Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto
Ducks Put NCAA-Best Winning Streak On Line At Cal
02/08/19 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
The UO women have made things look pretty easy the last few weeks, winning an NCAA-leading 14 straight, but the Ducks face a stern test at Cal on Friday (8 p.m., Pac-12).
For 10 games now, Oregon has made playing in the Pac-12 look pretty easy.
The No. 3 Ducks remain perfect in conference play entering this week. They've only had one game decided by less than 13 points, their average margin of victory closer to 27. The UO women's current winning streak of 14 games is the longest in the nation.
Keeping all of that up through the next few weeks? That won't be easy at all.
Oregon plays Friday at California (8 p.m., Pac-12), then Sunday at No. 11 Stanford. Next week brings showdowns home and away with No. 7 Oregon State. Following a homestand with UCLA and USC, the Ducks wrap up Pac-12 play in Arizona, closing against No. 20 ASU — the one conference team so far to stay within single digits of the Ducks (21-1, 10-0 Pac-12).
All of that will go a long way to proving the postseason potential of this UO team that has Final Four dreams. But then again, none of the rest of it will have quite as much weight if Oregon doesn't take care of business Friday against the Golden Bears.
"It's all about Cal," UO coach Kelly Graves said earlier this week. "They're good, and they're especially good at home. This will be a big test."
Friday's game matches two of the most high-profile players on the country. On Oregon's side is guard Sabrina Ionescu, the all-time NCAA leader in triple-doubles who hit a game-winning shot the last time she made a homecoming to the East Bay for a Pac-12 game, two years ago at Cal (14-7, 5-5).
Ionescu said she knows of at least 50 to 60 friends and family planning to attend the game in the Bay Area this week.
"I love going back home," she said. "I'm excited to get back to the Bay Area, and have our fans there cheering us on. Hopefully we can get two wins."
On the other side of this superstar matchup is Cal senior Kristine Anigwe. The NCAA leader in rebounds entering this week with 15.6 per game, Anigwe also averages 22.4 points, and has a double-double in all 21 games this season.
"You have to focus your defense on her — and the others, but when you look at how you gotta attack them, she's the No. 1 priority," Graves said. "And maybe No. 2 and No. 3. She's that good."
The Cal team, of course, is more than Anigwe. Asha Thomas is a four-year starter, and she's joined in the backcourt by graduate transfer Receé Caldwell, who began her career at UCLA before spending three seasons at Texas Tech prior to this one.
And Oregon, of course, is more than Ionescu. Satou Sabally is developing into a star as a sophomore, Erinn Boley and Maite Cazorla are a threat to lead the Ducks on any given night, and Ruthy Hebard gives Oregon a capable counterpart to Anigwe.
"Ruthy has got to have a great game against her," Graves said. "… I think whoever wins that battle between those two probably wins the game. But Ruthy has a lot of weapons around her, who will be there to help and support her."
Despite the Ducks' recent success, Graves remains on guard. He's been encouraged by the defensive progress shown in recent weeks, to complement Oregon's elite offensive firepower. Above all else, he's harping on consistency from the UO women.
"It is hard, sometimes, to stay so consistent to the highest level," Cazorla said. "But we're working on it."
For a few weeks now, the Ducks could afford lapses here and there. That won't be the case over the remaining four weeks, the fifth-toughest remaining schedule in the country based on opponents' winning percentage.
"From time to time we go through little dry spells, and we can't do that against these good opponents we're going to be playing," Graves said. "Not only this weekend, but the future."
The No. 3 Ducks remain perfect in conference play entering this week. They've only had one game decided by less than 13 points, their average margin of victory closer to 27. The UO women's current winning streak of 14 games is the longest in the nation.
Keeping all of that up through the next few weeks? That won't be easy at all.
Oregon plays Friday at California (8 p.m., Pac-12), then Sunday at No. 11 Stanford. Next week brings showdowns home and away with No. 7 Oregon State. Following a homestand with UCLA and USC, the Ducks wrap up Pac-12 play in Arizona, closing against No. 20 ASU — the one conference team so far to stay within single digits of the Ducks (21-1, 10-0 Pac-12).
All of that will go a long way to proving the postseason potential of this UO team that has Final Four dreams. But then again, none of the rest of it will have quite as much weight if Oregon doesn't take care of business Friday against the Golden Bears.
"It's all about Cal," UO coach Kelly Graves said earlier this week. "They're good, and they're especially good at home. This will be a big test."
Friday's game matches two of the most high-profile players on the country. On Oregon's side is guard Sabrina Ionescu, the all-time NCAA leader in triple-doubles who hit a game-winning shot the last time she made a homecoming to the East Bay for a Pac-12 game, two years ago at Cal (14-7, 5-5).
Ionescu said she knows of at least 50 to 60 friends and family planning to attend the game in the Bay Area this week.
"I love going back home," she said. "I'm excited to get back to the Bay Area, and have our fans there cheering us on. Hopefully we can get two wins."
On the other side of this superstar matchup is Cal senior Kristine Anigwe. The NCAA leader in rebounds entering this week with 15.6 per game, Anigwe also averages 22.4 points, and has a double-double in all 21 games this season.
"You have to focus your defense on her — and the others, but when you look at how you gotta attack them, she's the No. 1 priority," Graves said. "And maybe No. 2 and No. 3. She's that good."
The Cal team, of course, is more than Anigwe. Asha Thomas is a four-year starter, and she's joined in the backcourt by graduate transfer Receé Caldwell, who began her career at UCLA before spending three seasons at Texas Tech prior to this one.
And Oregon, of course, is more than Ionescu. Satou Sabally is developing into a star as a sophomore, Erinn Boley and Maite Cazorla are a threat to lead the Ducks on any given night, and Ruthy Hebard gives Oregon a capable counterpart to Anigwe.
"Ruthy has got to have a great game against her," Graves said. "… I think whoever wins that battle between those two probably wins the game. But Ruthy has a lot of weapons around her, who will be there to help and support her."
Despite the Ducks' recent success, Graves remains on guard. He's been encouraged by the defensive progress shown in recent weeks, to complement Oregon's elite offensive firepower. Above all else, he's harping on consistency from the UO women.
"It is hard, sometimes, to stay so consistent to the highest level," Cazorla said. "But we're working on it."
For a few weeks now, the Ducks could afford lapses here and there. That won't be the case over the remaining four weeks, the fifth-toughest remaining schedule in the country based on opponents' winning percentage.
"From time to time we go through little dry spells, and we can't do that against these good opponents we're going to be playing," Graves said. "Not only this weekend, but the future."
Players Mentioned
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