Ducks Use Big First Quarter to Wallop Wildcats

Sunday, January 20

Eugene, OR

12:00 PM

University of Oregon

Arizona

Oregon

Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto

01/20/19 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box: Oregon 93, Arizona 60

By: Joe Waltasti

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon used a dominant first quarter to put away Arizona early and the Ducks defeated the Wildcats, 93-60, on Sunday afternoon at Matthew Knight Arena.

With six straight wins, Oregon (17-1, 6-0 Pac-12) has matched its best start to league play since joining the Pac-10. The Ducks have won 10 straight games overall.

TRIPLE-DOUBLES: Sabrina Ionescu posted her 16th career triple-double in the win over the Wildcats. It was her sixth this season, matching the NCAA single-season record she already shares with Danielle Carson of Youngstown State (1986).

BIG QUARTERS: Satou Sabally had a whopping 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting with four threes in the first quarter but Erin Boley nearly matched her, with 14 points, including four threes, in the third quarter.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Facing the top scoring defense in the Pac-12, Oregon went on an incredible 20-0 run to open the game. Ruthy Hebard scored the Ducks' first two baskets before Satou Sabally scored five straight for a 10-0 lead. After Erin Boley knocked down a jumper and Hebard hit a free throw, Sabally rattled off seven straight points to give the Ducks a 20-0 lead with 4:31 remaining in the first. Arizona scored its first basket with 3:22 on the clock. Oregon owned a 31-4 lead at the end of the first as Sabally had an incredible 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the first.

After a dominating first quarter, the Ducks took their foot off the gas a bit in the second. Arizona outscored Oregon, 19-13, in the second, just the third quarter the Ducks have lost in Pac-12 this year. UO owned a 44-23 lead at halftime, with Sabally scoring five more in the second for 23 points in the first half.

After following a 31 point first quarter with a 13 point second quarter, the Ducks bounced back with 29 in the third. Boley took over in the third, with 14 points and four three-pointers in the period. The Ducks cruised in the fourth for the 33-point win.

FOUR-POINT QUARTER: The Ducks held Arizona to just four points in the first quarter, the second time this season UO has done that. Oregon held Long Beach State to four points in the second quarter.

OFFENSE > DEFENSE: Oregon entered Sunday's game with the top offense in the Pac-12 (90.3 ppg) and Arizona entered with the league's top defense (56.2 ppg). The Ducks' 93 points is the most allowed by Arizona this season.

KELLY GRAVES: "That was a good win for us today. I thought we played really well. Obviously the first quarter was almost as good as we can play. The second quarter was almost as bad as we can play. One of the messages at halftime was that this has been our issue. If we want to truly be an elite team and have a chance to play until the last weekend, we can't have those lows. That's one of things we've struggled with. That consistency. At some point you are going to play a team that's not going to let you have a quarter like that and come back from it. Second half was much better. Our defense was a little loose, but we got back to our offensive basketball. It ended up being a really good win for us. A lot of people contributed. A lot of people got right. We will take it. 17 and 1. We will take it."

SABRINA ON SATOU: "Night in and night out she is one of the best guards in the country. On the floor, she is starting to realize her strengths and playing to them. On the defensive end, she is just so long and athletic. She is making a lot of disruptions on the defensive end that is leading to a lot of offense for us. Offensively, she is shooting the ball the best that I've ever seen her shoot it, with a lot of confidence and momentum. She's getting to the basket. She's making free throws. She's just doing a lot of things that she was timid to do but we knew were in her. Now she's doing that, so the sky is the limit for her. We will continue to feed the hot hand."

UP NEXT: Oregon visits the Washington schools next weekend.