Ducks’ Comeback Bid Ends in Double Overtime

Monday, December 29

Eugene, OR

6 p.m.

University of Oregon

12-3,0-2Big Ten

Michigan

11-1,2-0Big Ten

OT 1

OT 2

Michigan

Oregon

Photo by: GoDucks.com

12/29/25 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Game Book (Michigan 92, Oregon 87 - 2OT) Postgame Notes (PDF)Photo Gallery

Oregon falls in double overtime to No. 6 Michigan, 92-87.

EUGENE, Ore. – After trailing by 18 points in the first half to the sixth-ranked team in the nation, it looked all but over for the Oregon women's basketball team.

But the Ducks amped up the pressure and intensity in the second half and pushed Michigan to double overtime at Matthew Knight Arena, where Oregon's upset and comeback bids fell just short in a 92-87 loss in its Big Ten home opener Monday night.

"I'm proud of our effort," said UO head coach Kelly Graves. "Proud of how hard we played and gave ourselves a chance after that horrendous start to the game.

"What we did learn, though, is we're a pretty good team. We can play with anybody."

Sophomore point guard Katie Fiso scored 22 of her game-high 24 points after halftime, including 11 in the third quarter after the Ducks trailed by 16 at the break. Ehis Etute added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Mia Jacobs finished with 16 points and Ari Long added 14.

Midway through the fourth quarter and trailing by seven, Oregon closed regulation on a 9-2 run to force the game into overtime. Etute scored UO's final three points, including a coast-to-coast layin to tie the game at 69 with 1:30 on the clock.

Oregon led by three with a minute to play in the first overtime period, but saw the Wolverines tie the game on an Olivia Olson layup with six seconds remaining. Michigan scored the first six points of the second overtime period as part of a 10-3 opening burst to seal away the first double-overtime game at Matthew Knight Arena since the 2017-18 season.

"I thought (the crowd) was huge," added Graves. "There were times this place as really rocking, it was loud. And I thought it affected (Michigan) a little bit. They can be a real boost to us."

Michigan owned a 60-34 rebounding advantage, including 28 offensive rebounds, helping build a 20-0 edge in second-chance points.

How It Happened: Michigan connected on its first three field goal tries in building a 7-1 lead over the game's opening minutes. The Wolverines' hot shooting stretch extended to six consecutive made baskets by four different players to start the night, resulting in a 13-6 edge as the game hit the first media timeout.

The Wolverines finished the quarter 10-of-13 from the floor while holding UO without a field goal over the quarter's final 4:15. Additionally, U-M scored eight fastbreak points while forcing eight Duck turnovers and led 21-10 after one quarter.

A Long steal and breakaway layin trimmed the Ducks' deficit to 10 at the 5:30 mark. From there, Michigan rattled off 13 of the next 17 points over the next two and a half minutes to stake a 38-20 edge – its largest lead of the night. Six unanswered points, including a Jacobs 3-pointer, brought the Ducks within a dozen but Michigan knocked down triples on each of its last two possessions of the half to carry a 44-28 lead into the locker room.

UO went 9-of-20 from the field in the half while U-M finished 19-for-31, including 6-of-9 from behind the 3-point line. Each team committed 12 turnovers, as the Ducks turned those into 11 points, but the Wolverines owned a 19-7 rebounding advantage.

The Ducks offense gained its footing in the second half as they raced out to an 11-2 run to begin the third, getting nine points from Fiso and clawed within seven to force a Michigan timeout. But Oregon's scoring run only continued to swell as it put together a 17-3 run in total, capped by a Fiso layup to close within a point with under three minutes to play. Fiso dropped 11 in the quarter as the Ducks outscored U-M 21-11 in the frame.

Trailing by seven nearing the midway point of the fourth, Fiso accounted for five of Oregon's six unanswered points over a two-minute span that cut Michigan's lead to one, 67-66. Later down by three, Etute hit one free throw before finishing a game-tying layin with under 90 seconds on the clock to force the game into overtime.

The Ducks grabbed their first lead since the game's opening minutes after another 6-0 run, getting a layup from Long and two free throws from both Fiso and Sarah Rambus. A tying layup by Michigan with six seconds left locked the score at 76 and gave the Ducks an opportunity for a game-winner, but UO was unable to get a shot off and the game went to a second overtime period.

"We had our chances down the stretch," Graves said. "I 100 percent take that last possession of the first overtime. … We didn't execute it very well, obviously, and to not get a shot in that instance, 100 percent on me."

The Wolverines scored the first six points of the second overtime and led by as many as seven to fend off Oregon's upset bid. Long led all players with seven points in the two overtimes, with Fiso adding five. Michigan combined to shoot 6-of-13 from the field and 10-of-23 from the free throw line in overtime, while UO was 5-for-15 from the floor and 6-of-9 from the line.

Notable: The game marked the first double-overtime game for the Ducks since the opening round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament against Belmont on March 19, 2022, and first home game to go to double overtime since defeating USC 80-74 on Feb. 16, 2018. … Fiso produced her team-leading fifth 20-point game, scoring 22 points after halftime. … Minnesota-transfer Mallory Heyer, who joined the team over the holiday break and will be eligible to play next season, was on the bench for her first game at Matthew Knight Arena.

Up Next: The Ducks host Northwestern on New Year's Day (2 p.m., B1G+).