Oregon Returns To Matt Arena Hosting Portland Sunday
12/04/11 | Women's Basketball
OREGON-PORTLAND LIVE COVERAGE
• Date: Sunday, Dec. 4
• Time: 2:00 PM
• Venue: Matthew Knight Arena • Tickets: www.GoDucks.com
• TV: None
• Radio: KUGN 590 AM in Eugene/Springfield; Terry Jonz, play-by-play
• O-Zone at GoDucks.com: Live webcast, audio, live stats
• Twitter: @OregonWBB for in-game updates, stats, etc
• vs. Portland: Oregon leads 23-4
GAME DAY PROMOTIONS
Fan and Jr. Duck Appreciation Day - Sunday, Dec. 4
Jr. Duck members receive free admission when they wear their Jr. Duck t-shirt to Sunday's 2 p.m. game against Portland.
Happy Holidays! - Monday, Dec. 19
FREE Oregon women's basketball trading cards will be given to the first 2,000 fans through the doors! General admission tickets will be available for $3, and pregame Gingerbread house making for all kids in attendance.
Family Furlough Day - Wednesday, Dec. 21
All kids ages 12 and under can purchase $3 general admission tickets. Bring your ticket from the Dec. 20 men's basketball game against North Carolina Central, and receive free admission.
THIS WEEK
Oregon was dealt its first loss of the season on the road on Thursday, falling 81-71 at Fresno State. The Ducks first trip away from Matthew Knight Arena proved difficult as Oregon watched the Bulldogs knock down 17 three-pointers at the Save Mart Center.
The Ducks are back at Matt Arena on Sunday, hosting in-state rival Portland (5-3) at 2 p.m. This will be Oregon's final game for a week as the Ducks take time off for finals. Oregon will return to action on the road at Denver (Dec. 11) and at Nevada (Dec. 14).
PORTLAND NOTES
. Sunday's game will mark the 28th meeting between Oregon and Portland, as the Ducks hold a 23-4 all-time series advantage.
• Head coach Paul Westhead is 5-0 against the West Coast Conference during his tenure at Oregon, and 2-0 against the Pilots.
• Portland has played two opponents this season that Oregon has also played, defeating UC Irvine 64-56 on Nov. 13 in Portland, as well as upending Portland State, 62-54, on Nov. 25.
• Portland is led by senior forward Natalie Day's 20.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Day has been named West Coast Conference Player of the Week for three consecutive weeks.
• The Pilots had a three-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with a 76-60 loss to Eastern Washington in Portland, Ore. The Pilots also have wins over Hawai'i, San Diego State and Montana this season with losses to Montana State and DePaul.
GLOBAL SPORTS CAGE CLASSIC RECAP
Oregon hosted and won the Global Sports Cage Classic with an undefeated record of 3-0 last weekend. With added depth on the bench as Ariel Thomas and Deanna Weaver returned to action, Oregon defeated all three of its opponents by double figures - a first for the 2011-12 season.
During the tournament, the Ducks outscored their opponents by an average of 15.3 points per game in wins over Weber State, UC Irvine and Nicholls State.
Amanda Johnson averaged a double-double of 20.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game en route to tournament MVP honors for the second consecutive year, while Jasmin Holliday added 14.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, and was named to the all-tournament team.
Sophomore Danielle Love also found her shooting touch during the tournament, averaging 10.7 points per game and knocking down a total of six three-pointers while shooting 40.0 percent from the floor.
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.
• Freshman Megan Carpenter was cleared to practice on Monday, and was available on Thursday, although she did not play. Carpenter suffered an injury in the Nov. 24 game against Weber State, and missed the final two games of the Global Sports Cage Classic.
PLAYING FAST
Head coach Paul Westhead said before the season started that he wanted his team playing even faster. So far, so good. The Ducks' 85.3 points per game leads the Pac-12 and entered the week ranking fourth in the country.
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.
Oregon also ranks in the nation's top 50 with a .433 field goal percentage, and ranks 10th in the country averaging 8.1 three-pointers per game.
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.
SECOND HALF RECAP
After being outscored by an average of 7.0 points per game by opponents in the second halves of their first three games, the Ducks were able to change that statistic over last weekend. The Ducks outscored their opponents by average 6.3 points per in the second halves of the three games at the Global Sports Cage Classic.
TRAILING
In Sunday's 95-76 win over Nicholls State, the Ducks never trailed in the game for the first time this year. Oregon's 19-point margin of victory was also its largest of the season.
JOHNSON ON FIRE
Oregon senior forward Amanda Johnson currently ranks third in the nation and leads the Pac-12 averaging 11.7 rebounds per game. Offensively, Johnson ranks second in the league and ninth in the nation averaging 22.3 points per game.
The Santa Rosa, Calif., native is one of only four players in the country to record five double-doubles this year. In addition, Johnson's 19-rebound performance against Portland State is the highest single-game total in the Pac-12 this year.
Johnson's career numbers include; 1,302 points (12th), 783 rebounds (8th), 140 three-pointers (7th), 176 steals (5th), 25 double-doubles (7th), 64 double-figure scoring games, three 30-point games, 17 20-point games, 32 times leading the club in scoring and 61 occasions leading the team in rebounding.
Johnson has led the Ducks in rebounds for three straight years, and if she finishes the 2011-12 season leading the club on the boards, she will be the first UO player to accomplish that feat since Debbie Sporcich (1991-94).
SENIOR MOMENT
Senior Jasmin Holliday worked harder than ever this offseason, and apparently hard work pays off. The native of Chino Hills, Calif., is averaging a career-best 15.9 points per game (8th Pac-12) and 9.4 rebounds per game (5th Pac-12).
Holliday has scored double figures in all seven Oregon games this year, and is shooting a team-leading 52.9 percent from the floor.
In Thursday's loss at Fresno State, Holliday led the Ducks with her second double-double of the season (fourth career) with a team-high 16 points as well as a career and game-high 16 rebounds. Holliday also spurred an Oregon 10-0 run in the second half during a 1:39 stretch. During that time, Holliday tallied three rebound (two offensive), two steals, one assist and seven points.
SENIOR CLASS
The senior trio of Amanda Johnson, Jasmin Holliday and Nia Jackson have combined to score 335 of UO's 597 points this season - 56.0 percent.
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.
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.
Currently Jackson is averaging 9.7 points and a team-leading 4.0 assists per game.
ROOKIES NO MORE
As a freshman last season, Ariel Thomas averaged 8.0 points and 2.2 assists per game, appearing in 26 games. 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.
After missing the first three games of the season, Thomas returned to the floor in Oregon's 88-73 victory over Weber State on Nov. 24. In her last four games, Thomas is averaging 7.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, and has knocked down five three-pointers.
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 (.231, 6-26) in Oregon's first three games, Love shot 40.0 percent from the floor and knocked down six three-pointers during last weekend's tournament. The Everett, Wash., native is now fourth on the team averaging 8.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Hampered by a foot injury, Deanna Weaver missed three games this season, but played in the final two days of the Global Sports Cage Classic totaling 13 points and nine rebounds in 34 minutes of action. She is currently averaging 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
MEET THE NEWCOMERS
Oregon's freshman class was ranked 49th in the country by ESPN HoopGurlz.
SHE'S A SHOOTER
Freshman guard Jordan Loera is a second generation Duck as her mother, Lori Carver Loera, played basketball at UO from 1983-84.
Loera scored a career-high and team-high tying 17 points in Friday's 89-77 victory over UC Irvine, while also knocking down a career best five three-pointers. The Moses Lake, Wash., native is averaging 7.4 points per game, and is second on the team knocking down 13 three-pointers.
RUNNING THE FLOOR
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).
In Westhead's system, Petersen's speed has been put to good use. The rookie is averaging 5.7 points per game, and her last two appearances has fallen just short of double figures, scoring nine points against Nicholls State and at Fresno State.
A FIRST
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.
Delgado has appeared off the bench in six games.
UNDER THE BASKET
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. Carpenter is averaging 4.0 rebounds per game.
RUNNING THE POINT
Junior point guard Laura Stanulis continues to handle back-up point guard duties as Ariel Thomas spends time at shooting guard. A former walk-on and now on scholarship, Stanulis is averaging a career-best 6.6 points per game, and is also second on the team with 22 assists.
