Photo by: Samuel Marshall
Cavernous Carrier Dome First Of Many Tests Road Trip Will Present
11/23/19 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
The Oregon women's basketball team will be tested in all sorts of ways over the next week, beginning Sunday vs. No. 17 Syracuse in the Carrier Dome (1 p.m. PT, ACC Network).
Erin Boley has played in Syracuse's cavernous Carrier Dome before.
She's still looking for her first career three-pointer in the football stadium that doubles as the Orange's basketball facility.
Boley and the top-ranked Oregon women's basketball team will play in the Carrier Dome on Sunday, when the Ducks (3-0) play their first road game of the 2019-20 season. As a freshman at Notre Dame, before she transferred to Oregon, Boley played 16 minutes and missed her three three-point attempts when the Irish played in the dome.
"It's really big," Boley said earlier this week, before the Ducks departed for the East Coast. "There's a lot of open space."
Three shots over 16 minutes of game action is too small a sample size to be statistically significant, of course. Boley has made 114 three-pointers for the Ducks over the last two years, and done so in some huge venues — she had three in Oregon's Elite Eight win at Moda Center last spring, and four in their Final Four appearance.
But Boley knows from experience that shooting in the Carrier Dome will require an adjustment. And that message has trickled down to her teammates.
"It'll be different," said sophomore Taylor Chavez, whose pregame routine Sunday thus will include "a lot of shots. Getting used to the depth perception will be something big we'll probably focus on a little bit."
The UO women will make another adjustment Sunday, when head coach Kelly Graves pencils out his playing rotation against the Orange. Back in the mix is junior wing Satou Sabally, after three appearances with the German national team.
Chavez started in Sabally's place as the Ducks opened the year with a trio of wins at home.
"I don't think we missed a beat," Graves said. "But Satou's such a talent."
Sabally's return is welcome as the Ducks enter what should be an enlightening stretch of games. After facing Syracuse on Sunday, the UO women travel to the Virgin Islands, for three games in the Paradise Jam during Thanksgiving weekend, the last Saturday against Louisville.
Oregon is back in Matthew Knight Arena on Dec. 8, to face midmajor power South Dakota State.
"This stretch is gonna tell us a lot about who we are, I think," Graves said. "This is five really good games. We're gonna see different types of styles, different teams, different levels of athleticism. All well-coached teams, big schools, physicality; we're gonna have to play back-to-back-to-back (with three games in three days at the Paradise Jam).
"We're gonna see a little of everything. I'll tell us a lot about where we are and where we're going."
She's still looking for her first career three-pointer in the football stadium that doubles as the Orange's basketball facility.
Boley and the top-ranked Oregon women's basketball team will play in the Carrier Dome on Sunday, when the Ducks (3-0) play their first road game of the 2019-20 season. As a freshman at Notre Dame, before she transferred to Oregon, Boley played 16 minutes and missed her three three-point attempts when the Irish played in the dome.
"It's really big," Boley said earlier this week, before the Ducks departed for the East Coast. "There's a lot of open space."
Three shots over 16 minutes of game action is too small a sample size to be statistically significant, of course. Boley has made 114 three-pointers for the Ducks over the last two years, and done so in some huge venues — she had three in Oregon's Elite Eight win at Moda Center last spring, and four in their Final Four appearance.
But Boley knows from experience that shooting in the Carrier Dome will require an adjustment. And that message has trickled down to her teammates.
"It'll be different," said sophomore Taylor Chavez, whose pregame routine Sunday thus will include "a lot of shots. Getting used to the depth perception will be something big we'll probably focus on a little bit."
The UO women will make another adjustment Sunday, when head coach Kelly Graves pencils out his playing rotation against the Orange. Back in the mix is junior wing Satou Sabally, after three appearances with the German national team.
Chavez started in Sabally's place as the Ducks opened the year with a trio of wins at home.
"I don't think we missed a beat," Graves said. "But Satou's such a talent."
Sabally's return is welcome as the Ducks enter what should be an enlightening stretch of games. After facing Syracuse on Sunday, the UO women travel to the Virgin Islands, for three games in the Paradise Jam during Thanksgiving weekend, the last Saturday against Louisville.
Oregon is back in Matthew Knight Arena on Dec. 8, to face midmajor power South Dakota State.
"This stretch is gonna tell us a lot about who we are, I think," Graves said. "This is five really good games. We're gonna see different types of styles, different teams, different levels of athleticism. All well-coached teams, big schools, physicality; we're gonna have to play back-to-back-to-back (with three games in three days at the Paradise Jam).
"We're gonna see a little of everything. I'll tell us a lot about where we are and where we're going."
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballKatie Fiso & Mia Jacobs | Postgame vs. Portland
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Kelly Graves | Postgame vs. Portland
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Kelly Graves | Postgame vs. Montana State
Sunday, December 14
