The Oregon women's basketball defeated the Washington Huskies in their first matchup as Big Ten rivals which was a much-needed victory for the Ducks. Heading into the game the Ducks had dropped to 7-6 in conference play and were trending in the wrong direction as they suffered a three-game losing streak.
"Any time you can beat your rival like we just did," said Oregon Ducks head coach Kelly Graves. "That's a good day."
After two clutch free throws by senior guard Deja Kelly, Oregon was up by just one point but that was all that the Ducks needed to secure the 68-67 win over the Huskies. Afterward, players and fans alike celebrated with the classic "dubs down" move for when Oregon defeats Washington.
— Rob Moseley (@GoDucksMoseley) February 13, 2025
Kelly finished the game with a team-high 21 points and senior center Phillipina Kyei contributed 11 points of her own while also bringing down five rebounds for the Ducks. Junior guard Elisa Mevius, who has earned her place as a starter throughout the season, scored 14 points alongside four assists and three steals.
"We talked at halftime about our energy level, and I think when (the coaches) let us go a little bit more and they tell us to just be aggressive, that kind of feeds into the energy," Mevius said. "Getting steals, trapping, we got a five-second call… those things, they all just give us so much energy."
The Oregon defense, which has always been a massive part of Graves' program, came in clutch throughout the game. The Ducks forced 15 turnovers by the Huskies and dominated the glass to create second-chance points.
With the win, Oregon improved to 17-8 overall and 8-6 in conference play while Washington dropped to an unimpressive 5-8 in conference play. The Ducks will face their next Big Ten opponent on Feb. 16 when they visit the Minnesota Golden Gophers.