Ducks Take On McNeese Monday in MKA
EUGENE, Ore. - Oregon will play its second game in three days at Matthew Knight Arena Monday night at 6 p.m. when the Ducks welcome McNeese to Eugene. The Ducks have responded with wins over Portland and Long Beach State after dropping three straight playing without a number of key players and will look to take a three-game winning streak into their road trip to the Midwest. This will be the first-ever meeting between Oregon and McNeese.
GAME INFO
When: Monday, Dec. 13
Where: Matthew Knight Arena
Time: 6 p.m.
Live Stream: Oregon Live Stream
Stream Link: https://pac-12.com/live/university-oregon
Radio: KUGN 590 AM (Eugene); KPAM 860 AM (Portland)
Play-By-Play: Terry Jonz
NUMBERS TO KNOW
4.9 - Maddie Scherr is second in the Pac-12 with 4.9 assists per game and has 15 assists over the last two games.
18 - Ahlise Hurst is just 18 points away from reaching 1,000 for her career, spanning three years at New Mexico and one at Oregon.
22 - Oregon's 22 fastbreak points vs. Long Beach State were more than the previous three games combined (18).
31.0 - Oregon is holding teams to just 31.0 percent shooting from the field in its five wins.
94.3 - The Ducks own a 94.3 winning percentage under head coach Kelly Graves at home in nonconference play with a record of 50-3.
BACK IN ACTION WITH A W
Coming off of a week-long break for final exams, Oregon returned to its winning ways at Matthew Knight Arena with a 68-59 win over previously unbeaten Long Beach State. The Ducks won all four quarters and held The Beach to just 32.8 percent shooting from the field. Ahlise Hurst led the way offensively with a season-high 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three-point range. Maddie Scherr stuffed the stats sheet with 12 points and career-highs of seven rebounds and nine assists in 39 minutes of action. The Ducks matched a season-high with six blocked shots and gave up just 18 points in the paint to win their ninth straight meeting over Long Beach State.
DUCKS HAVE DEPTH
Oregon's depth has been put to the test through the first eight games, as a number of players have gotten extended minutes due to the absence of several starters and key role players. Six different Ducks have tied or led the team in scoring in a game, while four players are averaging double figures in scoring and eight of the 12 that have seen action this year are scoring at least five points per game. Just eight Ducks have played in all eight games this season while UO had 10 players suited up for a game for the first time this year on Saturday vs. Long Beach State. Three players who have played in all eight games are averaging double figures in scoring in Sedona Prince (12.5 PPG), Sydney Parrish (12.4 PPG) and Ahlise Hurst (11.8 PPG).
KNOCKING 'EM DOWN
Oregon has shot the ball well from the field through the first eight games and ranks among the national and Pac-12 leaders in the category. The Ducks are fourth in the Pac-12 and 22nd in the country shooting 46.4 percent from the field and have shot 43 percent or better on field goals in seven of the first eight games.
» Shot 61 percent from the field in the season opener against Idaho State.
» One of 17 teams nationally to shoot at least 60 percent from the field in a game this year.
DEFENSE GETS IT DONE
Oregon's defense has held opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field in seven of the first eight games, limiting teams to just 34.5 percent on field goals. The Ducks rank third in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage defense and have also held six of their eight opponents to under 36 percent shooting from the field. In its five wins, Oregon is holding teams to just 31.0 percent shooting from the field. Additionally, the Ducks have held seven of their eight opponents to under their current season average in field goal percentage.
SCHERR SHOWING SKILLS
Following the plethora of injuries Oregon has suffered early on, Maddie Scherr has been forced to shoulder a heavy load for the Ducks. Scherr has stuffed the stats sheet over the first eight games, averaging 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists while averaging 30.1 minutes per contest. Scherr is currently second in the Pac-12 with 4.9 assists per game and is one of just three players in the league averaging at least 3.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. The sophomore is coming off of a well-rounded game against Long Beach State in which she finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
» First UO player to record at least nine assists since Sabrina Ionescu on March 8, 2020 vs. Stanford (12).
» Has recorded 15 assists over the last two games.
» Five games with at least five assists this year.
» Averaging 6.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds over the last three games (18 assists, 17 rebounds).
HURST STEPPING UP
Following injuries to a number of players in Oregon's backcourt, Ahlise Hurst has stepped up and played a huge role early in the year for the Ducks. Hurst leads the team and is second in the Pac-12 averaging 34.5 minutes per game while averaging 11.8 PPG to and 1.4 steals per outing. She's shooting 36.5 percent from three-point range and 40.5 percent from the field and is third in the league with 19 made threes.
» Scored in double figures in six of the last seven games.
» Played at least 29 minutes in all eight games.
» Has hit multiple three-pointers in seven of the eight games.
» Scored a season-high 19 points on 5-of-8 shooting from three-point range in the win over Long Beach State.