Ducks Win as Ionescu Posts Second Straight Triple-Double

Saturday, December 21

Eugene, OR

12:00 PM

University of Oregon

10-1,0-0Pac-12

Kansas State

5-5,0-0Big 12

Kansas St.

Oregon

Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com

Ducks Win as Ionescu Posts Second Straight Triple-Double

12/21/19 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Oregon 89, Kansas State 51 Updated Season Stats

By: Nate Krueger

EUGENE, Ore. – Sabrina Ionescu recorded her second straight triple-double and the 21st of her career to lead the Oregon women's basketball team past Kansas State, 89-51, on Saturday afternoon in front of 10,706 fans in Matthew Knight Arena.

Ionescu finished with 21 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds to extend her NCAA all-time record, and she did so without playing at all in the fourth quarter. The No. 3 Ducks (10-1) ran away from a quality Big 12 opponent in their final counting nonconference game before Pac-12 play begins, headlined by a 31-point third quarter.

The Oregon Ducks take on the Kanas State Wildcats at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon on December 21, 2019 (Eric Evans Photography)

The Oregon Ducks take on the Kanas State Wildcats at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon on December 21, 2019 (Eric Evans Photography)

"I thought we played well in lots of different phases," said head coach Kelly Graves. "I thought our defense was on point. We shot the ball well overall. That's one of the best rebounding teams in the country and we outrebounded them significantly, and we only turned the ball over nine times.

"I feel like we have a lot of improvements to make still. I don't think we have played anywhere near our best basketball yet, so I think we will continue to get better, and better, and better. We want to be playing our best basketball in March and April, that's what I most concern myself with."

How it Happened: It was a back-and-forth battle in the opening quarter as the Ducks built a 14-10 lead through the first 10 minutes. Oregon broke a 4-4 tie with eight unanswered points to lead 12-4 at the 4:34 mark, with Ionescu, Minyon Moore and Erin Boley all knocking down midrange jumpers. Kansas State (5-5) fought back with six straight to make it a two-point game before Ionescu hit another jumper with 32 seconds left in the period.

Eight points by Kansas State's Peyton Williams – who finished with a team-high 20 – fueled an 8-2 run that gave the Wildcats an 18-16 lead early in the second quarter. Boley answered with a three to put Oregon back in front, and Moore followed with a three-point play on a fastbreak to make it 22-18.

After another bucket by Williams, Ionescu came up with a steal and a fastbreak lay-in to jumpstart a 12-0 Oregon run that featured back-to-back triples by Boley. The Wildcats got back within nine before Boley hit from deep once again, and Ionescu split a pair of free throws with three seconds left to give UO a 11-point lead at the break.

The Oregon Ducks take on the Kanas State Wildcats at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon on December 21, 2019 (Eric Evans Photography)

Leading 40-31 early in the third, the Ducks ripped off 11 unanswered points – including six by Ionescu – to take a 20-point advantage, 51-31. Ionescu found Satou Sabally for a lay-in to notch her 10th assist and make it 60-37 with 3:39 left in the third, and the MKA crowd roared when grabbed her 10th rebound at the 1:31 mark to get her 21st career triple-double.

Oregon outscored Kansas State 31-14 in the third while going 11-of-16 from the floor. Ionescu was 5-of-6 in the period while posting 10 points, five rebounds and four assists to finish off the triple-double.

The fourth quarter belonged to Oregon's bench, as freshman Lucy Cochrane went 3-of-4 for six points, Lydia Giomi added five with three rebounds and Holly Winterburn scored a pair of baskets. The Ducks' reserves held Kansas State to just 3-of-16 shooting from the floor while outscoring the Wildcats 20-10 to put the exclamation point on the win.

Who Stood Out: Ionescu notched her NCAA-leading third triple-double of the season and reached the milestone in back-to-back games for the third time in her career. Boley enjoyed a breakout game with 18 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting, and Sabally returned to the lineup with 14 points and eight rebounds after sitting out Monday's win over UC Riverside. Ruthy Hebard added seven points and seven rebounds, and Moore finished with seven points and four assists.

The Oregon Ducks take on the Kanas State Wildcats at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon on December 21, 2019 (Eric Evans Photography)

The Ducks did a great job of limiting Kansas State's outside shooters, holding the Wildcats to a 1-of-12 (8.3 %) day from beyond the arc and just 21-of-67 (31.3 %) from the field. Oregon also forced 15 turnovers, marking the sixth time this season they have pressured teams into 15 or more.

Notable: Ionescu now has 44 double-doubles to go with her 21 triple-doubles … Ionescu also finished with three steals, marking the fourth time this season and the 22nd time in her career she has had at least three … Hebard blocked three shots for the second time this season and 18th of her career … Hebard is now 15 points away from reaching 2,000 in her career, and Ionescu is seven assists away from 900 … Ionescu moved into No. 8 in UO history with 859 career rebounds, and she is now alone at No. 9 all-time with 176 career steals … Ionescu extended her UO record with her 112th career double-figure scoring game … Oregon is now 2-0 all-time against Kansas State after winning the first meeting between the two teams since 1999.

Up Next: Oregon will return from Christmas break for an exhibition game against Corban on Dec. 28 before opening Pac-12 play against Colorado on Jan. 3 in Matthew Knight Arena.