Friday, January 8
Santa Cruz, CA
11:30 AM
University of Oregon
vs
Stanford
Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto
No. 11 Ducks Clash With No. 1 Stanford In Santa Cruz
01/06/21 | Women's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. - The Oregon women's basketball team is looking to bounce back from the program's first loss in almost a full calendar year after falling just short in a comeback bid vs. UCLA on Sunday, and the Ducks will have to do it against the nation's top team in No. 1 ranked and undefeated Stanford.
"I think it's a lesson learned," head coach Kelly Graves said of the loss to UCLA, "and unfortunately we jump right back into it and have to play Stanford. They're the best team in the country - not just by ranking - legitimately the best team in the country."
No. 11 Oregon enters Friday's matchup at 8-1 overall and 6-1 in Pac-12 play after seeing the nation's longest winning streak end at 27 games. The Ducks are looking to avoid dropping back-to-back games for the first time since February 2019 by beating a No. 1 ranked team for the first time in program history.
Game Details
Matchup: #11 Oregon (8-1, 6-1) at #1 Stanford (9-0, 6-0)
Date: Friday, January 8, 2021
Location: Santa Cruz, Calif.
Venue: Keiser Permanente Arena
Opening Tip: 11:30 a.m. PT
Broadcast Information
TV: Pac-12 Network
pac-12.com/live
PxP: Krista Blunk | Analyst: Mary Murphy
Radio: Oregon Sports Network
Eugene: KUGN 590 AM | Portland: KDZR 1640 AM
PXP: Terry Jonz | Analyst: Bev Smith
Numbers to Know
1.49 - Oregon ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 and No.8 in the country with a 1.49 assist-to-turnover ratio, paced by FR Te-Hina Paopao (1.91).
11 - UO has had 11 different players score in double figures through nine contests after Angela Dugalic's 13-point game vs. UCLA.
13 - Oregon has won 13 straight road games, tied with FGCU for the second-longest active streak in the nation (South Carolina, 17)
25 - Taylor Mikesell leads the Pac-12 with 25 made three-pointers as well as 2.78 three-pointers per game.
49.2% - The Ducks lead the Pac-12 and rank 12th in the nation this season with a 49.2 team field goal percentage.
186 - The Ducks have scored 186 points off turnovers through nine games compared to just 69 by their opponents (+117).
A Win Would...
» Mark the program's first-ever win over a No. 1 ranked team.
» Be UO's fourth straight over Stanford and sixth in the last seven meetings after beating the Cardinal three times in 2019-20; Oregon has never won four straight vs. Stanford.
» Extend the Ducks' road winning streak to 14 in a row.
Series History vs. Stanford
All-Time Series Record: Stanford leads, 55-14
Current Streak: Oregon W3
Last Meeting: Oregon won, 89-56 (3/8/20, Pac-12 Tournament Championship Game)
Going For Four Straight Vs. Stanford
Stanford has long dominated the all-time series against Oregon - holding a 55-14 lead - but the Ducks enter Friday's contest having won three straight and five of the last six against the Cardinal. The Ducks went 3-0 against Stanford in 2019-20 - winning 87-55 on Jan. 16 at home, 74-66 on Feb. 24 on the road, and 89-56 in the Pac-12 Tournament title game. Oregon became the first team ever to beat Stanford three times in one season, and the Ducks are looking to win four straight over the Cardinal for the first time in program history. Oregon and Stanford have faced off in each of the last three conference tournament championship games, with the Ducks coming out on top in both 2018 and 2020, and are the only Pac-12 teams ever to win three or more regular-season conference championships in a row and multiple Pac-12 tournament titles.
Ducks' Depth on Full Display
Despite having to replace four starters - including three top-10 WNBA Draft picks - Kelly Graves might just boast the deepest team in the country this season. Oregon has already seen 11 of its 13 players record at least one double-figure scoring performance through nine games, and at least 10 Ducks scored in each of the first seven contests. Five different players - Erin Boley, Taylor Mikesell, Te-Hina Paopao, Sydney Parrish and Nyara Sabally - have led the Ducks in scoring at least once so far this season, and nine are averaging at least 4.9 PPG entering Friday.
Win Streak Ends at 27 games
Oregon went toe-to-toe with a veteran group from UCLA and fought back from a double-digit deficit on Sunday, but the Ducks couldn't complete the comeback and saw the nation's longest winning streak end at 27 games at the hands of the then-No. 11 ranked Bruins. The Ducks trailed 71-60 with 4:51 to play and rallied back to pull even with 11 straight points, but UCLA's Michaela Onyenwere finished off a 33-point game with a basket and Oregon was unable to answer again despite three more possessions in the final minute. It was Oregon's first loss in 28 games overall, 25 in Pac-12 play and 23 at Matthew Knight Arena. The Ducks went nearly two full years between losses in Eugene, since a defeat to the Bruins on Feb. 22, 2019. UO's freshmen got a lot of playing time during crunch time, with Te-Hina Paopao leading the way with 19 points and Angela Dugalic recording a career-high 13 points while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds. Dugalic became the 11th different Duck with a double-figure scoring performance already this season. UO was without Sedona Prince and Taylor Chavez for the second straight game.
Ducks Race Past USC To Kick Off 2021
Playing its first game in 11 days after the holiday break, Oregon used an impressive second quarter (23-7) to build a 42-19 halftime lead before going on to win 92-69 on New Year's Day over USC. Despite playing without both Sedona Prince and Sydney Parrish due to injury and Taylor Chavez because of a family matter, the Ducks scored their second-most points of the season and had a season-high six players score in double figures - Taylor Mikesell (16), Nyara Sabally (15), Te-Hina Paopao (14), Erin Boley (13), Jaz Shelley (13) and Kylee Watson (11). It was Watson's first career double-figure scoring game.
Defense Leads To Offense
The Ducks are doing a great job of creating opportunities on offense with their defensive play, forcing opponents into 15.9 turnovers per game so far this season. Oregon has racked up 186 points off turnovers through nine games compared to just 63 for its opponents, including a 20-4 advantage on 16 forced turnovers in last Friday's win over USC.
Paopao Next In Graves' Line Of Great Point Guards?
Few coaches have developed point guards as successfully as Kelly Graves, the mentor to the only two players ever to surpass 2,000 career points and 1,000 assists in Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot. With Ionescu's legendary career at an end and Minyon Moore gone after a terrific grad transfer year, Graves immediately turned to Te-Hina Paopao, who he believes "has a chance a chance to be a real star." The first freshman to start a season opener for UO since Ionescu in 2016-17, Paopao is averaging 12.1 PPG on 48.3 percent shooting (43-of-89) and has scored in double figures six times through her first eight career conference games. The Oceanside, Calif., native enters this weekend ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 for both total assists (42) and assists per game (4.7), and Oregon ranks in the national top 10 for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.49) with Paopao directing the offense. The freshman scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting to lead Oregon to a 20-point win at then-No. 15 Oregon State on Dec. 13, and she enjoyed back-to-back double-figure scoring games last weekend vs. USC (14) and UCLA (19).
Sabally Well Worth The Wait
It's been a long two-plus years for Nyara Sabally - who lost the opportunity to play with her sister Satou Sabally after suffering knee injuries in each of her first two seasons as a Duck - but early on in 2020-21 it seems the 6-foot-5 forward was well worth the wait. Sabally leads Oregon with 8.0 RPG and is second with 12.4 PPG through nine games while shooting 57.5 percent (46-of-80) from the floor, the third-best mark in the Pac-12. The Berlin, Germany, native has two double-doubles after going off for 19 points and a career-high 14 rebounds on Dec. 21 at Washington State, and she is tied for the team lead with six double-figure scoring games (five in Pac-12 play). Sabally notched her first career double-double in the Pac-12 opener vs. Colorado with 20 points and 10 boards while going a perfect 9-of-9 from the floor, tying for the seventh-best individual shooting performance in UO single-game history. "It hurt my heart my heart to not be on the court with my teammates," Sabally said after the Colorado game. "Now that I'm on the court, it's the best feeling ever."
Mikesell Gets Off To Sizzling Start
Taylor Mikesell established herself as one of the nation's top shooters in two seasons at Maryland, and the junior transfer has immediately lived up to the hype early in her Duck career. Mikesell poured in a career-high 28 points on a career-best 8-of-10 three-point shooting in the season opener vs. Seattle, and she is shooting a stellar 47.2 percent (25-of-53) from beyond the arc through nine games while leading the Pac-12 in total three-pointers (25) and threes per game (2.78). Mikesell finished with 21 points at Oregon State - her second 20-point game as a Duck and 11th of her career - while going 8-of-12 from the floor and 5-of-8 from three-point range, and she led Oregon with 16 points last Friday vs. USC for her fourth double-figure scoring game of the season and 50th of her career. "She's as good a shooter as I've ever coached," head coach Kelly Graves said after Mikesell's stellar Oregon debut.
Boley Showing Expanded Game
Erin Boley is Oregon's lone returning starter in 2020-21, and the senior is proving she can do more than just shoot the three in her final season. Arguably the nation's most lethal three-point shooter, Boley is shooting a strong 45.0 percent (18-of-40) from beyond the arc and leads the Ducks with 13.0 PPG, but she has been much more aggressive inside the arc and around the basket so far as a senior. Boley is shooting 49.5 percent (45-of-91) overall on the season, and has already made 27 two-point field goals after finishing with 30 in all of 2019-20. Boley led Oregon with a season-high 25 points on Nov. 30 at Portland while tying her career-highs for field goals (11) and rebounds (9), and she is tied for the team lead with six double-figure scoring games including three straight entering Friday's game against Stanford. "Erin has set the tone early and showed she's more than just a catch-and-shoot, spot-up three-point shooter," Kelly Graves said after the Portland game.
Oregon Extends Contract of Graves
Kelly Graves is building something special in Eugene, and it's just getting started. On Wednesday, Dec. 30, University of Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens announced a contract extension with Graves that runs through the 2028-29 season. The incremental increases are funded through private athletic gifts. In his seventh season at Oregon, Graves ranks second in program history with 162-55 (.750) record and has led the Ducks to three straight Pac-12 regular-season championships.
Up Next
Oregon will go from Santa Cruz to Berkeley to face California on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT (Pac-12 Network).
"I think it's a lesson learned," head coach Kelly Graves said of the loss to UCLA, "and unfortunately we jump right back into it and have to play Stanford. They're the best team in the country - not just by ranking - legitimately the best team in the country."
No. 11 Oregon enters Friday's matchup at 8-1 overall and 6-1 in Pac-12 play after seeing the nation's longest winning streak end at 27 games. The Ducks are looking to avoid dropping back-to-back games for the first time since February 2019 by beating a No. 1 ranked team for the first time in program history.
Game Details
Matchup: #11 Oregon (8-1, 6-1) at #1 Stanford (9-0, 6-0)
Date: Friday, January 8, 2021
Location: Santa Cruz, Calif.
Venue: Keiser Permanente Arena
Opening Tip: 11:30 a.m. PT
Broadcast Information
TV: Pac-12 Network
pac-12.com/live
PxP: Krista Blunk | Analyst: Mary Murphy
Radio: Oregon Sports Network
Eugene: KUGN 590 AM | Portland: KDZR 1640 AM
PXP: Terry Jonz | Analyst: Bev Smith
Numbers to Know
1.49 - Oregon ranks No. 2 in the Pac-12 and No.8 in the country with a 1.49 assist-to-turnover ratio, paced by FR Te-Hina Paopao (1.91).
11 - UO has had 11 different players score in double figures through nine contests after Angela Dugalic's 13-point game vs. UCLA.
13 - Oregon has won 13 straight road games, tied with FGCU for the second-longest active streak in the nation (South Carolina, 17)
25 - Taylor Mikesell leads the Pac-12 with 25 made three-pointers as well as 2.78 three-pointers per game.
49.2% - The Ducks lead the Pac-12 and rank 12th in the nation this season with a 49.2 team field goal percentage.
186 - The Ducks have scored 186 points off turnovers through nine games compared to just 69 by their opponents (+117).
A Win Would...
» Mark the program's first-ever win over a No. 1 ranked team.
» Be UO's fourth straight over Stanford and sixth in the last seven meetings after beating the Cardinal three times in 2019-20; Oregon has never won four straight vs. Stanford.
» Extend the Ducks' road winning streak to 14 in a row.
Series History vs. Stanford
All-Time Series Record: Stanford leads, 55-14
Current Streak: Oregon W3
Last Meeting: Oregon won, 89-56 (3/8/20, Pac-12 Tournament Championship Game)
Going For Four Straight Vs. Stanford
Stanford has long dominated the all-time series against Oregon - holding a 55-14 lead - but the Ducks enter Friday's contest having won three straight and five of the last six against the Cardinal. The Ducks went 3-0 against Stanford in 2019-20 - winning 87-55 on Jan. 16 at home, 74-66 on Feb. 24 on the road, and 89-56 in the Pac-12 Tournament title game. Oregon became the first team ever to beat Stanford three times in one season, and the Ducks are looking to win four straight over the Cardinal for the first time in program history. Oregon and Stanford have faced off in each of the last three conference tournament championship games, with the Ducks coming out on top in both 2018 and 2020, and are the only Pac-12 teams ever to win three or more regular-season conference championships in a row and multiple Pac-12 tournament titles.
Ducks' Depth on Full Display
Despite having to replace four starters - including three top-10 WNBA Draft picks - Kelly Graves might just boast the deepest team in the country this season. Oregon has already seen 11 of its 13 players record at least one double-figure scoring performance through nine games, and at least 10 Ducks scored in each of the first seven contests. Five different players - Erin Boley, Taylor Mikesell, Te-Hina Paopao, Sydney Parrish and Nyara Sabally - have led the Ducks in scoring at least once so far this season, and nine are averaging at least 4.9 PPG entering Friday.
Win Streak Ends at 27 games
Oregon went toe-to-toe with a veteran group from UCLA and fought back from a double-digit deficit on Sunday, but the Ducks couldn't complete the comeback and saw the nation's longest winning streak end at 27 games at the hands of the then-No. 11 ranked Bruins. The Ducks trailed 71-60 with 4:51 to play and rallied back to pull even with 11 straight points, but UCLA's Michaela Onyenwere finished off a 33-point game with a basket and Oregon was unable to answer again despite three more possessions in the final minute. It was Oregon's first loss in 28 games overall, 25 in Pac-12 play and 23 at Matthew Knight Arena. The Ducks went nearly two full years between losses in Eugene, since a defeat to the Bruins on Feb. 22, 2019. UO's freshmen got a lot of playing time during crunch time, with Te-Hina Paopao leading the way with 19 points and Angela Dugalic recording a career-high 13 points while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds. Dugalic became the 11th different Duck with a double-figure scoring performance already this season. UO was without Sedona Prince and Taylor Chavez for the second straight game.
Ducks Race Past USC To Kick Off 2021
Playing its first game in 11 days after the holiday break, Oregon used an impressive second quarter (23-7) to build a 42-19 halftime lead before going on to win 92-69 on New Year's Day over USC. Despite playing without both Sedona Prince and Sydney Parrish due to injury and Taylor Chavez because of a family matter, the Ducks scored their second-most points of the season and had a season-high six players score in double figures - Taylor Mikesell (16), Nyara Sabally (15), Te-Hina Paopao (14), Erin Boley (13), Jaz Shelley (13) and Kylee Watson (11). It was Watson's first career double-figure scoring game.
Defense Leads To Offense
The Ducks are doing a great job of creating opportunities on offense with their defensive play, forcing opponents into 15.9 turnovers per game so far this season. Oregon has racked up 186 points off turnovers through nine games compared to just 63 for its opponents, including a 20-4 advantage on 16 forced turnovers in last Friday's win over USC.
Paopao Next In Graves' Line Of Great Point Guards?
Few coaches have developed point guards as successfully as Kelly Graves, the mentor to the only two players ever to surpass 2,000 career points and 1,000 assists in Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot. With Ionescu's legendary career at an end and Minyon Moore gone after a terrific grad transfer year, Graves immediately turned to Te-Hina Paopao, who he believes "has a chance a chance to be a real star." The first freshman to start a season opener for UO since Ionescu in 2016-17, Paopao is averaging 12.1 PPG on 48.3 percent shooting (43-of-89) and has scored in double figures six times through her first eight career conference games. The Oceanside, Calif., native enters this weekend ranked No. 2 in the Pac-12 for both total assists (42) and assists per game (4.7), and Oregon ranks in the national top 10 for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.49) with Paopao directing the offense. The freshman scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-15 shooting to lead Oregon to a 20-point win at then-No. 15 Oregon State on Dec. 13, and she enjoyed back-to-back double-figure scoring games last weekend vs. USC (14) and UCLA (19).
Sabally Well Worth The Wait
It's been a long two-plus years for Nyara Sabally - who lost the opportunity to play with her sister Satou Sabally after suffering knee injuries in each of her first two seasons as a Duck - but early on in 2020-21 it seems the 6-foot-5 forward was well worth the wait. Sabally leads Oregon with 8.0 RPG and is second with 12.4 PPG through nine games while shooting 57.5 percent (46-of-80) from the floor, the third-best mark in the Pac-12. The Berlin, Germany, native has two double-doubles after going off for 19 points and a career-high 14 rebounds on Dec. 21 at Washington State, and she is tied for the team lead with six double-figure scoring games (five in Pac-12 play). Sabally notched her first career double-double in the Pac-12 opener vs. Colorado with 20 points and 10 boards while going a perfect 9-of-9 from the floor, tying for the seventh-best individual shooting performance in UO single-game history. "It hurt my heart my heart to not be on the court with my teammates," Sabally said after the Colorado game. "Now that I'm on the court, it's the best feeling ever."
Mikesell Gets Off To Sizzling Start
Taylor Mikesell established herself as one of the nation's top shooters in two seasons at Maryland, and the junior transfer has immediately lived up to the hype early in her Duck career. Mikesell poured in a career-high 28 points on a career-best 8-of-10 three-point shooting in the season opener vs. Seattle, and she is shooting a stellar 47.2 percent (25-of-53) from beyond the arc through nine games while leading the Pac-12 in total three-pointers (25) and threes per game (2.78). Mikesell finished with 21 points at Oregon State - her second 20-point game as a Duck and 11th of her career - while going 8-of-12 from the floor and 5-of-8 from three-point range, and she led Oregon with 16 points last Friday vs. USC for her fourth double-figure scoring game of the season and 50th of her career. "She's as good a shooter as I've ever coached," head coach Kelly Graves said after Mikesell's stellar Oregon debut.
Boley Showing Expanded Game
Erin Boley is Oregon's lone returning starter in 2020-21, and the senior is proving she can do more than just shoot the three in her final season. Arguably the nation's most lethal three-point shooter, Boley is shooting a strong 45.0 percent (18-of-40) from beyond the arc and leads the Ducks with 13.0 PPG, but she has been much more aggressive inside the arc and around the basket so far as a senior. Boley is shooting 49.5 percent (45-of-91) overall on the season, and has already made 27 two-point field goals after finishing with 30 in all of 2019-20. Boley led Oregon with a season-high 25 points on Nov. 30 at Portland while tying her career-highs for field goals (11) and rebounds (9), and she is tied for the team lead with six double-figure scoring games including three straight entering Friday's game against Stanford. "Erin has set the tone early and showed she's more than just a catch-and-shoot, spot-up three-point shooter," Kelly Graves said after the Portland game.
Oregon Extends Contract of Graves
Kelly Graves is building something special in Eugene, and it's just getting started. On Wednesday, Dec. 30, University of Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens announced a contract extension with Graves that runs through the 2028-29 season. The incremental increases are funded through private athletic gifts. In his seventh season at Oregon, Graves ranks second in program history with 162-55 (.750) record and has led the Ducks to three straight Pac-12 regular-season championships.
Up Next
Oregon will go from Santa Cruz to Berkeley to face California on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT (Pac-12 Network).
??????-?????? ?????????????? is back!@GoDucksKG and @TerryJonz talk all things Ducks and look ahead to Friday's showdown with No. 1 Stanford. #GoDucks x @UOSportsNetwork pic.twitter.com/3sKENS4agV
— Oregon Women's Basketball (@OregonWBB) January 6, 2021
"????'?? ?????????????? ???? ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ??????????."@sabally2000 sat down with @TerryJonz to talk about returning from a two-year injury absence, her favorite German food, a @satou_sabally update, and more.#GoDucks x @UOSportsNetwork pic.twitter.com/wZc15VIBj7
— Oregon Women's Basketball (@OregonWBB) January 6, 2021
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballKelly Graves | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Deja Kelly, Peyton Scott & Phillipina Kyei | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Peyton Scott & Ari Long: "A good, competitive basketball game."
Thursday, February 27
Kelly Graves: "We've played really well."
Thursday, February 27
