At 8-11 and missing their top scorers with injuries, the Oregon men are pretty much done as an NCAA tournament hopeful, but at 14-6, the Oregon women are in the thick of it.
Wednesday night they host 12-6 Minnesota at Matthew Knight arena, 6:00 p.m. PT on Big Ten+.
The Ducks lost a tough one at Wisconsin Sunday, losing in overtime 94-92 after leading by 10 when Ehis Etute made a driving layup with 6:37 to play in the fourth quarter. The Badgers answered with an 8-0 run, pulling to within two when Destiny Howell banked in a 25-foot three-pointer just ahead of the shot clock.
At the buzzer in regulation Katie Fiso made a drive to win it, reaching the circle but couldn't get a shot off. Transfer forward Mia Jacobs hit 6-9 from three for a career-high 30 points, while Fiso hit 9-12 from the line on her way to 26, Howell played the role of Duck-killer, 10-16 from beyond the arc as she poured in 39.
"We had some turnovers, some missed free throws," veteran coach Kelly Graves said after the game. We could've won the game and we just didn't. I hurt for the team; I hurt for them. They try hard, we just have to figure out a way to make the key plays when we need it.
"We've got to figure this out. This can't keep happening."
In Madison Oregon got just 11 points from their bench. It came at the end of a tough stretch for the team as they've lost five of their last seven, starting 2-5 in the Big Ten in the most difficult part of their schedule. Three of those losses came against Michigan, Michigan State and Iowa, all ranked in the Top 25.
Things open up a bit in the next week with games against Minnesota and Penn State at home, followed by a January 28 road game all Rutgers, all teams from the bottom half of the conference, though five more ranked opponents remain on the schedule.
Thus far a January 6 win at No. 21 USC stands out as a season highlight. In that one they outscored the Trojans 26-8 in the fourth quarter to win 71-66, finishing the game with a 14-0 run as Etute led the effort with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
It's a tough league. As a team the Ducks are scrappy but undersized. They get pushed around under the basket a little bit, something they have to make up for with hustle and fundamentals. Against the Badgers they got tired and faded late, committing 20 turnovers for the game.
There's nothing like home cooking to get things going in the right direction, especially in front of an enthusiastic crowd.