It’s been a busy week of Oregon athletics with each winter sport and all but one spring sport (Beach Volleyball, which begins on March 2) playing this past weekend.
Here are the top sport stories:
Women’s basketball
The Ducks split the Civil War weekend, winning first at home, 77-68, on Friday, and then traveling to Corvallis on Monday, losing to the Beavers 67-62. The Ducks played the majority of Monday’s game without junior forward Ruthy Hebard after she went down in the second quarter with an injury. Both games were sellouts for the respective programs. Prior to Monday’s loss, the program received its highest-ranking in the AP Top-25 Poll, moving up a spot to No. 2.
Checkout this week’s features on senior Oti Gildon becoming the first in her family to graduate from a four-year university and freshman Taylor Chavez’s mentee relationship with Oregon’s backcourt duo of Maite Cazorla and Sabrina Ionescu.
Oregon will play its final homestand this weekend as it takes on the L.A. schools, starting with UCLA on Friday night at 8 p.m.
Softball
The Oregon Ducks played in their second tournament of the season, splitting the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational in Clearwater, Florida. The two-day competition was highlighted by the Ducks’ 8-5 upset over then-ranked No. 8 LSU. Oregon is now 7-2 on the season and will travel to Cathedral City, California to play in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic this weekend.
Baseball
The Ducks opened their season playing No. 8 Texas Tech in a four-game stand in Lubbock, Texas. Oregon won the first game in an upset of 9-4, but then blew an 8-0 lead to loose 12-11 the following day. The Ducks also lost the third game, 6-4. The final game was cancelled due to weather. Oregon will host its first games at PK Park this weekend. The Ducks will play four games, including a double-header on Saturday, against Saint Mary’s College of California.
Track and field
Four Ducks broke the four-minute mile barrier in this weekend’s UW Last Chance College Elite meet in Seattle. The Ducks have just one more meet this weekend, the MPSF Championships, in order to put up as many NCAA qualifying times in advance of March’s NCAA Indoor Championships next month.
Acrobatics and Tumbling
Earning their first perfect-10 score of the season, the Ducks defeated the No. 3 Quinnipiac Wildcats in their first away meet of the season. The Ducks will host Arizona Christian on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Football
Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal added three new members to his coaching staff for the 2019 season: Jovon Bouknight (wide receivers coach), Ken Wilson (linebackers coach) and Kenny Sanders (director of recruiting).
Men’s basketball
Oregon men’s basketball also dropped its Civil War conclusion to the Beavers, falling 72-57. While the women’s team will host the L.A. schools, the men will travel down to play both USC and UCLA this weekend.
Follow Maggie Vanoni on Twitter: @maggie_vanoni
