Women’s basketball

You’d have to travel all the way back to the 1990-91 season to find the last time the Oregon women’s basketball team posted two 100-point games in a single season.
OK, so the two exhibition games the Ducks have played this season — they scored 100 in the first game and 114 Friday against Southern Oregon — don’t count.
But that’s still impressive to
the Ducks.
“I think the thing that you have to look at is shooting percentage,” head coach Bev Smith said. “Our team is shooting the ball very, very well. Any time you can finish the game at 54 percent, shooting 24 3-pointers, I think that we have to very happy.”
Playing a zone defense against Southern Oregon, the Oregon offense tore into the Raiders, using its traditional up-tempo offense to exploit mistakes.
The Ducks shot 53 percent in the first half, and 56 percent in the second stanza.
“We were wide open (in their zone), but you still have to hit your shots,” Smith said. “Even though it was a smaller team, our post players worked harder in the second half to establish position and that way we were able to take advantage of our size.”
The 3-pointers and post play are two key contributing factors the Ducks hope to take advantage of when regular season and Pacific-10 Conference play begins.

Bring on the Zags…er, Bulldogs
No matter what you call it, Gonzaga brings Oregon its first true test of the 2002-03 season when the Bulldogs visit McArthur Court on Friday.
The two squads have not met often, playing only six times since 1986. The Ducks have never lost to Gonzaga, with Oregon’s closest victory a 64-60 win in Eugene in 1989.
The last time the two played, in 1996, the Ducks dominated, winning 52-33.
A year ago, the Bulldogs went 11-18 overall and 2-12 in the West Coast Conference.
Gonzaga has lost seven-straight, dating back to last season.

Poll me
The start of the Pac-10 season is still more than a month away, but the Ducks already know they’ve got expectations.
The Pac-10 preseason coaches poll placed the Ducks at third in the conference, just behind No. 1 Stanford and No. 2 Washington. Of the Pac-10’s 10 first-place votes, the Ducks received one while the Cardinal scooped up the rest.
The Pac-10’s media believe the same, although Oregon did not receive a first-place vote there. The Ducks were again behind Stanford and Washington in expected order of finish in the media poll.