Oregon Ducks at Oregon State Women’s Preview

Today at 4:00 PT, the Civil War will be played at the Gill Coliseum in Corvallis. The Oregon Ducks have the advantage in the all-time series 59-27, but the Oregon State Beavers won 61-59 in their last meeting. The Ducks (11-9, 3-5) are looking to avenge that loss, but they will have to do it without their star player. Amanda Johnson is still out with a fractured left thumb, but she was recently named as a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. The Beavers (12-7, 3-5) are in a similar situation in the conference, so this game is also about one-upping a rival.

It’s going to be brutal, because it always is. However, the fact that these two teams have similar records and are desperate for a victory should make this game even more heated than usual. Star guards Ali Gibson and Earlysia Marchbanks are averaging 12.4 and 12.0 points per game respectively, and they also combine for about 11 rebounds per game. Gibson racks up 2.4 steals per game, while Marchbanks can also force turnovers off the dribble and averages 1.8 thefts per contest. She also dishes out 3.6 assists per game, but Gibson is the better shooter of the two and hits 46% of her shots from the floor and 36.9% of her attempts from three.

Patricia Bright is another Beaver to watch for, and she averages about five boards per game and 9.6 points per game. Bright is a dominant force on the inside who averages 3.5 blocks per game and has a 57.6 FG%.

This will be Oregon’s third straight game on the road, and the Ducks will have to be wary of Oregon State’s shooting (43.4 FG%) and defense (58 opp PPG). The Ducks lead the conference with 11 steals per game and are among the best shooting teams in the conference with sharpshooters Deanna Weaver (44.1 3PT%) and Jordan Loera (38.9 3PT%). They average 76.5 points per game even without Johnson (over 80 with Johnson). They are still a fast-paced offensive team, and Loera and Weaver are two of the best shooters in the conference.

Liz Brenner had 15 points and 11 rebounds in a huge bounce-back blowout victory against UCLA in the Ducks last game, and Brenner is starting to break out. She will definitely be a factor in this game, and her defense on former high school teammate Alyssa Martin (8.6 PPG) will be key. Martin is about an average player who struggles with her efficiency, and Brenner should be able to contain her.

The Oregon State Beavers are playing at home, but the Oregon Ducks will win this game 65-63. Every Civil War game is a hard-fought battle, and the home team usually has the advantage in these kinds of games. However, the Ducks are the more talented team and still have stars Jasmin Holliday and Nia Jackson. Holliday was huge last game and has been terrific all season. She will be the star of this game and is the most talented player on both rosters. The Ducks offense will do enough to get past a sturdy Beavers defense, but don’t be shocked if this game comes down to the final ten seconds. After all, this is war.

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