Ducks Hope to Impress with Effort, Defense in Opener
By Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
Oregon’s first season under new women’s basketball coach Kelly Graves will be a transition year, and that may be reflected in the team’s results over the coming months. But just as the previous era of UO women’s basketball hoped to run an opponent out of the building, these Ducks want foes to leave Matthew Knight Arena feeling the effects of a battle.
“I want that, when people come into this gym, they’re like, ‘OK, we’re playing Oregon, we actually have to play defense, and play offense,’” UO junior forward Jillian Alleyne said. “I want, every game, for every team to know we’re a force to be reckoned with.”
The first chance to send an opponent home worse for wear is Friday at noon, when the Ducks officially open the Graves era with their regular-season opener against Utah State.
Oregon beat Westmont in an exhibition game Sunday, holding the Warriors to 31.3 percent shooting and forcing 28 turnovers. After years of the Ducks trying to outgun opponents, Graves wants the focus Friday afternoon to be on continued intensity at the defensive end.
“We need to continue to tighten up the defense,” Graves said. “It’s perhaps better than they’ve been playing, but it’s not up to our standards. We’ve still left some people open, our ball pressure isn’t what we need it to be – but it’s something we’re addressing every day.”
Progress figures to be incremental for the Ducks in 2014-15, as they adjust to Graves’ style of offense and stifling defense. The Ducks will be able to run and gun when necessary, with speedy point guard Lexi Petersen, sharp-shooting freshman Lexi Bando and the athletic Alleyne in the post, but they’re learning to be more patient as a rule.
“It’s OK not to go a million miles per hour,” Alleyne said. “We can slow it down and take time off the clock. I’m learning myself; a lot of times I want to do things quick. But I have to learn I have to have patience.”
Graves said the Ducks are “starting to get it” as he installs his principles with assistants Jodie Berry, Mark Campbell and Nicole Powell. “They’re trying, that’s the main thing,” Graves said. “It’s going to be a work in progress, all year. I think by the end of the year we’re going to be a far better team – every team can say that, but I think our learning curve is far greater than most.”
Friday’s foe, Utah State, is coming off a season in which it went 15-16 and finished eighth in the Mountain West Conference. The Aggies are adjusting to the graduation of the NCAA’s third-leading scorer last year, Jennifer Schlott, who averaged 26.2 points per game.
Whatever the final score come Friday afternoon, Alleyne hopes the Ducks will have proved what type of team they intend to be under Graves.
“I want our team to be known for working hard,” Alleyne said. “We’re going to get the wins we want if we work hard.”
