When you’ve got size, a sweet jumper and can play in a motion offense, you’re bound to flourish playing for Oregon coach Bev Smith. Such is the case for Carolyn Ganes.
Having fully recovered from past injuries, Ganes has quietly become a valuable bench player for Smith who has relied heavily on post players such as her for clutch wins.
“She’s shot well this year and is a great fit for our offense,” Smith said. “She corrals the defense and is hard to cover.”
Although listed at forward, Ganes’ 6-foot-3 frame combined with her speed and strength gives her the versatility to switch off between forward and center. Her offensive game is not limited to low-post play; Ganes can shoot from anywhere and doesn’t shy from taking a three.
Ganes has buried eight three-pointers this season and was fifth on the team in overall points scored entering Thursday’s game against Arizona. Her 88 percent free-throw shooting is second best behind Gabrielle Richards. Ganes is averaging seven points per game.
The fourth-year junior’s breakout game this season came against Idaho State Dec. 15. She scored a season-high 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Oregon triumphed 89-69.
For an encore, Ganes led the Ducks in scoring again five days later in their conference opener against UCLA. Playing as a reserve, Ganes scored 15 points and added six boards. She finished 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 1 of 2 from three-point range.
Before redshirting her junior year to hone her skills, Ganes shot 28 percent from beyond the arc in the 2003-04 season and averaged 5.8 points per game. She pulled down 2.6 boards an outing that same year and converted 84 percent of her shots from the foul line. Despite being hampered by ankle sprains and back problems, the human physiology major was an Honorable Mention All-Academic Selection in the Pacific-10 Conference. To overcome her injuries, she devoted herself to conditioning during the season.
“I focused on staying fit throughout the year and taking care of my body,” she said. “I was disciplined in our workouts during the week and just stayed positive.”
A healthier Ganes finished her freshman season as the team’s co-scoring leader. Her 305 points ranked 17th in the Pacific-10 Conference, and her scoring average (10.9 points per game) was the highest for an Oregon freshman since Brianne Meharry, who averaged 13.1 points per game during the 1997-98 season. Ganes was voted both co-MVP of the Pape Jam and later, the team’s Most Valuable Newcomer.
Ganes’ career spans international borders. She has spent summers playing with the Canadian national team. After graduating from Saskatchewan’s Aden Bowman Secondary school in 2002, Ganes joined the Canadian national team the following summer, becoming the youngest member of the team. She earned a starting spot two years later for Canada, which she represented at the 2003 Pan American games in the Dominican Republic – the first Duck to play in the Pan Am games since Alison Lang and Smith in 1979.
Ganes left her mark on Aden Bowman playing in her native Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for coach Wendy Benson. As a senior in 2001, Ganes led her team to a 30-0 season winning the Class 4A Provincial Championship. She gives credit to her father and her hometown’s weather for drawing her to basketball.
“It’s a cold, cold place so I was drawn to indoor sports,” she said. “My dad did too. He played at the university up there and coached me on teams growing up.”
Ganes’ family has been a driving force for her throughout college.
“My parents have been very supportive of me,” Ganes said. “They make it down whenever they can, but it’s kind of a long drive.”
Outgoing seniors on this year’s Oregon team such as Kedzie Gunderson have taken note of Ganes’ work ethic and progression.
“She’s a great shooter and has only gotten better,” Gunderson said. “I’ve played with her for about three years and have enjoyed it. She works hard in practice and takes that into games.”
Ganes played a critical role in the Ducks’ 54-50 win over Washington State Jan. 19. Starting in place of an ailing Richards. Ganes rose to the occasion, shooting 3 of 3 from the free-throw line en route to a team-high 10 points.
“It was exciting to start and get your name called before the game, but once the ball goes up, it’s just like any other game,” Ganes said.
Smith was pleased with how well Ganes filled in.
“I think she did a great job playing for Gabe (Richards),” Smith said. “She has the same presence in the post as her and plays similar.” Richards feels Ganes is an asset to the team with her shooting and tendency to draw attention.
“Carolyn is a great post player she can shoot the lights out,” Richards said. “It’s nice having her out there. When she plays you need at least two people to guard her. It’s great watching her get into a rhythm shooting. Once she does, she can’t miss.”
With a conference mark of 5-8 (14-9 overall), the Ducks have fallen short of matching the success of last year’s team. Oregon reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2005 and second place in the conference standings.
In order to have a successful finish, Ganes feels the Ducks need to master fundamentals.
“We’ve had our ups and downs and are still trying to find our niche with the team,” Ganes said. “We all have different things to contribute and need to use them to the best of our ability.”

 
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