Under normal circumstances, the Oregon women’s basketball team would probably be thinking about revenge heading into today’s 7 p.m. McArthur Court matchup against Southern California.
After all, USC was the only Pacific-10 Conference squad to sweep the Ducks last season. In both games, Southern California won the battle of individual matchups. The Trojans nearly knocked Oregon out of the running for the Pac-10 title.
So, assuming everyday circumstances, it seems that a little revenge would be in order.
But the Ducks’ situation isn’t normal.
Senior forward Angelina Wolvert, still the Ducks’ leading scorer despite missing almost two full games, won’t play this week due to the medial collateral ligament sprain sustained last Thursday against Washington.
Which means that one of Oregon’s other forwards — either freshman Cathrine Kraayeveld, junior Ndidi Unaka or junior Alyssa Fredrick — must step up in a reserve roll if the Ducks (11-4 overall, 4-1 Pac-10) are to topple the visiting Trojans (6-9, 1-4).
“I think they’re more concerned about the adversity that we’re facing, and taking on bigger roles individually than they are about who’s coming up next,” Oregon head coach Jody Runge said.
The Ducks’ starting lineup will get a boost by the return of forward Lindsey Dion, who sprained her ankle minutes after Wolvert’s injury against Washington. Dion didn’t play in either of Oregon’s losses to the Trojans last season due to injuries.
“They’re a good basketball team, they’re very athletic. I’ll go in there and be aggressive and see if I can mix it up a little bit,” Dion said. “Who knows if I would have made a difference last season. Hopefully I can make a difference this season, whether it’s on defense or offense.”
Southern Cal used its athleticism to beat the Ducks last season. Runge said she expects her team to face an equally athletic USC team today at The Pit.
“They’re a tremendous challenge,” Runge said. “Athletically, they are so dangerous, they can do so many things when they’re on. We have to be conscientious to not let them get started from the three-point line and be able to stay in front of the dribble penetration at the same time, which is a very difficult challenge with how athletic they are.”
The up-and-down Trojans beat Arizona 81-67 last Thursday, then lost to Arizona State, 66-59, two days later.
Guard Aisha Hollans leads USC in scoring with 12.6 points per game, followed closely by Ebony Hoffman, who scores 11.5 points per game.
On the season, some of the Trojans’ team statistics have been impressive. They have committed 31 fewer turnovers than opponents, blocked 39 more shots and dished out 63 more assists.
But USC shoots just 39.4 percent from the field and 22.8 percent from behind the arc. And, of course, the Trojans more often than not come up short on the one stat that matters most — the final score.
Oregon found itself on the wrong side of the scoreboard after losing to unranked Washington State with Wolvert and Dion out of the lineup. Center Jenny Mowe said that what happened in Pullman., Wash., is in the past.
“I could tell against Washington State that something just wasn’t clicking,” Mowe said. “Anytime you lose one player, it’s always a challenge to get over that. When you lose two, it’s even more difficult. So getting one of our starters back is definitely a plus for us.”