Ducks Fly East to Meet Rutgers

Wednesday, January 28

Piscataway, NJ

4 p.m.

University of Oregon

Rutgers

The Oregon women's basketball team takes on Penn State at Matthew Knight Arena on Jan. 24, 2026.

Photo by: GoDucks.com

01/27/26 | Women's Basketball

Game Notes (PDF)

UO begins two-game East Coast swing on Wednesday (4 p.m. PT, B1G+).

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon women's basketball team heads to the East Coast for a two-game swing, beginning with a Wednesday evening matchup at Rutgers at Jersey Mike's Arena at 4 p.m. PT.

The Ducks ended a season-long four-game skid with a resounding 89-59 victory over Penn State on Saturday at Matthew Knight Arena. Rutgers comes into the contest having lost its last two contests, and seven of its last eight, following a 76-48 home loss to Washington on Monday.

In last season's meeting, the first between the teams since 1998, Oregon came away with a 77-58 victory on Senior Day. The all-time series is tied 2-2, as UO looks for its first-ever victory in Piscataway.

GAME #23
Oregon (15-7, 3-6) at Rutgers (9-11, 1-8)
Wednesday, Jan. 28 | 4 p.m. PT | Jersey Mike's Arena (Piscataway, N.J.)
TV/Stream: B1G+
Play-by-play: Dom Savino | Analyst: Edona Thaqi
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (KUGN 98.1 FM | ESPN Portland 910 AM)
Play-by-play: Chris Clayton
Listen Online | Live Stats

A WIN WOULD…
» Give Oregon back-to-back Big Ten wins for the second time this season.
» Improve the Ducks' road record to 4-3 overall, 2-3 in Big Ten play and 6-4 in all games away from home.
» End a two-game road losing streak.
» Be Oregon's second straight win against Rutgers and improve its all-time record in the series to 3-2.
» Be UO's first win on the road against the Scarlet Knights.
» Give Oregon a 2-0 record against Rutgers as members of the Big Ten.

LAST TIME OUT
Fresh off their worst shooting performance in Big Ten play this season, the Oregon women put together their best.

The Ducks shot 57.1 percent as a team to end a four-game losing streak with an 89-59 win Saturday over Penn State before 6,136 fans at Matthew Knight Arena. The shooting performance, which included 64.5 percent accuracy by the UO women in the second half, came just three days after they shot 32.2 percent against Minnesota.

"It was one of our better crowds, and I think we treated them to a pretty good game," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "We really needed that one, big-time, just to kind of stop the bleeding a little bit, regain some confidence."

SCOUTING RUTGERS
Rutgers (9-11, 1-8) has dropped back-to-back games after suffering a 76-48 home loss to Washington on Monday. The loss marked the Scarlet Knights' seventh of their last eight contests, and ninth over their last 11 games overall.

Against the Huskies, three players scored in double figures, led by 14 points apiece from Imani Lester and Kaylah Ivey. RU was outrebounded 51-30, leading to a 36-14 deficit in points in the paint.

Four players average double-digit points on the season, led by 14.5 from Nene Ndiaye and 11.2 from Lester to go with a team-best 5.7 rebounds a night. Ndiaye is the team's leading 3-point shooter, hitting at 40.0 percent rate from downtown.

As a team, Rutgers ranks last in the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.67), assists per game (11.6), field goal percentage (36.2) and 3-point shooting (28.8).

INSIDE THE SERIES
Oregon and Rutgers have split four all-time meetings between the teams, with last year's meeting being the first since the 1997-98 season. The initial Big Ten matchup between the programs went to the Ducks, a 77-58 decision on last year's Senior Day. Three seniors scored in doubles figures to lead the Ducks, including a 20-point, 25-rebound double-double from Phillipina Kyei. Oregon held a 45-34 rebounding edge that led to a 46-28 discrepancy in points in the paint. Wednesday's game will be the second game in Piscataway between the teams, and the first since the 1990-91 season in which the Scarlet Knights came away with a 70-58 victory.

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 13 of 22 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 78.1 points per game ranks 31st 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.
» The 13 80-point outings are the most since also posting 13 such games in 2022-23, while one more would mark the most games since doing so 25 times during the 2019-20 season.
» UO's field goal percentage of 46.5 is No. 23 in the country, with its 51.3 percent on two-point shots ranking 10th in the conference.
» Oregon ranks 45th in the country and ninth in the league with an effective field goal percentage of 51.8 percent.
» The Ducks' bench is averaging 25.1 points per game, good for fourth in the Big Ten, after scoring 42 points against Penn State on Jan. 24 - their seventh 30-point outing and third 40-point effort of the season.
» UO's 18.1 assists per game are good for 21st nationally, posting an assisted shot rate of 62.5 percent (fifth in the Big Ten).
» The Ducks are third in the Big Ten and No. 13 in the country in free throw shooting (78.2 percent), while their 1.21 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 30th nationally.

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 22 contests to start the season. The 16 games with 10 or more steals are tied for the seventh-most in the country, and three shy of the national leaders, while the 12 20-turnover games are tied for 24th-most nationally. In 12 games this season, UO's defense has recorded double-digit steals while forcing 20 or more turnovers - tied for the 12th-most such games in the country and seven 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.
» Oregon created at least 22 turnovers in three straight outings, forcing 29 vs. Utah State, 26 against Saint Mary's and 22 against Old Dominion. UO has two different stretches of at least three consecutive games with 22 or more forced turnovers.
» The Ducks are one of 14 teams with 12 games forcing a minimum of 22 turnovers, and one of two teams in the Big Ten.
» UO recorded 18 steals and forced 29 Utah State turnovers in its 70-34 win on Nov. 23, both the second-highest totals of the season.
» The 34 points allowed to the Aggies marked UO's fewest given up since a 97-33 win over Charleston on Dec. 18, 2022 - and only the ninth time yielding 34 points or fewer since 1999.
» The Aggies went just 1-of-18 (5.6 percent) from the 3-point line, while Montana State was 1-for-19 (5.3 percent) on Dec. 14.
» The two games mark UO's lowest 3-point percentages allowed since holding Baylor without a 3-point field goal in the 2019 Final Four (0-for-3).
» The Ducks' defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) is 83.3, which ranks seventh in the Big Ten.
» Oregon is recording a steal on 13.3 percent of opponent possessions, which is the fourth-highest rate in the Big Ten and 32nd-highest in the nation.
» Opposing teams are turning the ball over on 23.3 percent of its possessions, the seventh-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), Portland (10 points, 11 assists) and Penn State (15 points, 10 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.

Against Oregon State on Dec. 3, Fiso turned in one of the best games of her career with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting to go with a career-high 14 assists. Her 14 assists equaled the second-highest assist total in a game in program history, and were three shy of Sabrina Ionescu's record of 17 set in 2018. The 14 assists are tied for the second-most in a game by any player in the Big Ten, while there have been just 10 games nationally this season where someone produced at least 14 assists.

» 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 nine games, Fiso has scored 94 of her 149 points after halftime - good for 63.1 percent of her scoring.
» She is averaging 10.4 points in the second halves and overtime periods while averaging 16.6 points per game overall over her last eight contests.
» Her seven points-assists double-doubles this season lead the nation, while only 18 players in the country have multiple points-assists double-doubles.
» There have been 12 points-assists double-doubles in the Big Ten this season, with Fiso accounting for seven of them and the only player with more than two.
» Seven total double-doubles are tied for second-most in the Big Ten and tied for 36th-most in the nation.
» Turned in the first 20-point, 10-assist double-double by a Duck since Sabrina Ionescu had 20 points and 12 assists against Stanford on March 8, 2020.
» First Duck with multiple points-assists double-doubles in a season since Ionescu during the 2019-20 campaign (17).
» Her and Ionescu are the only two Ducks since at least 1999 to have a minimum of four points-assists double-doubles in a season.
» First Duck with 10-plus assists without a turnover since Minyon Moore did so at USC on Feb. 16, 2020, and first Duck since Ionescu on Feb. 1, 2020 with a point-assists double-double without committing a turnover.
» Fiso is one of four players in the country averaging at least 6.5 assists and shooting 45.0 percent or better from the floor, and the only player in the Big Ten.

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 14.2 points per game while shooting 45.4 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.
» Jacobs' 48 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.

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 16 blocks and ranks second in made 3-pointers (38) and steals (40), recording at least one steal in 20 of 22 games this season with multiple steals in 13 contests. Bell has registered at least one theft in 53 of her 71 career games (74.6 percent), while finishing with multiple steals 29 times. Sixteen 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 37.3 percent from behind the 3-point line (38-of-102) - 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 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 14 players in the nation, to have at least 16 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 14 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 seven games, her first starts of the season, after making one start during her freshman season.
» With 11 points and 12 rebounds against Minnesota, Etute 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 six games.
» Over her last six games, she is averaging 13.4 points and a team-high 10.2 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 four of her career double-doubles have come this season.
» Over a four-game stretch from Nov. 27 to Dec. 14, Etute averaged 12.7 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 15 of 21 games in which she has played this season and has finished as the team leader 19 times in her career, including six straight games and in seven of her last eight.
» 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 22.2 percent, the highest rate in the Big Ten and sixth-highest rate in the country among players averaging at least 15.0 minutes per game, with her offensive rebounding rate of 20.9 percent is tops in the Big Ten and third 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 20 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 44 steals and ranks third on the team with 12 blocks. Her 12 blocks are tied for the 10th-most among Big Ten guards, while she is one of just two Big Ten guards with at least 12 blocks and 44 steals. She is part of a group of just 20 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 44 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 nine times this season while pacing the team in blocks six times. She has tallied multiple steals in seven of her last eight games and leads Oregon with eight games with at least three steals.