The Oregon women's basketball team finally found its footing in Big Ten play against the Northwestern Wildcats on Tuesday, Dec. 31. To kick off conference games, the Ducks lost to their first two Big Ten opponents, the USC Trojans and the Illinois Fighting Illini.
However, when the Ducks visited Northwestern, Oregon was able to walk away with a resounding 20-point victory, led by none other than guard Peyton Scott and center Phillipina Kyei.
Leaving ‘24 with a dub. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/PYs9aCgy9W
— Oregon Women’s Basketball (@OregonWBB) December 31, 2024
Alongside Scott and Kyei, star transfer Deja Kelly earned a career-high with 8 assists alongside her 9 points and 4 rebounds, all while committing zero turnovers. Kelly 9 points brought the Duck into the 2,000-career points club, an accomplishment that Scott had accomplished just a few weeks earlier.
The Ducks improved to 10-4 overall with the win over the Wildcats but stand at just 1-2 in conference play – landing Oregon in fifth-to-last in the Big Ten. Oregon only leads the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, the Purdue Boilermakers, and Northwestern in the conference.
The win over Northwestern sent the Ducks into the new year with a win in their back pocket as they prepare to the Wisconsin Badgers at home on Jan. 4, 2025.
So far this season, the Ducks have had a roller coaster of a year. Despite knocking down then-No. 12 Baylor in the third game of the season, Oregon has struggled to consistently find success against non-conference and conference opponents.
In the loss to the Trojans, the Ducks struggled offensively and were only able to produce 53 total points in their 13-point loss to USC. While the Fighting Illini only defeated Oregon by four points, the Ducks once again struggled to find their shot, scoring just 59 points by the end of the game.
Oregon and Wisconsin are scheduled to tip off from Matthew Knight Arena on Jan. 4 at 12:30 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.