Home Finale for Ducks Features No. 22 Cal and No. 9 Stanford
Note: This is an abbreviated version of Oregon's Weekly Basketball Notes. For the complete release, including stats, box scores, player capsules, etc., please view the PDF.
COMING UP
The Ducks, having clinched a .500 record, are in the final stretch of the regular season before taking part in the 2007 State Farm Pac-10 Tournament in San Jose, Calif., March 2-5. Oregon faces a pair of ranked opponents in No. 22 California and No. 9 Stanford this week and end the regular season away from McArthur Court with games at Washington State and Washington next week. The Ducks start play this week one game behind UCLA for sixth place in the conference, the last seed which earns a bye in the opening round of the Pac-10 tourney.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PRACTICE
Oregon’s upcoming home practice schedule is as follows:
Wed., Feb. 14, 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Thu., Feb. 15, Game vs. Cal
Fri., Feb. 16, 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Practices at McArthur Court are open to the media and interviews may be conducted at the conclusion of each session. Please contact Andy McNamara (541-346-2253) if you plan on attending. All times are subject to change.
TV TIME
After just one TV appearance in its first 24 games, two of UO’s final four games will be televised. Saturday’s game vs. Stanford airs on Fox Sports Net (FSN) at 11 a.m., and the Feb. 24 game at Washington (3 p.m.) will be carried on the Oregon Sports Network (OSN) throughout the State.
QUICK QUACK
Oregon returns six players from last year’s squad, which went 14-15, 5-13 in the Pac-10. Of UO’s nine active players, five are seniors, including F Eleanor Haring, a former Pac-10 All-Freshman team honoree.
CLIPPED WINGS
SR F/C Jessie Shetters (stress fracture), out since Jan. 17, may be available on Saturday against Stanford. FR G Taylor Lilley will be day-to-day for the rest of the season with a precursor to a stress fracture in her right leg.
SERIES VS. CALIFORNIA
UO leads the all-time series with Cal 34-15, including a 21-3 mark in Eugene. The Bears won this season’s first meeting in Berkeley, 65-56, on Jan. 20. Lauren Greif led Cal with 19 points, and Carolyn Ganes and Tamika Nurse nabbed 14 points apiece for UO. The Ducks and Bears split last year’s two-game set with each team winning on its home floor.
SERIES VS. STANFORD
Stanford has won 34 of 42 all-time meetings against Oregon, including a 14-7 mark at Mac Court. The Cardinal has taken four straight in the series and 13 of the past 17, dating back to 1999. Stanford earned a 70-48 home win against the Ducks on Jan. 18 of this season despite a game-high 15 points from both Ganes and Eleanor Haring. UO’s last win against a top 10 team came against then No. 5 Stanford, 62-58, on Dec. 29, 2004.
CHAP LEADING THE CHARGE
Oregon has won four of five games to start the second half of Pac-10 play thanks in large part to the play of JR G/F Kaela Chapdelaine. A converted point guard, the gritty wing has averaged 9.4 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 48 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line during UO’s conference resurgence.
DUCKS KEEP FT STREAK IN TACT
With the win at Arizona Feb. 10, the Ducks remained unbeaten on the season in the 12 games they have converted more free throws than their opponent.
J-HAWK SWOOPS IN
Oregon snapped a seven-year drought in the state of Arizona with its win over the UA Wildcats on Feb. 10 despite a depleted bench due to injury and illness. SR F/C Jamie Hawkins may have had the biggest impact on the result, scoring eight points and shutting down the paint on the defensive end in her 22 minutes, most of which came in the second half.
SENIOR MORNING
Saturday’s game against No. 9 Stanford will be the final regular season home game for Oregon’s five seniors: F/C Carolyn Ganes, F Eleanor Haring, F/C Jamie Hawkins, G Cicely Oaks and F/C Jessie Shetters. There is no guarantee that it will indeed be their final game at Mac Court, however, since the Ducks are one win away from becoming eligible for the WNIT postseason tournament and could potentially host at least one game.
NURSE NAMED PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SO G Tamika Nurse was selected as the Pac-10 Player of the Week for the week ending Feb. 4 after helping the Ducks defeat UCLA and USC at home. Nurse scored a career-high 22 points against the Bruins and grabbed a career-best six rebounds against the Women of Troy. Over the two games, the Hamilton, Ontario native was 24-of-26 at the foul line. Nurse was UO’s first weekly honoree this season and first since SR F/C Carolyn Ganes took home the hardware Dec. 19, 2005. It was the first weekly award for Oregon to come during Pac-10 play since Brandi Davis won for the week of Feb. 12, 2005.
DUCKS ADD AUSSIE KENYON
G/F Victoria Kenyon, a 17-year-old Australian from Brisbane, Queensland, joined the Ducks prior to the start of winter term and will redshirt the remainder of the 2006-07 season. Kenyon, who comes to Eugene from the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), will participate in all practices and travel with the team.
GOODBYE GARBY
SR G Nicole Garbin has called it a career and will not continue to play basketball for the Ducks. Garbin, a sixth-year senior, played in three games this season following a standout soccer career at UO.
MAC COURT 300
Oregon’s win over BYU on Dec. 30 was the program’s 300th home victory at McArthur Court. The Ducks have an all-time Mac Court mark of 303-103 (.746).
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
The Ducks have had plenty of success outside of the Pac-10 Conference in recent years and this one is no different. Over the past three seasons, UO is a combined 26-8 in non-league games. Oregon is 8-2 in non-conference games this year with its next such contest coming in March at the Pac-10 tournament.
PAP? PLAYER
SR F Eleanor Haring earned the MVP award at the ninth annual Pap? Jam at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Dec. 9. Haring led all scorers with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting as she paced the Ducks to a 70-60 victory against Big 12 side Colorado.
ALL TOURNEY
SR F/C Carolyn Ganes was the Ducks’ representative on the Oregon Thanksgiving Tournament All-Tournament team after averaging 13.5 points and 4.0 rebounds as the Ducks went 1-1 to take third place. Pittsburgh won the tourney with wins over Utah and Boise State.
2007 RECRUITS
Oregon inked one of its most impressive recruiting classes in recent years, signing four prep players to National Letters of Intent during November’s early period.
6-4 post Nicole Canepa (San Francisco, Calif./St. Ignatius Prep), 5-7 guard Nia Jackson (Seattle, Wash./Chief Sealth), 6-2 post Ellie Manou (New South Wales, Australia/Australian Institute of Sport) and 5-11 wing Tatianna Thomas (Newhall, Calif./Hart) will be incoming freshmen in the fall of 2007.
UO’s class was ranked 31st nationally by recruiting outlet Blue Star Basketball.
