Oregon WBB Weekly Release: Portland State
11/19/11 | Women's Basketball
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GAME DAY PROMOTIONS
$3 DAY - Sunday, Nov. 20
Fans will be able to purchase $3 general admission tickets for Sunday evening's game against instate opponent and defending regular season Big Sky co-champion Portland State.
PORTLAND STATE
Sunday's 7 p.m. tip-off between Portland State and Oregon will end with one of the clubs receiving their first loss of the season. Both the Vikings and the Ducks will take undefeated 2-0 records into Sunday's match up.
Portland State started its season with wins over UC Irvine (80-76) and UC Santa Barbara (65-51) in Portland last weekend, while the Ducks have topped Cal Poly (102-93) and Illinois (77-74).
The Vikes enter the 2011-12 season defending a 2011 Big Sky regular season co-championship, and return three starters from last year's title squad.
Currently Eryn Jones (19.5 ppg) and 2011 Big Sky Conference Newcomer of the Year Courtney VanBrocklin (18.0 ppg) lead Portland State in scoring.
Oregon holds a 22-9 lead in the all-time series against the Vikes with UO currently on a nine-game winning streak. The Ducks also hold a 9-4 advantage in home games.
Head coach Paul Westhead is 5-0 during his tenure against Big Sky competition. Portland State head coach Sherri Murrell is 1-7 against Pac-12 schools in her four years at PSU. Oregon will play two teams from the Big Sky this year as Weber State comes to Matt Arena for the Global Cage Classic on Nov. 24.
Portland State associate head coach Peg Swadener played for Oregon from 1990-93, and also coached at the UO from 2003-06.
LAST MEETING
The last time Portland State came to Eugene, the Ducks earned an 87-58 victory in the final of the World Vision Invitational on Nov. 29, 2009. Four Ducks currently on the squad played in that game as Jasmin Holliday, Nia Jackson, Amanda Johnson and Laura Stanulis each appeared. The sophomore trio led the Ducks then with Johnson's double-double (10 PTS, 14 REB), Jackson's 16 points and seven assists, and Holliday's 12 points.
ILLINOIS RECAP
Senior Amanda Johnson netted two free throws with 18 seconds left in the game to lock up Oregon's 77-74 victory over Illinois (2-2) on Friday night at Matthew Knight Arena.
Although the Ducks were up 49-33 at the end of the first half of play, the Illini went on a 23-9 run to open the second half of play that gave the Illini a short-lived one-point advantage off a tip-in by Kersten Magrum, 56-55.
But it was the combination of senior Jasmin Holliday and Johnson down the stretch that cemented the win for the Ducks. With 1:51 left in the game, Holliday was fouled by Adrienne Godbold sending her to the charity stripe. Holliday knocked down the free throws, giving Oregon a 73-72 lead. After consecutive 30 second timeouts taken, UO set up Danielle Love for a three pointer, but Karisma Penn came up with the big block. Holliday grabbed the board and went back up with a jumper to give the Ducks a 75-72 lead.
The Ducks finished the game shooting 44 percent from the floor, including a scorching 51 percent in the first half. Oregon also hit eight three-pointers in the first 20 minutes, good for 53 percent.
Both Johnson and Holliday tallied double-doubles in the game with Johnson grabbing 11 rebounds to go with her 31 - one point short of her career high. Her five 3 -pointers were also a new career best. Holliday recorded 16 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, as well.
The Illini had four in double-figure scoring, Magrum led the way with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Amber Moore added 22 points and knocked down six three-pointers.
HEALTH REPORT
Freshman center Janitah Iamaleava suffered a season-ending left knee injury during a pre-season practice that will keep her off the floor for the 2011-12 season.
Sophomore guard Ariel Thomas is currently day-to-day with Achilles trouble, and sophomore forward Deanna Weaver made her return to the floor against Illinois on Friday night after missing the Cal Poly opener with a foot injury.
JOHNSON ON FIRE
Following Friday's action in the Pac-12, Oregon senior Amanda Johnson is leading the conference in scoring (25.0 ppg) and rebounding (11.5). After entering the season 18th on UO's all-time scoring list, the Santa Rosa, Calif., has already moved up four spots, with 1,196 career points - most recent passing her former teammate Micaela Cocks (1195).
Johnson's 31-point performance on Friday night in UO's win over Illinois was also the Ducks' first 30-point performance since Taylor Lilley scored 38 against New Mexico during the WNIT on March 23, 2010 at Mac Court.
In two games this year, Johnson has already posted two double-doubles, bringing her career total to 22.
SENIOR MOMENT
Senior Jasmin Holliday worked harder than ever this offseason, and apparently hard work pays off. The native of Chino Hills, Calif., has reached double figures in back-to-back games, and on Friday night recorded her first double-double of the year with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Currently averaging 20.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, Holliday is shooting a scorching .515 from the floor.
SCORING OFFENSE
During head coach Paul Westhead's three years at Oregon, the Ducks have finished in the country's top-15 in scoring in back-to-back seasons, averaging 81.4 points (2010, 2nd) and 73.3 points per game (2011, 15th). In fact, during the last two seasons, the Ducks have averaged 79.0 points per game overall, out done only by Oral Roberts (84.7 ppg) and Gonzaga (82.7 ppg). In the last three years, Oregon has produced seven 100-point games, recording a 6-1 mark in those games.
Currently, Oregon is averaging 89.5 points per game and shooting a scorching 44.5 percent from the floor, while limiting opponents to .354. Oregon is also averaging 9.5 three-pointers per game.
BEYOND THE ARC
The Ducks have proven to be a deadly 3-point shooting team, finishing third in the country averaging 8.5 three-pointers per game in 2011, while ranking seventh in 2010 knocking down 8.4 long-distance buckets per game. Currently Oregon is averaging 9.5 three-pointer per game, shooting .380 from the floor.
SCHEDULE
The Ducks have compiled a difficult schedule as 14 of their opponents reached the postseason a year ago. Nine teams played in the 2011 Women's National Invitation Tournament, and five appeared in the NCAA Tournament.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Senior Amanda Johnson currently ranks in the top 10 of four all-time statistical categories at Oregon. The Santa Rosa, Calif., native's 724 career rebounds rank ninth all-time at UO, while her 167 career steals rank seventh all-time. In addition, Johnson's 130 three-pointers rank eighth all-time, and her 22 double-doubles rank seventh.
AWARD WINNER
Before two knee injuries sidelined her for the final nine games of last season, senior guard Nia Jackson led the Pac-10 averaging 17.0 points and 5.7 assists per game. Despite missing the final half of conference play, Jackson was named to the 2011 Pac-10 First Team and the 2011 Media All-Pac-10 Team.
The Ducks were 12-9 with Jackson in the lineup, and 1-8 in the final nine games of the year without her. The Ducks averaged 80.5 points per game with Jackson in the lineup, and 66.7 points per game without her.
The Seattle native has returned from off-season surgery and is cleared to play, but is continuing to regain her strength and stamina. In her first official action since Feb. 3, 2011 at Washington, Jackson scored 18 points and shot a nearly-flawless 10-of-11 from the free-throw line in 23 minutes on the floor.
ROOKIES NO MORE
As a freshman last season, Ariel Thomas averaged 8.0 points and 2.2 assists per game, appearing in 26 games for the Ducks. In the absence of Nia Jackson, Thomas took over point guard duties and started the final nine games of the year, averaging 14.3 points, 4.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game during that stretch.
Currently dealing with an Achilles injury, Thomas has not been available.
Sophomore forward Danielle Love, who plays the trailing post in Westhead's up-tempo system, has returned to her starting position. While struggling to find her shooting touch (.250, 4-16), Love is averaging 6.0 rebounds per game and is on the floor a team-best 34.0 minutes per game.
Hampered by a foot injury, Deanna Weaver missed the season opener. The 2011 Pac-10 All-Freshman Honorable Mention pick returned for six minutes of action vs. Illinois, netting a 3-pointer.
MEET THE NEWCOMERS
Oregon's freshman class was ranked 49th in the country by ESPN HoopGurlz.
Freshman guard Jordan Loera is a second generation Duck as her mother, Lori Carver Loera, played basketball at UO from 1983-84.
Loera did well in her debut, playing a team-high 36 minutes and making the start at shooting guard. The Moses Lake, Wash., native scored 12 points and knocked down three three-pointers.
Freshman center Megan Carpenter (Longmont, Colo./Longmont HS) was a two-time all-4A Northern Conference selection and two-time Longmont Times Call all-area selection in 2010 and 2011. In her Oregon debut, Carpenter scored two points, blocked two shots and grabbed seven rebounds.
Freshman guard Amanda Delgado (Las Vegas/Liberty HS) was named the 2011 Gatorade Nevada Girls Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 16.1 points, 3.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a senior.
Freshman forward Lexi Petersen (Tukwila, Wash./Seattle Christian HS) won four straight conference titles at Seattle Christian HS, and was a two-time Nisqually 1A Player of the Year (2009, 2010). Petersen is shooting 71.4 percent (5-7) from the floor and has totaled 11 rebounds.
Freshman center Janitah Iamaleava (Long Beach, Calif./Carson HS) will miss the 2011-12 campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury.
LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Senior Amanda Johnson was chosen as one of 60 candidates that excel both on and off the court for the 2011-12 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition.
The women's 30-candidate class includes Johnson – the only CoSIDA Academic All-American on the list – two Associated Press All-Americans, and 12 players whose teams are ranked in the Associated Press preseason top 25.
Johnson is also one of three student-athletes from the Pac-12 on the women's list as USC's Briana Gilbreath and Stanford's Nnemkadi Ogwumike were also named candidates.
Lowe's will announce the women's award winner during the NCAA Women's Final Four®, which will be held April 1 and 3 in Denver.
The candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists in both men's and women's basketball midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, Division I men's and women's coaches and fans who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition.
