No. 8 Ducks Use Big Third Quarter to Sink No. 18 Sun Devils

Sunday, January 14

Eugene, Ore.

5:00 PM

University of Oregon

17-2, 6-0P12

Arizona State

13-5, 4-2P12

Arizona State

Oregon

Photo by: Eric Evans Photography/ University of Oregon

No. 8 Ducks Use Big Third Quarter to Sink No. 18 Sun Devils

01/14/18 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box: Oregon 74, ASU 64

By: Joe Waltasti

EUGENE – The No. 8 ranked Oregon women's basketball team used a 16-0 run to open the third quarter and never looked back in a 74-64 win over No. 18 Arizona State on Sunday in front of 4,416 fans at Matthew Knight Arena.

The Ducks (17-2, 6-0 Pac-12) are alone in first place after Sunday's win with the only undefeated league record in the Pac-12. Oregon has won nine straight games overall is 12-0 at home this year. The Ducks snapped a four-game losing streak to ASU and improved their record against top-25 teams to 4-2 this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Behind a perfect 5-for-5 shooting and 11 points in the first quarter, Oregon opened up a double-digit lead on Arizona State, 22-12, going to the second. Ionescu hit a runner as time expired in the first to give the Ducks a 10-point advantage.

Ionescu hit her first shot of the second quarter and started the game 6-for-6 before missing a three-pointer with 5:56 left before halftime. Oregon led by as much as 13 in the second quarter but back-to-back three-pointers by ASU cut the lead to seven, 36-29, with 1:55 left. ASU ended the quarter on an 8-2 run and the Ducks owned a 38-34 lead at halftime. UO shot 66.7 percent (16-of-24) from the field in the first half but went just 1-of-5 from three.

Oregon opened up the third quarter on fire, using a 16-0 run to build a 54-34 lead with 1:52 left in the third. Arizona State did not score until Kianna Ibis hit a layup with 1:32 left in the third. Ionescu scored five points during the run while Ruthy Hebard added five as well. Oregon outscored the Sun Devils 21-5 overall in the third and shot a blistering 81.8 percent (9-of-11) in the quarter to take 59-39 lead going to the fourth.

The Ducks pushed their lead up to 27 points with 7:20 left in the fourth but took their foot off the gas. Arizona State outscored UO, 12-1, over the final three minutes and hit seven of its last nine shots before the Ducks won, 74-64.

ASU shot 44 percent from the field and 33 percent from three in the game while the Ducks shot 66 percent overall and 42 percent from three.

BOX SCORE: Sabrina Ionescu tallied a game-high 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting after starting the game 6-for-6 from the floor…Ionescu added six rebounds and five assists…Maite Cazorla scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting with five assists.

PERFECTION: Ruthy Hebard went a perfect 9-for-9 shooting for 20 points against the Sun Devils. The sophomore entered the game ranked third in the NCAA, shooting 66.9 percent from the field. After her third perfect shooting night this season, she is now shooting 68.5 percent.

CAZORLA ALONE IN SECOND: Maite Cazorla entered Sunday's game tied with UO legend Bev Smith for second in program history with 443 career assists. Cazorla tallied five assists against the Sun Devils and now sits alone in second with 448 career helpers. Lauri Landerholm (1983-87) owns the UO record with a 607 assists in her stellar career.

QUOTABLE: Sabrina Ionescu - "I think we need that defensive intensity in order to win, especially against a great Arizona State team. They're not going to beat themselves. I think our defensive intensity lead to a great offense tonight, and that was both inside and out."

UP NEXT: Oregon meets rival Oregon State in back-to-back games next weekend, with the Ducks going to Corvallis on Jan. 19 and the Beavers coming to Eugene on Jan. 21. Both games will air on Pac-12 Networks.