the conference and rank third in the nation averaging 90.5 points per game, trailing North Carolina (91.9 ppg). The Ducks also lead the Pac-10 in scoring margin (+21.3 ppg, 20th nationally), blocked shots (5.3 bpg, 30th nationally), assists (9.8 apg, 7th nationally), steals (16.3 spg, 2nd nationally) and offensive rebounds (25.2 orpg).
Individually, junior forward Amanda Johnson is second in the conference in both scoring (18.3 ppg, 48th nationally) and rebounding (9.8 rpg, 50th nationally), while Nia Jackson's 15.0 ppg rank fifth in the conference. The Seattle native is second in the league averaging 5.8 apg (22nd nationally), while Johnson and Jackson are tied for second in the Pac-10 averaging 3.3 steals per game (21st nationally).
Johnson is seventh in the league averaging 1.3 blocks per game, while Jackson's 1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio rates fourth in the conference.
Junior guard Ashley Buis' 2.2 three-pointers per game rates third in the Pac-10.
FULL-COURT PRESSURE
Oregon is off to a 5-1 start for the second consecutive season. The Ducks are using their full-court pressure defense and uptempo offense to disrupt opponents. Currently Oregon is forcing opponents into 29.2 turnovers per game, and holding opponents to a .347 shooting percentage.
THE STARTING FIVE
Head coach Paul Westhead's starting five has a new look for the 2010-11 season. The Ducks returned three starters from last year's squad, including Nia Jackson, Amanda Johnson and Victoria Kenyon, but lost guards Taylor Lilley and Micaela Cocks to graduation.
Oregon's first player off the bench last season, junior wing Jasmin Holliday, now has a starting spot, and is averaging 8.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. At shooting guard, junior college transfer Ashley Buis has knocked down 13 three-pointers, and is averaging 12.0 points per game, having reached double figures in five games.
DOUBLE THE FUN
Only two players have reached double figures in all six game for Oregon this season - juniors Amanda Johnson and Nia Jackson. Johnson has led the team in scoring on four occasions, while Jackson has topped the scoreboard once, but has led the Ducks in assists four times.
Johnson has recorded three double-doubles in her first six games, bringing her career total to 15, while Jackson recently eclipsed the 500-point mark for her career.
Both have also produced 20-point games this season as Johnson posts three and Jackson has two.
THE ROOKIES
Oregon head coach Paul Westhead has been adamant about using a deep bench in non-confernce play this season. All five newcomers, including four freshmen, have seen action on the floor. Deanna Weaver, who can play either forward position, is currently averaging 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Guard Ariel Thomas is averaging 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
ON AND OFF THE COURT
Junior Amanda Johnson returns as one of Oregon's most experienced student-athletes, leading the returners in several career categories; points (779), scoring average (11.1 ppg), field goals made (309), 3-point field goals made (84), rebounds (512; 7.3 rpg) and steals (120).
Off the court last season, Johnson flourished in the classroom, becoming the first Oregon women's basketball player since 1990 to be named to the 2009-10 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® University Division second team. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native, was also named to the Pac-10 All-Academic First Team, and was awarded the Doyle Higdon Memorial Trophy, given annually to a University of Oregon sophomore for excellence in athletics, scholarship and citizenship.
During the summer, Johnson was awarded her undergraduate degree Summa Cum Laude, graduating in the top two percent of her class with a double major in psychology and sociology. She is now pursuing her master's in couples and family therapy.
On the court last year, Johnson was named Pac-10 Honorable Mention after averaging 12.7 points per game with a team-leading (3rd Pac-10) 8.5 rebounds per game. Her 290 total rebounds tied for ninth in Oregon's single-season record book, and she also finished the season with 11 double-doubles, 24 double-figure scoring games and five 20-point efforts.
