Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto
Perfect Pac-12 Start On The Line
01/25/19 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
The Oregon women's basketball team is 6-0 in conference play, entering play Friday at Washington State (7 p.m., Pac-12 Oregon).
The target on Oregon's back only gets bigger and brighter.
Every time the Ducks take the court, it's a chance to knock off the reigning Pac-12 Conference champs. The UO women's basketball team was picked in the preseason to win the league again this spring, and is generally considered a solid candidate to make this year's Final Four in the NCAA Tournament.
To that add one more: Entering Friday's game at Washington State, the Ducks are one of two unbeaten teams left in Pac-12 play this season, along with Stanford. Oregon has matched the best start in school history since joining the league, at 6-0, and looks to break that record against the Cougars on Friday (7 p.m., Pac-12 Oregon).
Less than three weeks since losing in Matthew Knight Arena the first time the two teams met, Washington State has a chance to hand Oregon its first loss of the conference season.
"Coaches say every game everyone's going to give us their best, because we're No. 1," UO junior post Ruthy Hebard said. "A few years ago, we weren't used to (having) a target on our back. But now we're more used to it."
The Ducks (17-1) have proven that so far. They have two wins over opponents in the top 10 of the RPI, Syracuse and Mississippi State, something no other team in the country can boast. The UO women are shooting 50 percent in Pac-12 play, and are allowing fewer points per game in conference (60.8) than overall this season (61.5).
And that's despite having that big, red target by their names on every opponent's schedule.
"We definitely are getting everyone's best, we can tell," Hebard said. "So we can never take a night off. And that's being told to us every day. So we're ready."
The Cougars (7-11, 2-5 Pac-12) visited Eugene back on Jan. 6. Hebard had 34 points on 16-of-21 shooting, and Sabrina Ionescu had one of what is now an NCAA-record 16 career triple-doubles.
That game also featured 25 points from Satou Sabally. The sophomore wing has scored at least 19 in five of six conference games so far, and she's reached 25 points in three of the last five, a streak that began against the Cougars.
Defenses have adjusted — Arizona State limited Sabally to 0-of-3 three-point shooting, and just eight points. But that's one of just three times this season Sabally hasn't scored in double figures.
"I definitely realize they're taking my shot more serious," she said. "Which leaves me more open for drives. So I guess that's fine."
Every time the Ducks take the court, it's a chance to knock off the reigning Pac-12 Conference champs. The UO women's basketball team was picked in the preseason to win the league again this spring, and is generally considered a solid candidate to make this year's Final Four in the NCAA Tournament.
To that add one more: Entering Friday's game at Washington State, the Ducks are one of two unbeaten teams left in Pac-12 play this season, along with Stanford. Oregon has matched the best start in school history since joining the league, at 6-0, and looks to break that record against the Cougars on Friday (7 p.m., Pac-12 Oregon).
Less than three weeks since losing in Matthew Knight Arena the first time the two teams met, Washington State has a chance to hand Oregon its first loss of the conference season.
"Coaches say every game everyone's going to give us their best, because we're No. 1," UO junior post Ruthy Hebard said. "A few years ago, we weren't used to (having) a target on our back. But now we're more used to it."
The Ducks (17-1) have proven that so far. They have two wins over opponents in the top 10 of the RPI, Syracuse and Mississippi State, something no other team in the country can boast. The UO women are shooting 50 percent in Pac-12 play, and are allowing fewer points per game in conference (60.8) than overall this season (61.5).
And that's despite having that big, red target by their names on every opponent's schedule.
"We definitely are getting everyone's best, we can tell," Hebard said. "So we can never take a night off. And that's being told to us every day. So we're ready."
The Cougars (7-11, 2-5 Pac-12) visited Eugene back on Jan. 6. Hebard had 34 points on 16-of-21 shooting, and Sabrina Ionescu had one of what is now an NCAA-record 16 career triple-doubles.
That game also featured 25 points from Satou Sabally. The sophomore wing has scored at least 19 in five of six conference games so far, and she's reached 25 points in three of the last five, a streak that began against the Cougars.
Defenses have adjusted — Arizona State limited Sabally to 0-of-3 three-point shooting, and just eight points. But that's one of just three times this season Sabally hasn't scored in double figures.
"I definitely realize they're taking my shot more serious," she said. "Which leaves me more open for drives. So I guess that's fine."
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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