Tuesday, December 18
Eugene, OR
7:00 PM
University of Oregon
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Mississippi State
Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto
Notes - No. 7 Ducks Clash with No. 5 Bulldogs
12/16/18 | Women's Basketball
EUGENE, Ore. - The top scoring women's basketball teams in the NCAA - No. 7 Oregon and No. 5 Mississippi State - clash at 7 PM on Tuesday in an ESPN2 televised game.
#7 OREGON DUCKS (8-1, 0-0 Pac-12)
PPG: 92.4 | FG%: 52.4 | 3FG%: 41.4 | FT%: 84.5
Notes: The Ducks have one of the most efficient offenses in the NCAA so far this season. UO's 92.4 points per game ranks first in the NCAA. UO also leads the nation with a 1.93 assist-to-turnover ratio. UO's 10.8 turnovers per game are the second fewest in the NCAA while its 20.8 assists per game are seventh. UO is second in field goal percentage (52.4%), ninth in three-point percentage (41.4%) and first in free throw percentage (84.5%).
#5 MISSISSIPPI ST BULLDOGS (10-0, 0-0 SEC)
PPG: 92.3 | FG%: 51.2 | 3FG%: 37.7 | FT%: 70.0
Series: Oregon trails, 0-3 (Never met in Eugene)
Last: Oregon lost, 90-79, on 12/13/17 in Starkville
Notes: Mississippi State is second in the NCAA in scoring, just 0.1 ppg behind the Ducks. MSU has a pair of top-25 wins, beating both No. 10 Texas, 67-49, and No. 18 Marquette, 87-82. All-American center Teaira McCowan leads the nation with eight double-doubles, is third with 28 blocked shots and is sixth in the NCAA averaging 12.8 rebounds per game.
KEY STORYLINES
- Sabrina Ionescu needs one more triple-double to break the NCAA overall career record (12, Kyle Collinsworth, BYU)
- Ionescu is the only player in the NCAA averaging 18+ pts, 8+ rebs and 8+ ast per game. She has five double-doubles.
- Ruthy Hebard ranks sixth in the NCAA, shooting 68.8 percent from the field. She has three double-doubles.
- As they did last year as well, all five of UO's starters are averaging 10+ points per game, led by Ionescu's 20.1 ppg.
- Despite having only nine players, Graves has balanced minutes well. No Duck is in the top-100 of the NCAA in mpg.
- Ionescu is one of five AP preseason All-Americans (Asia Durr, Katie Lou Samuelson, Arike Ogunbowale, Kalani Brown)
- UO features both the national point guard of the year (Ionescu) and the national power forward of the year (Hebard).
THE DUCKS IN THE POLLS
The Ducks are ranked No. 7 in the AP poll. UO dropped from No. 3 after losing at Michigan State last weekend.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV - ESPN2 with Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli and Holly Rowe on the call.
Stream - WatchESPN.com with a cable login
Radio - Terry Jonz on the call at 590 AM (Eugene), 1640 AM (Portland) & TuneIn. Search for "Oregon IMG" in the TuneIn app or online at TuneIn.com.
MISSISSIPPI STATE SERIES HISTORY
- Oregon is 0-3 all-time against Mississippi State
- The Ducks and Bulldogs first met in Hawaii in 1997, with MSU winning 68-64. The teams met again in Hawaii in 2016, with No. 7 MSU winning 75-63. Last year, Oregon traveled to Starkville, Miss. with MSU winning once again, 90-79.
- Sabrina Ionescu is averaging 14.5 points in UO's two most recent games against Mississippi State. She's just 5-of-14 from three against the Bulldogs.
- Last year's game in Starkville was all about post play. Oregon's Ruthy Hebard had a team-high 25 pints on 11-of-12 shooting while Teaira McCowan had a whopping 35 points on 15-of-18 shooting with 19 rebounds. McCowan had eight points in 15 minutes off the bench in the teams' 2016 game.
- Maite Cazorla scored in double figures in both career games against MSU, with 11 points in 2016 and 10 points plus six assists in 2017.
OREGON RALLIES BACK AT SDSU
The Ducks rallied back from a five-point halftime deficit to win, 87-79, on Dec. 12 in front of a raucous crowd at South Dakota State. After the Jackrabbits went 7-of-13 from three in the first half, the Ducks limited SDSU to just two made threes in the second half. Satou Sabally had a career-high 27 points, including 10 straight points to open the game, while Sabrina Ionescu nearly posted another triple-double with 26 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Her dagger three with 49 seconds left made it a five-point Oregon lead.
OREGON'S EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
- The Ducks lead the NCAA in scoring, averaging 92.4 points per game.
- Oregon leads the NCAA with a 1.93-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Ducks are averaging 20.8 assists per game, good for seventh in the NCAA, and just 10.8 turnovers, the second fewest in the NCAA.
- The Ducks also lead the NCAA in free throw percentage, at 84.5 percent. Oregon has made 131 free throws on 155 attempts this year.
- The Ducks rank second in the NCAA in field goal percentage (52.4%) and ninth in three-point percentage (41.4%).
- Oregon is 10th in the nation in fewest fouls. UO is whistled for just 12.9 fouls per game.
- Ruthy Hebard is sixth in the NCAA in field goal percentage (68.8%).
- Sabrina Ionescu is third in the nation in assists per game (8.2) and fourth in total assists (74).
- Ionescu is fourth in the NCAA in three-point percentage (55.8).
- Ionescu and Maite Cazorla are back-to-back in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio. Ionescu is 13th at 3.22-to-1 while Cazorla is 14th at 3.21-to-1.
IONESCU BREAKS UO ASSISTS RECORD
On Dec. 2 in a 110-42 win over Long Beach State, Sabrina Ionescu tallied 17 assists, breaking the previous UO single-game record of 14. Ionescu had matched that old record twice (Dec. 2, 2017 vs. Weber State, Dec. 17, 2017 vs. Ole Miss) and shared it with Corrie Mizusawa (Nov. 25, 2003 at Gonzaga) and Vanessa Selden (Dec. 7, 1990 vs. New Mexico State). Ionescu already owns the UO single-season assists record wtih 298 last year.
SYRACUSE SHOCKER
The No. 3 ranked Ducks pulled off a thrilling comeback win over No. 18 Syracuse on Nov. 10 at Matthew Knight Arena. Down six points with just over two minutes left to play, the Ducks hit back-to-back-to-back three-pointers (two by Sabrina Ionescu and one from Erin Boley) to take a 70-67 lead. Oregon hit its free throws down the stretch to hold on for a 75-73 win over the Orange.
100+ POINT GAMES UNDER GRAVES
- The Ducks have reached the century mark 10 times in five seasons under Kelly Graves.
- Oregon has eclipsed 100 points three times this season (115 at Alaska-Fairbanks, 102 vs. Buffalo, 110 vs. Long Beach State).
- UO's highest scoring output under Graves was in a 122-59 win over Portland St. on Dec. 17, 2015.
- UO scored 100 points in Graves' first game at UO, a 100-77 win vs Utah State on Nov. 14, 2014
FOUR-POINT QUARTER
Oregon's defense allowed Long Beach State to score just four points in the second quarter of the Ducks' 110-48 win on Dec. 2. LBSU went 2-of-12 from the floor and didn't get to the line once. UO outscored the 49ers 26-4 in the quarter.
#7 OREGON DUCKS (8-1, 0-0 Pac-12)
PPG: 92.4 | FG%: 52.4 | 3FG%: 41.4 | FT%: 84.5
Notes: The Ducks have one of the most efficient offenses in the NCAA so far this season. UO's 92.4 points per game ranks first in the NCAA. UO also leads the nation with a 1.93 assist-to-turnover ratio. UO's 10.8 turnovers per game are the second fewest in the NCAA while its 20.8 assists per game are seventh. UO is second in field goal percentage (52.4%), ninth in three-point percentage (41.4%) and first in free throw percentage (84.5%).
#5 MISSISSIPPI ST BULLDOGS (10-0, 0-0 SEC)
PPG: 92.3 | FG%: 51.2 | 3FG%: 37.7 | FT%: 70.0
Series: Oregon trails, 0-3 (Never met in Eugene)
Last: Oregon lost, 90-79, on 12/13/17 in Starkville
Notes: Mississippi State is second in the NCAA in scoring, just 0.1 ppg behind the Ducks. MSU has a pair of top-25 wins, beating both No. 10 Texas, 67-49, and No. 18 Marquette, 87-82. All-American center Teaira McCowan leads the nation with eight double-doubles, is third with 28 blocked shots and is sixth in the NCAA averaging 12.8 rebounds per game.
KEY STORYLINES
- Sabrina Ionescu needs one more triple-double to break the NCAA overall career record (12, Kyle Collinsworth, BYU)
- Ionescu is the only player in the NCAA averaging 18+ pts, 8+ rebs and 8+ ast per game. She has five double-doubles.
- Ruthy Hebard ranks sixth in the NCAA, shooting 68.8 percent from the field. She has three double-doubles.
- As they did last year as well, all five of UO's starters are averaging 10+ points per game, led by Ionescu's 20.1 ppg.
- Despite having only nine players, Graves has balanced minutes well. No Duck is in the top-100 of the NCAA in mpg.
- Ionescu is one of five AP preseason All-Americans (Asia Durr, Katie Lou Samuelson, Arike Ogunbowale, Kalani Brown)
- UO features both the national point guard of the year (Ionescu) and the national power forward of the year (Hebard).
THE DUCKS IN THE POLLS
The Ducks are ranked No. 7 in the AP poll. UO dropped from No. 3 after losing at Michigan State last weekend.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV - ESPN2 with Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli and Holly Rowe on the call.
Stream - WatchESPN.com with a cable login
Radio - Terry Jonz on the call at 590 AM (Eugene), 1640 AM (Portland) & TuneIn. Search for "Oregon IMG" in the TuneIn app or online at TuneIn.com.
MISSISSIPPI STATE SERIES HISTORY
- Oregon is 0-3 all-time against Mississippi State
- The Ducks and Bulldogs first met in Hawaii in 1997, with MSU winning 68-64. The teams met again in Hawaii in 2016, with No. 7 MSU winning 75-63. Last year, Oregon traveled to Starkville, Miss. with MSU winning once again, 90-79.
- Sabrina Ionescu is averaging 14.5 points in UO's two most recent games against Mississippi State. She's just 5-of-14 from three against the Bulldogs.
- Last year's game in Starkville was all about post play. Oregon's Ruthy Hebard had a team-high 25 pints on 11-of-12 shooting while Teaira McCowan had a whopping 35 points on 15-of-18 shooting with 19 rebounds. McCowan had eight points in 15 minutes off the bench in the teams' 2016 game.
- Maite Cazorla scored in double figures in both career games against MSU, with 11 points in 2016 and 10 points plus six assists in 2017.
OREGON RALLIES BACK AT SDSU
The Ducks rallied back from a five-point halftime deficit to win, 87-79, on Dec. 12 in front of a raucous crowd at South Dakota State. After the Jackrabbits went 7-of-13 from three in the first half, the Ducks limited SDSU to just two made threes in the second half. Satou Sabally had a career-high 27 points, including 10 straight points to open the game, while Sabrina Ionescu nearly posted another triple-double with 26 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. Her dagger three with 49 seconds left made it a five-point Oregon lead.
OREGON'S EXPLOSIVE OFFENSE
- The Ducks lead the NCAA in scoring, averaging 92.4 points per game.
- Oregon leads the NCAA with a 1.93-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The Ducks are averaging 20.8 assists per game, good for seventh in the NCAA, and just 10.8 turnovers, the second fewest in the NCAA.
- The Ducks also lead the NCAA in free throw percentage, at 84.5 percent. Oregon has made 131 free throws on 155 attempts this year.
- The Ducks rank second in the NCAA in field goal percentage (52.4%) and ninth in three-point percentage (41.4%).
- Oregon is 10th in the nation in fewest fouls. UO is whistled for just 12.9 fouls per game.
- Ruthy Hebard is sixth in the NCAA in field goal percentage (68.8%).
- Sabrina Ionescu is third in the nation in assists per game (8.2) and fourth in total assists (74).
- Ionescu is fourth in the NCAA in three-point percentage (55.8).
- Ionescu and Maite Cazorla are back-to-back in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio. Ionescu is 13th at 3.22-to-1 while Cazorla is 14th at 3.21-to-1.
IONESCU BREAKS UO ASSISTS RECORD
On Dec. 2 in a 110-42 win over Long Beach State, Sabrina Ionescu tallied 17 assists, breaking the previous UO single-game record of 14. Ionescu had matched that old record twice (Dec. 2, 2017 vs. Weber State, Dec. 17, 2017 vs. Ole Miss) and shared it with Corrie Mizusawa (Nov. 25, 2003 at Gonzaga) and Vanessa Selden (Dec. 7, 1990 vs. New Mexico State). Ionescu already owns the UO single-season assists record wtih 298 last year.
SYRACUSE SHOCKER
The No. 3 ranked Ducks pulled off a thrilling comeback win over No. 18 Syracuse on Nov. 10 at Matthew Knight Arena. Down six points with just over two minutes left to play, the Ducks hit back-to-back-to-back three-pointers (two by Sabrina Ionescu and one from Erin Boley) to take a 70-67 lead. Oregon hit its free throws down the stretch to hold on for a 75-73 win over the Orange.
100+ POINT GAMES UNDER GRAVES
- The Ducks have reached the century mark 10 times in five seasons under Kelly Graves.
- Oregon has eclipsed 100 points three times this season (115 at Alaska-Fairbanks, 102 vs. Buffalo, 110 vs. Long Beach State).
- UO's highest scoring output under Graves was in a 122-59 win over Portland St. on Dec. 17, 2015.
- UO scored 100 points in Graves' first game at UO, a 100-77 win vs Utah State on Nov. 14, 2014
FOUR-POINT QUARTER
Oregon's defense allowed Long Beach State to score just four points in the second quarter of the Ducks' 110-48 win on Dec. 2. LBSU went 2-of-12 from the floor and didn't get to the line once. UO outscored the 49ers 26-4 in the quarter.
