University of Oregon
Utah
Freshmen Set Pace Entering Homestretch
02/16/17 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
Oregon's talented recruiting class is paying major immediate dividends as the Ducks prepare to play Friday at Utah (5 p.m., Pac-12).
A few minutes into the third quarter Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena, Oregon forward Mallory McGwire hit one of her patented midrange jumpers. The Ducks were hosting Southern California, and at that point, the rout was on.
McGwire's jump shot put the UO women up 41-26, on their way to a 23-point victory that capped a weekend sweep of No. 15 UCLA and the Women of Troy. McGwire's shot also capped an emphatic statement by Oregon's freshman class, of which she's a member – at that point in the game, 37 of the Ducks' 41 points had been scored by true freshmen.
As the Ducks enter the final two weeks of the regular season, beginning Friday at Utah (5 p.m., Pac-12 Network), their talented freshman class is leading the way. Forward Ruthy Hebard leads the team in scoring and rebounding, guard Sabrina Ionescu is the reigning national player of the week after recording her fourth triple-double, and McGwire has joined them in the starting lineup for the past 13 games as the UO women have battled for NCAA Tournament consideration.
"We knew right from the beginning we were going to ask a lot of them, and they've certainly delivered," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "And they've been delivering a lot more lately, so you can tell they're getting their legs under them."
Hebard and Ionescu have been forces nearly from the start for the Ducks (17-9, 7-7 Pac-12). Ionescu has started all 22 games in which she's played, and leads the team in minutes per game and assists. Hebard averages 14.5 points and 8.7 rebounds, both team-leading figures.
The revelation of late has been McGwire. A top-100 recruit as part of Oregon's third-rated class nationally, McGwire played in reserve to open the season before starting the second game of the opening weekend in Pac-12 play. Graves said McGwire has been more diligent of late about getting in extra shots outside of practice, and extra conditioning on a stationary bike.
"All those kinds of things, to me, tell me she's starting to get the vision, and wants to be good," Graves said. "That was her biggest obstacle – she's full of talent, I'm just not sure she knew it. I think she's starting to realize it's true."
McGwire's competitive fire was stoked, she said, when she found out she'd gained a reputation as a player who didn't necessarily put in as much extra work as teammates.
"I was kind of known as the one who didn't get up extra shots, and didn't get extra work," she said. "And I needed to change that. And I have."
One benefit of all the extra shooting has been the emergence of McGwire's trademark jumper from the elbow. She's proven deadly accurate from about 12 to 15 feet out, a weapon that only emerged when she arrived at Oregon.
"It's kind of a new thing," McGwire said. "It's just kind of developed since I've been here. I just started hitting shots, and they were going in. So I started working on it more and more, and it's become part of my game."
McGwire's jumper must be respected by opposing posts, who might otherwise be involved in double-teaming Hebard.
"It helps out a lot," Hebard said. "They have to guard her or me, one or the other. Either way, we're going to score."
Hebard was the breakout star of the nonconference season for the Ducks, who already knew they had a prime-time performer in Ionescu. Hebard's early production gave future opponents plenty of film to study, and she's had to modify her game as a result.
"You've got to continue to work on your skills, and she has," Graves said. "She's a hard worker, and she's expanded her game."
The Ducks have also received production in recent weeks from freshman guard Morgan Yaeger, who scored a season-high 11 points at Arizona State on Feb. 5, and Sierra Campisano, who had her best weekend yet in conference play against UCLA and USC, with 13 points. All told, freshmen so far this season are providing 55.5 percent of Oregon's points (1,057-of-1,905), 57 percent of the rebounds (574-of-1,008) and 45.6 percent of the assists (210-of-461).
"I think we expected a lot, but maybe not as much as we've been showing," Hebard said. "But with what we have been showing, it's telling us the sky's the limit, for us and for the whole team."
