Oregon will host No. 3 Stanford after breaking even in the desert this past weekend, dropping the first game to Arizona State before grinding out a win against Arizona.
Oregon will have its first matchup against a top-5 opponent this season against Stanford, and it’ll be a glimpse into a potential postseason matchup between the two. Oregon is seeking revenge from last year’s Pac-12 Tournament loss to Stanford — despite moving on to win the tournament and reaching the Final Four.
Coming off a gritty battle against Arizona last Sunday, the Ducks are looking to build on the momentum, even after dropping to No. 6 on the AP Top 25 poll from No. 2. Stanford recently moved up on the poll from No. 5 to No. 3.
This will be the first matchup all season that the Ducks will look to upset a higher-ranked opponent, as the other top-25 teams were ranked below them.
Currently undefeated in conference play, Stanford is also looking to build on its Pac-12 resume, most recently off a pair of back-to-back wins versus California.
Cardinal junior guard Kiana Williams, who has scored over 20 points over two of their last three games and over 40% from 3-point land has led Stanford of late. Williams has been posting more of an all-around presence, averaging above three assists and three rebounds a game.
Stanford is currently one of five teams in the nation to rank in the top 15 in field goal percentage at 46.9% and field goal percentage defense at 32.9%. Not only can Stanford shoot a high percentage, they can efficiently work both ends of the floor.
Oregon will look to combat that play, as they rank second in the nation in field goal percentage at 50%, and scoring offense with an average of 86.5 points per game.
Their “Big Three” of Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard and Satou Sabally trio have led the Ducks throughout the season. Ionescu recently notched her fourth triple-double of the season against Arizona, with Sabally adding a breakout performance of 18 points combined with a 9-for-10 performance from the free throw stripe. Hebard is also boasting a No. 3 spot in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 68.7%.
Stanford has a leading trio of their own with Willams, guard Lexi Hull and Haley Jones — three-time winner of Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. The three players are all scoring an average of ten or more points a game, carrying the bulk of their starting unit’s scoring load.
Thursday’s game will be a battle of defense, with both teams producing a high scoring efficiency and a low-scoring defensive game. This game will be Oregon and Stanford’s biggest test of the season thus far, with this intense top-10 matchup at Matthew Knight Arena.
