Freshman Williams Sparks Second-Half Comeback

Thursday, February 19

Eugene, OR

6 p.m.

University of Oregon

19-9,7-8Big Ten

Nebraska

16-11,5-11Big Ten

Nebraska

Oregon

Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com

02/19/26 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Game Book (PDF)Photo Gallery

Janiyah Williams had 12 points on a perfect shooting night to help the Oregon women beat Nebraska on Thursday.

By: Rob Moseley

EUGENE, Ore. — A year ago, Katie Fiso and Ehis Etute were freshmen flashing their future potential in limited minutes. Now they're mainstays with the Oregon women's basketball team, and on Thursday they got to see a new face fill the role they had last season.

Etute kept the Ducks close Thursday night, Fiso provided a finishing flourish to clinch Oregon's victory over Nebraska, and in between freshman Janiyah Williams gave the UO women a much-needed spark in their 80-76 victory at Matthew Knight Arena. The Ducks (19-9, 7-8 Big Ten) trailed by 11 early in the fourth quarter, but Etute, Fiso and Williams combined for 22 of their 28 points in the period as they came from behind to win.

Williams finished with 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers, and she had five points during a 15-2 run by the Ducks that gave them the lead for good in the fourth quarter. She came into the game having scored just six points in Big Ten play this season, all against Northwestern on New Year's Day.

"Every day in practice I'm putting in that work," Williams said. "Sometimes you gotta let that joint fly, and let go and let God. So that's what I did. That was really fun."

Etute led the Ducks with 21 points, including eight points in both the first and third quarters to keep the Ducks within striking distance. Fiso scored 19, including 12 in the fourth quarter, but Williams provided the critical spark — the Ducks outscored the Huskers by 21 points during her 16 minutes of action.

"It was only a matter of time that it was going to be showcased," Fiso said of Williams' breakout game. "I see it in practice every day, see the work she puts in. … I'm proud of her. I know how hard it is to be a freshman coming off that bench trying to stay ready, and she did an excellent job."

The victory should provide a boost to the postseason hopes of the Ducks, who came into the night at No. 23 in the NET rankings and then completed the comeback to beat the No. 29 Huskers.

"That was a hell of a game — well-played by both teams," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "That's going to prove to be a big win for us, I think."

How It Happened: Hot shooting sparked a strong start for the Ducks. Etute had eight points in the first quarter and was complemented by three-pointers from Fiso, Mia Jacobs, Sofia Bell and Avary Cain as the UO women got out to a 20-15 lead. But Nebraska scored the final five points of the period to tie it up.

Oregon got sloppy with the ball in the second, committing five turnovers in the period. Nebraska capitalized to open up a lead as big as 11, at 37-26. But the Ducks' bench asserted itself in the period with nine points — four by Astera Tuhina, two from Sarah Rambus and three by Williams, on her first made three-pointer since that Northwestern game back on Jan. 1.

The three by Williams came during a 7-0 run to end the half for the Ducks, getting them back within 37-33.

"She made the difference," Graves said. "We put her in basically because they were being physical with us, and we were kind of playing a little soft. And she's fearless. She's fearless. And went in and played like it."

Bell made another three to open the second half and make it a one-point game, but Nebraska responded with a 13-2 run to open up its biggest lead of the night, 50-38. The Ducks, however, were undaunted. Second-half rallies and double-digit comebacks have proven to be in this team's DNA.

"We're used to it at this point," Etute said. "We're just down and then we come back. That just shows that we know how to fight."

Oregon began to cut into that 12-point deficit with a bucket by Tuhina, then two more from Etute. Williams scored to make it an 8-0 run for the Ducks, before Nebraska found its footing and took a 61-52 lead into the fourth quarter.

It was 65-55 in the final period when the Ducks mounted their 15-2 run to take the lead. Williams had five points during that run, and it was capped by two buckets from Fiso — her first made field goals since the first half.

She'd finish the fourth quarter with 12 points on perfect shooting: 3-of-3 from the field and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, where the Ducks were 21-of-24 as a team for the game.

"Just trying to stay grounded, trust my work that I put in," Fiso said. "There's a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but I'm just trying to stay consistent, level myself out."

Fiso's final field goal of the night gave the Ducks their biggest lead of the fourth quarter, 76-70 with 1:06 to play. Nebraska got within two a couple of times in the final 30 seconds, but the resilient UO women hung on for their latest dramatic win.

Up Next: The Ducks play at Indiana on Sunday (10 a.m., Big Ten Network).