University of Oregon
Washington
Challenges Abound In Pac-12 Opener
12/29/16 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
The Oregon women open conference play Friday at home against No. 9 Washington, and with injury concerns.
EUGENE, Ore. -- When the Oregon women's basketball team was picked seventh in the Pac-12's preseason poll, the Ducks considered the ranking fair based on their youth, but one they could potentially exceed if pieces fell in place.
On Friday, the UO women open conference play against Washington in Matthew Knight Arena at 3 p.m. Oregon's 10-2 nonconference record fueled optimism as the Pac-12 slate dawns, but that's tempered by the fact the Ducks open against the No. 9 Huskies (13-1) – and by recent injuries that have sapped the UO backcourt.
Both of the Ducks' primary ballhandlers, sophomore Maite Cazorla and freshman Sabrina Ionescu, are unlikely to play in Friday's matinee, UO coach Kelly Graves said Thursday. Ionescu has missed two games with a thumb injury, and Cazorla is nursing a foot issue.
"You suddenly have a backcourt that hasn't logged a lot of minutes in key roles," Graves said. "It is what it is. You gotta lace 'em up and play with what you have."
The Ducks return to the court after a nine-day absence, and kick off a daunting stretch to open Pac-12 play. After hosting the Huskies on Friday and WSU on Sunday, the Ducks play in the Bay Area and Los Angeles over the following two weeks. Oregon begins that gantlet against the Huskies without Cazorla and Ionescu, who team up to average 20.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 9.9 assists per game.
Graves figures to put the ball in the hands of senior Megan Trinder, who has started both games since Ionescu's injury. She's averaging 6.5 assists in those two games.
"I think Megan's played well all year long," Graves said. "She gives us a lot of energy, she's a good defender, she's been shooting the ball real well. But now she's going to have to log more minutes, and there's going to be a lot more on her shoulders."
Trinder will no doubt be involved defensively on Washington senior Kelsey Plum, the Pac-12's all-time leading scorer with 2,832 points per game. Plum leads the nation in scoring average this season at 29.6 points per game, and she adds 5.6 rebounds with 5.9 assists.
"She'll get her points; she will," UO junior Lexi Bando said. "She's an incredible player. She's worked hard to become the all-time leading scorer in the Pac-12. That's going to be a big test for us, if we can contain her."
Fueled by Plum, the Huskies lead the Pac-12 and are fourth nationally in points per game with 90.3. Oregon's defense will be further taxed by UW's three-point shooting; the Huskies lead the nation with 165 made threes.
Graves believes the Ducks will be able to put up points Friday. But defensively, "we're going to have to be at our best; that's going to be the key to the game," he said.
As the UO women prepare for an upset bid to open Pac-12 play, they can take confidence from the way Oregon's men opened conference play Wednesday. The UO men upset No. 2 UCLA on a last-second three-pointer by Dillon Brooks, and members of the Oregon women's team were on hand to see it.
"I think we're all really energized about it," UO freshman Ruthy Hebard said Thursday morning. "We're all talking about it still. So hopefully we can win a game and have a good crowd like they did."
"That game was crazy," Bando added. "Oh my gosh, Dillon Brooks' shot was incredible. If you just play hard, good things happen. Our men's team was a big example of, if you play hard to the end, you can pull out a win."
