Saturday, January 24
Eugene, OR
2 p.m.
University of Oregon
vs
Penn State
Photo by: GoDucks.com
Ducks Meet Penn State Saturday
01/23/26 | Women's Basketball
UO looks to end skid vs. Nittany Lions (2 p.m., B1G+).
EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon women's basketball team wraps up a two-game homestand on Saturday, as the Ducks host Penn State at 2 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.
The Ducks look to snap a season-long four-game skid after falling to Minnesota 65-60 at home on Wednesday. Over the last four games, UO's average margin of defeat has been just 4.7 points. Penn State enters the game having lost nine in a row, and 12 of its last 13, after an 81-65 setback at Washington.
Last season's meeting in University Park marked the first-ever meeting between the Ducks and Nittany Lions, with Oregon coming away with a 63-61 victory. Saturday's B1G+ stream will be free for fans to watch, courtesy of the Big Ten.
GAME #22
Oregon (14-7, 2-6) vs. Penn State (7-13, 0-9)
Saturday, Jan. 22 | 2 p.m. | Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV/Stream: B1G+ (free)
Play-by-play: Saul Galvan | Analyst: Dylan De Cesare | Sideline: McKenna Rowland
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (KUGN 98.1 FM | ESPN Portland 910 AM)
Play-by-play: Chris Clayton | Analyst: Bev Smith
Listen Online | Live Stats | Tickets
A WIN WOULD…
» End Oregon's season-long four-game skid.
» Improve the Ducks' home record to 10-3 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play.
» Give the Ducks their 24th home win in its last 25 games against an unranked team.
» Improve Oregon's all-time record against Penn State to 2-0.
» Be UO's first win at home against the Nittany Lions.
» Give Oregon a 2-0 record against Penn State as members of the Big Ten.
LAST TIME OUT
That three of Oregon's opponents during what is now a four-game losing streak are currently in the top 16 of the women's college basketball NET rankings is little solace to the Ducks.
The UO women (14-7, 2-6 Big Ten) dropped their fourth straight game Wednesday, a 65-60 defeat to Minnesota at Matthew Knight Arena. Based on NET rankings updated Tuesday, three of those four losses by the Ducks have been to No. 9 Michigan State, No. 13 Iowa and No. 16 Minnesota — and the fourth was a double-overtime game at Wisconsin — but the sting is still acute.
On Wednesday, Oregon allowed an 11-0 run to open the fourth quarter to fall behind 55-42, then fought back to make it a one-possession game before coming up short.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State (7-13, 0-9) enters Saturday's game on a nine-game losing streak, having dropped 12 of its last 13 overall, after an 81-65 loss at No. 25 Washington on Wednesday.
Against the Huskies, Gracie Merkle scored a team-best 19 points and eight rebounds, marking her 10th straight double-figure scoring game. Kiyome McMiller added 11 points and Shaelyn Steele finished with eight points and eight boards.
Merkle and McMiller are the team's leading scorers, averaging 19.3 and 19.0 points a night, respectively. The duo account for 38.3 of the team's 75.2 points per game. Merkle also paces the Nittany Lions with 7.8 rebounds a game.
As a team, Penn State ranks last in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, turnover margin, turnovers per game. field goal percentage defense and 3-point percentage defense. PSU's 9.5 steals per game rank sixth, while ranking ninth in both assists per game and field goal percentage.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Last season marked the first-ever meeting between Oregon and Penn State, with the Ducks coming away with a 63-61 victory in University Park. Deja Kelly knocked down the game-winning jumper with under five seconds remaining to thwart the Nittany Lions' comeback bid. Oregon had three players score in double figures in the win, while its defense forced 24 turnovers behind 11 steals.
OFF AND RUNNING
Oregon began the 2025-26 season 10-0 for just the third time in program history before suffering its first loss of the season on Dec. 7 at No. 4 UCLA. It marked the first 10-0 start since beginning the 2015-16 season 11-0, and the second 10-0 start or better under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves. The Ducks' 12-1 start was its best 13-game start since the 2019-20 season, and the third 12-1 start or better under Graves. UO's offense has scored 80 or more in 11 of 21 games, including five straight to begin the season - its longest streak to open a season since seven straight such games to open the 2019-20 season. UO's scoring offense of 77.6 points per game ranks 38th nationally and ninth in the Big Ten.
Seven different Ducks have led or tied for the team lead in scoring, with 11 different players producing a double-digit scoring performance. Four times this season five different players finished in double figures, most recently on Dec. 18 in win over Portland: Mia Jacobs (21), Amina Muhamad (12), Avary Cain (11), Sarah Rambus (11) and Katie Fiso (10). Five of the 11 players with a double-figure scoring game came off the bench (Avary Cain, Ehis Etute, Muhammad, Astera Tuhina and Janiyah Williams).
» Oregon's offensive rating of 103.2 (points per 100 possessions) ranks 11th in the Big Ten while averaging 73.6 possessions per 40 minutes (fourth in Big Ten). UO had an offensive rating of 96.0 with an average of 70.2 possessions per 40 minutes last year.
» UO's field goal percentage of 46.0 is No. 32 in the country, with its 51.3 percent on two-point shots ranking 10th in the conference.
» Oregon ranks 34th in the country and eighth in the league with an effective field goal percentage of 51.9 percent.
STORM AND SWARM
Oregon's suffocating defense, a chief reason for Oregon's success a season ago, is back again this year. The Ducks have forced at least 20 turnovers 12 times and recorded double-digit steals in 16 of 21 contests to start the season. The 16 games with 10 or more steals are tied for the fourth-most in the country, and two shy of the national leaders, while the 12 20-turnover games are tied for 17th-most nationally and seven games behind the nation's leaders. In 12 games this season, UO's defense has recorded double-digit steals while forcing 20 or more turnovers - tied for the eighth-most such games in the country and five games behind the nation's leaders.
Oregon forced a season-high 32 turnovers behind 24 steals against West Georgia in the season opener, its most steals in a game since 2013. Oregon's defense recorded 12 or more steals and forced at least 23 turnovers in four consecutive games to begin the season. UO turned in 10 or more steals in five consecutive games from Nov. 23 to Dec. 3, matching the longest streak from a season ago. The four consecutive games with 20-plus turnovers to start the season marked its longest since eight straight such games during the 2010-11 season.
» The 16 games with double-digit steals are already the most in a season under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves. The Ducks produced 17 such games in the 2022-12 and 2009-10 seasons.
» The Ducks are one of 10 teams with 12 games forcing a minimum of 22 turnovers, and one of two teams in the Big Ten.
» The Ducks' defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) is 83.4, which ranks eighth in the Big Ten.
» Oregon is recording a steal on 13.5 percent of opponent possessions, which is the fourth-highest rate in the Big Ten and 28th-highest in the nation.
» Opposing teams are turning the ball over on 23.6 percent of its possessions, the sixth-best rate in the conference.
CARDIAC DUCKS
Oregon has been no stranger to close games this season. The Ducks' double-overtime contest at Wisconsin on Jan. 18 marked the second time this season that the Ducks have gone to double overtime, also playing two extra periods against then-sixth-ranked Michigan on Dec. 29. UO has played six games this season that have been decided by five points or less, going 2-4 in those games, while also playing six "clutch games" - games that are within five points with five minutes to play or less. Since the start of last season, Oregon has played 21 clutch games, winning over half of them (11).
At then-No. 21 USC on Jan. 6, Oregon overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to upset the Trojans on their home floor 71-66. Junior guard Ari Long went 3-for-3 from the beyond the arc over the game's final 2:43 to erase a six-point hole and finish the game on a 14-0 run. The comeback victory tied for the second-largest halftime deficit overcome under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves, tying a 16-point comeback at USC back on Jan. 13, 2017. Trailing at one point by 17 in the third quarter, it was the largest comeback win since the 2021-22 season against Arizona.
» The win against the Trojans marked the second double-digit comeback win of the season after Oregon trailed by 14 points at Auburn on Nov. 30, outscoring the Tigers 34-20 in the second half.
» The double-OT game against the Wolverines was the first time the Ducks have gone into double overtime since the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament against Belmont on March 19, 2022.
» This Ducks played a pair of overtime games a season ago, including a 77-73 win over Vanderbilt in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament in Durham, N.C.
» This marks the first season with multiple double-overtime games played since 2021-22, when UO played two over the season's final five games. Oregon played three games that season that went into an extra period, going 1-2.
» Over the last two seasons, the Ducks have participated in 16 games that have been decided by five points or fewer, going 9-7 in those tilts with five wins coming away from home.
» The six games decided by five points or fewer are tied for the most such games in the Big Ten this season.
GO, FISO, GO
Sophomore point guard Katie Fiso has stepped into the Ducks' lead guard spot this season, as she takes over after the departures of graduate guards Deja Kelly and Peyton Scott. Fiso, who was the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Washington her senior season, got her first career start in the season opener against West Georgia on Nov. 3 and turned in her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists - without a turnover. She produced her first 20-point scoring effort while handing out 10 assists against Grand Canyon on Nov. 11 and has since recorded points-assists double-doubles against Army (12 points, 10 assists), Saint Mary's (15 points, 10 assists), Oregon State (23 points, 14 assists) and Portland (10 points, 11 assists). She set a career high with 26 points at Wisconsin on Jan. 18 and now owns a team-best seven 20-point games this season.
» Fiso leads the Ducks with 15.4 points per game after averaging just 3.1 a game last season. Her increase of 12.3 points per game is the highest improvement from a season ago among Big Ten players (18th-highest nationally).
» Fiso's seven 20-point games are tied for sixth-most in the league among Big Ten guards.
» Against the Wolverines, she scored 22 of her 24 points in the second half and both overtime periods.
» Over the last eight games, Fiso has scored 85 of her 134 points after halftime - good for 63.4 percent of her scoring.
» She is averaging 10.6 points in the second halves and overtime periods while averaging 16.8 points per game overall over her last eight contests.
» Her six points-assists double-doubles this season lead the nation, while only 13 players in the country have multiple points-assists double-doubles.
» There have been 11 points-assists double-doubles in the Big Ten this season, with Fiso accounting for six of them and the only player with more than two.
MAMA MIA
Senior forward Mia Jacobs, a Fresno State transfer, has made an immediate impact for the Ducks on the young season. She ranks second on the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor. Jacobs finished as the team's leading scorer in three of the first four games to begin the season, and is second on the team with five games with 20 points or more. She dropped a season-high 30 points behind six 3-pointers at Wisconsin on Jan. 18, the sixth 30-point effort of her career. Additionally, she has connected on 77-of-90 free throw attempts to rank eighth in the Big Ten at 85.6 percent.
» Jacobs' 30-point game against the Badgers marked the first Duck with 30 or more points since Endyia Rogers dropped 35 against Utah on Feb. 5, 2023. She scored 22 after halftime, with nine coming over the two overtime periods.
» Jacobs scored in double figures in 10 consecutive games from Nov. 30-Jan. 11, the longest such streak of her career ending at Iowa on Jan. 15. Additionally, she hit at least one 3-pointer in nine straight contests before the game at Iowa while knocking down multiple triples eight times in that span.
» Jacobs produced a double-double in three consecutive games from Dec. 14-21 - the first double-doubles of the season after recording 19 a season ago while at Fresno State.
» Jacobs turned in her first double-double against Montana State on Dec. 14 with 13 points and 10 rebounds before scoring 21 points with 10 boards against Portland on Dec. 18.
» On Dec. 21 against Stanford at Chase Center, Jacobs grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds while scoring 11 points.
» On Dec. 7 at UCLA, Jacobs eclipsed 1,500 points for her career and her 1,644 points rank 27th among all active players and fifth-most among active players in the Big Ten.
» Jacobs' 46 made 3-pointers lead the team and are second-most among Big Ten forwards (No. 10 nationally among forwards), and just two back of Minnesota's Grace Grocholski.
» She went 12-of-13 from the free throw line against Grand Canyon on Nov. 11, marking the most made free throws by a Duck since Sabrina Ionescu made 17 against Mississippi State on Dec. 18, 2018.
» Her free throw percentage of 85.6 is fourth-best in the nation among forwards with at least 50 made free throws and second in the Big Ten.
» Last season, Jacobs led the Mountain West with 19 double-doubles last season, which tied for No. 7 nationally, as she averaged 18.3 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor.
» Jacobs is also a passionate and talented photographer and can often be seen on the sidelines capturing the action at several different Oregon Athletics events.
RING THE BELL
Junior guard Sofia Bell is a phenom on the court and in the classroom. Bell earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon after only two years and is already enrolled in an MBA program at UO. On the basketball court, she is a disruptor to opposing offenses and has developed into a knock-down 3-point shooter. The 6-foot Bell leads the team with 15 blocks and ranks second in made 3-pointers (38) and steals (39), recording at least one steal in 19 of 21 games this season with multiple steals in 13 contests. Bell has registered at least one theft in 52 of her 70 career games (74.2 percent), while finishing with multiple steals 29 times. Fifteen of her 30 career blocks have come this season after having just three over 28 games last year.
On the offensive end, she is shooting 38.0 percent from behind the 3-point line (38-of-100) - up from 29.7 percent from a season ago - and had a career day against No. 15 Michigan State on Jan. 11, going 6-of-8 from downtown on her way to a career-high 18 points. Bell went 4-for-4 from the deep in the first quarter against the Spartans in making a career-best six made 3-pointers. Bell produced her 12th game this season with multiple 3-pointers with a pair against Minnesota on Jan. 21. Her 15 points against Montana State on Dec. 14 marked the first time in her career she led the Ducks in scoring, becoming the seventh different player to lead UO in points this season. Bell is the only player in the Big Ten, and one of just 11 players in the nation, to have at least 15 blocks while making at least 38 3-pointers.
EHIS THE BEAST
Sophomore F Ehis Etute has begun to tap into her raw potential in her second season in Eugene. The Luxembourg product has scored in double figures in 10 of her last 13 games, logging a career-best 17 points to go with 13 boards at No. 21 USC on Jan. 6. Etute turned in a then-career-high 15 points to go with eight rebounds against Old Dominion on Thanksgiving Day before a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double off the bench at Auburn on Nov. 30. It marked Etute's first double-double of her career while grabbing a career high in rebounds, going 7-of-10 from the floor. She scored 13 points and hauled in seven rebounds in the Ducks' comeback victory against the Trojans.
» Etute has started each of the last six games, her first starts of the season, after making one start during her freshman season.
» With 11 points and 12 rebounds against Minnesota, Etute has turned in a double-double in back-to-back games for the first time in her career. Three of her four double-doubles this season have come over her last five games.
» Over her last five games, she is averaging 13.4 points and a team-high 10.0 rebounds.
» Etute produced her third double-double of the year at Wisconsin on Jan. 18, scoring 13 points to go with 11 boards (five offensive rebounds). She scored nine points on 4-of-4 shooting in the third quarter to help UO overcome a five-point halftime deficit.
» All three of her career double-doubles have come this season.
» Over a four-game stretch from Nov. 27 to Dec. 14, Etute averaged 13.3 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 55.9 percent from the field. She averaged 22.4 minutes off the bench in that stretch, the third-most minutes of anyone on the team.
» Etute has led UO in rebounding in 14 of 20 games in which she has played this season and has finished as the team leader 18 times in her career.
» Against Washington State on Nov. 19, she hauled in 13 rebounds for her first 10-rebound effort, with eight coming on the offensive end - the second-best total by any player in the Big Ten this season.
» Etute boasts a total rebounding rate of 21.3 percent, the second-highest rate in the Big Ten and 20th-highest rate in the country among players averaging at least 15.0 minutes per game, with her offensive rebounding rate of 19.5 percent is tops in the Big Ten and sixth nationally among those players.
THE LONG GAME
Junior guard Ari Long has cracked the starting lineup for the first time in her career this season, starting each of the last 19 games in place of the injured Elisa Mevius, who will miss the season due to a knee injury. Long, standing at 6-foot, leads the Ducks with 41 steals and ranks third on the team with 12 blocks. Her 12 blocks are tied for the ninth-most among Big Ten guards, while she is one of just two Big Ten guards with at least 12 blocks and 41 steals. She is part of a group of just 19 guards in the country with those numbers.
» On Jan. 18 against Wisconsin, she turned in an all-around effort with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals - setting career highs in rebounds and assists while equaling her season high in steals.
» She is the first Duck with at least 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals since Oti Gildon (20-8-5-4) on Dec. 30, 2018, while it is just the fifth time since at least 1999 a Duck produced that stat line.
» She is one of just four players in the Big Ten to produce a game with at least 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals this season, and just the second during Big Ten play.
» Her 41 steals rank as the fifth most in the Big Ten.
» Against No. 21 USC on Jan. 6, she knocked down three 3-pointers over the game's final three minutes to help Oregon complete a 17-point comeback and come away with a 71-66 victory.
» With UO trailing 66-60 with under three minutes to play, Long connected from deep range on consecutive trips to tie the game before knocking down the go-ahead triple with just over 30 seconds remaining.
» Long has led or tied for the team lead in steals eight times this season while pacing the team in blocks six times.
The Ducks look to snap a season-long four-game skid after falling to Minnesota 65-60 at home on Wednesday. Over the last four games, UO's average margin of defeat has been just 4.7 points. Penn State enters the game having lost nine in a row, and 12 of its last 13, after an 81-65 setback at Washington.
Last season's meeting in University Park marked the first-ever meeting between the Ducks and Nittany Lions, with Oregon coming away with a 63-61 victory. Saturday's B1G+ stream will be free for fans to watch, courtesy of the Big Ten.
GAME #22
Oregon (14-7, 2-6) vs. Penn State (7-13, 0-9)
Saturday, Jan. 22 | 2 p.m. | Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV/Stream: B1G+ (free)
Play-by-play: Saul Galvan | Analyst: Dylan De Cesare | Sideline: McKenna Rowland
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (KUGN 98.1 FM | ESPN Portland 910 AM)
Play-by-play: Chris Clayton | Analyst: Bev Smith
Listen Online | Live Stats | Tickets
A WIN WOULD…
» End Oregon's season-long four-game skid.
» Improve the Ducks' home record to 10-3 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play.
» Give the Ducks their 24th home win in its last 25 games against an unranked team.
» Improve Oregon's all-time record against Penn State to 2-0.
» Be UO's first win at home against the Nittany Lions.
» Give Oregon a 2-0 record against Penn State as members of the Big Ten.
LAST TIME OUT
That three of Oregon's opponents during what is now a four-game losing streak are currently in the top 16 of the women's college basketball NET rankings is little solace to the Ducks.
The UO women (14-7, 2-6 Big Ten) dropped their fourth straight game Wednesday, a 65-60 defeat to Minnesota at Matthew Knight Arena. Based on NET rankings updated Tuesday, three of those four losses by the Ducks have been to No. 9 Michigan State, No. 13 Iowa and No. 16 Minnesota — and the fourth was a double-overtime game at Wisconsin — but the sting is still acute.
On Wednesday, Oregon allowed an 11-0 run to open the fourth quarter to fall behind 55-42, then fought back to make it a one-possession game before coming up short.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State (7-13, 0-9) enters Saturday's game on a nine-game losing streak, having dropped 12 of its last 13 overall, after an 81-65 loss at No. 25 Washington on Wednesday.
Against the Huskies, Gracie Merkle scored a team-best 19 points and eight rebounds, marking her 10th straight double-figure scoring game. Kiyome McMiller added 11 points and Shaelyn Steele finished with eight points and eight boards.
Merkle and McMiller are the team's leading scorers, averaging 19.3 and 19.0 points a night, respectively. The duo account for 38.3 of the team's 75.2 points per game. Merkle also paces the Nittany Lions with 7.8 rebounds a game.
As a team, Penn State ranks last in the Big Ten in free throw percentage, turnover margin, turnovers per game. field goal percentage defense and 3-point percentage defense. PSU's 9.5 steals per game rank sixth, while ranking ninth in both assists per game and field goal percentage.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Last season marked the first-ever meeting between Oregon and Penn State, with the Ducks coming away with a 63-61 victory in University Park. Deja Kelly knocked down the game-winning jumper with under five seconds remaining to thwart the Nittany Lions' comeback bid. Oregon had three players score in double figures in the win, while its defense forced 24 turnovers behind 11 steals.
OFF AND RUNNING
Oregon began the 2025-26 season 10-0 for just the third time in program history before suffering its first loss of the season on Dec. 7 at No. 4 UCLA. It marked the first 10-0 start since beginning the 2015-16 season 11-0, and the second 10-0 start or better under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves. The Ducks' 12-1 start was its best 13-game start since the 2019-20 season, and the third 12-1 start or better under Graves. UO's offense has scored 80 or more in 11 of 21 games, including five straight to begin the season - its longest streak to open a season since seven straight such games to open the 2019-20 season. UO's scoring offense of 77.6 points per game ranks 38th nationally and ninth in the Big Ten.
Seven different Ducks have led or tied for the team lead in scoring, with 11 different players producing a double-digit scoring performance. Four times this season five different players finished in double figures, most recently on Dec. 18 in win over Portland: Mia Jacobs (21), Amina Muhamad (12), Avary Cain (11), Sarah Rambus (11) and Katie Fiso (10). Five of the 11 players with a double-figure scoring game came off the bench (Avary Cain, Ehis Etute, Muhammad, Astera Tuhina and Janiyah Williams).
» Oregon's offensive rating of 103.2 (points per 100 possessions) ranks 11th in the Big Ten while averaging 73.6 possessions per 40 minutes (fourth in Big Ten). UO had an offensive rating of 96.0 with an average of 70.2 possessions per 40 minutes last year.
» UO's field goal percentage of 46.0 is No. 32 in the country, with its 51.3 percent on two-point shots ranking 10th in the conference.
» Oregon ranks 34th in the country and eighth in the league with an effective field goal percentage of 51.9 percent.
STORM AND SWARM
Oregon's suffocating defense, a chief reason for Oregon's success a season ago, is back again this year. The Ducks have forced at least 20 turnovers 12 times and recorded double-digit steals in 16 of 21 contests to start the season. The 16 games with 10 or more steals are tied for the fourth-most in the country, and two shy of the national leaders, while the 12 20-turnover games are tied for 17th-most nationally and seven games behind the nation's leaders. In 12 games this season, UO's defense has recorded double-digit steals while forcing 20 or more turnovers - tied for the eighth-most such games in the country and five games behind the nation's leaders.
Oregon forced a season-high 32 turnovers behind 24 steals against West Georgia in the season opener, its most steals in a game since 2013. Oregon's defense recorded 12 or more steals and forced at least 23 turnovers in four consecutive games to begin the season. UO turned in 10 or more steals in five consecutive games from Nov. 23 to Dec. 3, matching the longest streak from a season ago. The four consecutive games with 20-plus turnovers to start the season marked its longest since eight straight such games during the 2010-11 season.
» The 16 games with double-digit steals are already the most in a season under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves. The Ducks produced 17 such games in the 2022-12 and 2009-10 seasons.
» The Ducks are one of 10 teams with 12 games forcing a minimum of 22 turnovers, and one of two teams in the Big Ten.
» The Ducks' defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) is 83.4, which ranks eighth in the Big Ten.
» Oregon is recording a steal on 13.5 percent of opponent possessions, which is the fourth-highest rate in the Big Ten and 28th-highest in the nation.
» Opposing teams are turning the ball over on 23.6 percent of its possessions, the sixth-best rate in the conference.
CARDIAC DUCKS
Oregon has been no stranger to close games this season. The Ducks' double-overtime contest at Wisconsin on Jan. 18 marked the second time this season that the Ducks have gone to double overtime, also playing two extra periods against then-sixth-ranked Michigan on Dec. 29. UO has played six games this season that have been decided by five points or less, going 2-4 in those games, while also playing six "clutch games" - games that are within five points with five minutes to play or less. Since the start of last season, Oregon has played 21 clutch games, winning over half of them (11).
At then-No. 21 USC on Jan. 6, Oregon overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to upset the Trojans on their home floor 71-66. Junior guard Ari Long went 3-for-3 from the beyond the arc over the game's final 2:43 to erase a six-point hole and finish the game on a 14-0 run. The comeback victory tied for the second-largest halftime deficit overcome under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves, tying a 16-point comeback at USC back on Jan. 13, 2017. Trailing at one point by 17 in the third quarter, it was the largest comeback win since the 2021-22 season against Arizona.
» The win against the Trojans marked the second double-digit comeback win of the season after Oregon trailed by 14 points at Auburn on Nov. 30, outscoring the Tigers 34-20 in the second half.
» The double-OT game against the Wolverines was the first time the Ducks have gone into double overtime since the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament against Belmont on March 19, 2022.
» This Ducks played a pair of overtime games a season ago, including a 77-73 win over Vanderbilt in the first round of last year's NCAA Tournament in Durham, N.C.
» This marks the first season with multiple double-overtime games played since 2021-22, when UO played two over the season's final five games. Oregon played three games that season that went into an extra period, going 1-2.
» Over the last two seasons, the Ducks have participated in 16 games that have been decided by five points or fewer, going 9-7 in those tilts with five wins coming away from home.
» The six games decided by five points or fewer are tied for the most such games in the Big Ten this season.
GO, FISO, GO
Sophomore point guard Katie Fiso has stepped into the Ducks' lead guard spot this season, as she takes over after the departures of graduate guards Deja Kelly and Peyton Scott. Fiso, who was the Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Washington her senior season, got her first career start in the season opener against West Georgia on Nov. 3 and turned in her first career double-double with 10 points and 10 assists - without a turnover. She produced her first 20-point scoring effort while handing out 10 assists against Grand Canyon on Nov. 11 and has since recorded points-assists double-doubles against Army (12 points, 10 assists), Saint Mary's (15 points, 10 assists), Oregon State (23 points, 14 assists) and Portland (10 points, 11 assists). She set a career high with 26 points at Wisconsin on Jan. 18 and now owns a team-best seven 20-point games this season.
» Fiso leads the Ducks with 15.4 points per game after averaging just 3.1 a game last season. Her increase of 12.3 points per game is the highest improvement from a season ago among Big Ten players (18th-highest nationally).
» Fiso's seven 20-point games are tied for sixth-most in the league among Big Ten guards.
» Against the Wolverines, she scored 22 of her 24 points in the second half and both overtime periods.
» Over the last eight games, Fiso has scored 85 of her 134 points after halftime - good for 63.4 percent of her scoring.
» She is averaging 10.6 points in the second halves and overtime periods while averaging 16.8 points per game overall over her last eight contests.
» Her six points-assists double-doubles this season lead the nation, while only 13 players in the country have multiple points-assists double-doubles.
» There have been 11 points-assists double-doubles in the Big Ten this season, with Fiso accounting for six of them and the only player with more than two.
MAMA MIA
Senior forward Mia Jacobs, a Fresno State transfer, has made an immediate impact for the Ducks on the young season. She ranks second on the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor. Jacobs finished as the team's leading scorer in three of the first four games to begin the season, and is second on the team with five games with 20 points or more. She dropped a season-high 30 points behind six 3-pointers at Wisconsin on Jan. 18, the sixth 30-point effort of her career. Additionally, she has connected on 77-of-90 free throw attempts to rank eighth in the Big Ten at 85.6 percent.
» Jacobs' 30-point game against the Badgers marked the first Duck with 30 or more points since Endyia Rogers dropped 35 against Utah on Feb. 5, 2023. She scored 22 after halftime, with nine coming over the two overtime periods.
» Jacobs scored in double figures in 10 consecutive games from Nov. 30-Jan. 11, the longest such streak of her career ending at Iowa on Jan. 15. Additionally, she hit at least one 3-pointer in nine straight contests before the game at Iowa while knocking down multiple triples eight times in that span.
» Jacobs produced a double-double in three consecutive games from Dec. 14-21 - the first double-doubles of the season after recording 19 a season ago while at Fresno State.
» Jacobs turned in her first double-double against Montana State on Dec. 14 with 13 points and 10 rebounds before scoring 21 points with 10 boards against Portland on Dec. 18.
» On Dec. 21 against Stanford at Chase Center, Jacobs grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds while scoring 11 points.
» On Dec. 7 at UCLA, Jacobs eclipsed 1,500 points for her career and her 1,644 points rank 27th among all active players and fifth-most among active players in the Big Ten.
» Jacobs' 46 made 3-pointers lead the team and are second-most among Big Ten forwards (No. 10 nationally among forwards), and just two back of Minnesota's Grace Grocholski.
» She went 12-of-13 from the free throw line against Grand Canyon on Nov. 11, marking the most made free throws by a Duck since Sabrina Ionescu made 17 against Mississippi State on Dec. 18, 2018.
» Her free throw percentage of 85.6 is fourth-best in the nation among forwards with at least 50 made free throws and second in the Big Ten.
» Last season, Jacobs led the Mountain West with 19 double-doubles last season, which tied for No. 7 nationally, as she averaged 18.3 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor.
» Jacobs is also a passionate and talented photographer and can often be seen on the sidelines capturing the action at several different Oregon Athletics events.
RING THE BELL
Junior guard Sofia Bell is a phenom on the court and in the classroom. Bell earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Oregon after only two years and is already enrolled in an MBA program at UO. On the basketball court, she is a disruptor to opposing offenses and has developed into a knock-down 3-point shooter. The 6-foot Bell leads the team with 15 blocks and ranks second in made 3-pointers (38) and steals (39), recording at least one steal in 19 of 21 games this season with multiple steals in 13 contests. Bell has registered at least one theft in 52 of her 70 career games (74.2 percent), while finishing with multiple steals 29 times. Fifteen of her 30 career blocks have come this season after having just three over 28 games last year.
On the offensive end, she is shooting 38.0 percent from behind the 3-point line (38-of-100) - up from 29.7 percent from a season ago - and had a career day against No. 15 Michigan State on Jan. 11, going 6-of-8 from downtown on her way to a career-high 18 points. Bell went 4-for-4 from the deep in the first quarter against the Spartans in making a career-best six made 3-pointers. Bell produced her 12th game this season with multiple 3-pointers with a pair against Minnesota on Jan. 21. Her 15 points against Montana State on Dec. 14 marked the first time in her career she led the Ducks in scoring, becoming the seventh different player to lead UO in points this season. Bell is the only player in the Big Ten, and one of just 11 players in the nation, to have at least 15 blocks while making at least 38 3-pointers.
EHIS THE BEAST
Sophomore F Ehis Etute has begun to tap into her raw potential in her second season in Eugene. The Luxembourg product has scored in double figures in 10 of her last 13 games, logging a career-best 17 points to go with 13 boards at No. 21 USC on Jan. 6. Etute turned in a then-career-high 15 points to go with eight rebounds against Old Dominion on Thanksgiving Day before a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double off the bench at Auburn on Nov. 30. It marked Etute's first double-double of her career while grabbing a career high in rebounds, going 7-of-10 from the floor. She scored 13 points and hauled in seven rebounds in the Ducks' comeback victory against the Trojans.
» Etute has started each of the last six games, her first starts of the season, after making one start during her freshman season.
» With 11 points and 12 rebounds against Minnesota, Etute has turned in a double-double in back-to-back games for the first time in her career. Three of her four double-doubles this season have come over her last five games.
» Over her last five games, she is averaging 13.4 points and a team-high 10.0 rebounds.
» Etute produced her third double-double of the year at Wisconsin on Jan. 18, scoring 13 points to go with 11 boards (five offensive rebounds). She scored nine points on 4-of-4 shooting in the third quarter to help UO overcome a five-point halftime deficit.
» All three of her career double-doubles have come this season.
» Over a four-game stretch from Nov. 27 to Dec. 14, Etute averaged 13.3 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting 55.9 percent from the field. She averaged 22.4 minutes off the bench in that stretch, the third-most minutes of anyone on the team.
» Etute has led UO in rebounding in 14 of 20 games in which she has played this season and has finished as the team leader 18 times in her career.
» Against Washington State on Nov. 19, she hauled in 13 rebounds for her first 10-rebound effort, with eight coming on the offensive end - the second-best total by any player in the Big Ten this season.
» Etute boasts a total rebounding rate of 21.3 percent, the second-highest rate in the Big Ten and 20th-highest rate in the country among players averaging at least 15.0 minutes per game, with her offensive rebounding rate of 19.5 percent is tops in the Big Ten and sixth nationally among those players.
THE LONG GAME
Junior guard Ari Long has cracked the starting lineup for the first time in her career this season, starting each of the last 19 games in place of the injured Elisa Mevius, who will miss the season due to a knee injury. Long, standing at 6-foot, leads the Ducks with 41 steals and ranks third on the team with 12 blocks. Her 12 blocks are tied for the ninth-most among Big Ten guards, while she is one of just two Big Ten guards with at least 12 blocks and 41 steals. She is part of a group of just 19 guards in the country with those numbers.
» On Jan. 18 against Wisconsin, she turned in an all-around effort with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals - setting career highs in rebounds and assists while equaling her season high in steals.
» She is the first Duck with at least 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals since Oti Gildon (20-8-5-4) on Dec. 30, 2018, while it is just the fifth time since at least 1999 a Duck produced that stat line.
» She is one of just four players in the Big Ten to produce a game with at least 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals this season, and just the second during Big Ten play.
» Her 41 steals rank as the fifth most in the Big Ten.
» Against No. 21 USC on Jan. 6, she knocked down three 3-pointers over the game's final three minutes to help Oregon complete a 17-point comeback and come away with a 71-66 victory.
» With UO trailing 66-60 with under three minutes to play, Long connected from deep range on consecutive trips to tie the game before knocking down the go-ahead triple with just over 30 seconds remaining.
» Long has led or tied for the team lead in steals eight times this season while pacing the team in blocks six times.
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/ Women's BasketballSofia Bell & Ari Long | Postgame vs. Minnesota
Thursday, January 22
Kelly Graves | Postgame vs. Minnesota
Thursday, January 22
Kelly Graves: "Continuing to trend up."
Tuesday, January 13
Kelly Graves | Postgame vs. Michigan State
Monday, January 12
