The Oregon women’s basketball team went through a rollercoaster ride over winter break, everything from losing players, to injuries, to the start of Pacific-10 Conference play.
The Ducks managed a 2-3 record and went 1-1 against the Southern California schools to begin conference play.
And amidst the three-week turmoil, Oregon suffered three injuries and lost one player because of medical circumstances. The Ducks fought through the adversity and saw their share of ups and downs.

Santa Clara 88, Oregon 79
Santa Clara came to town a few days after the end of finals, Dec. 15, and turned the game into a shootout, one that the Ducks lost.
It was raining from downtown for most of the game as Oregon hit a school-record 13 of 29 shots from three-point land. The Broncos would match the Ducks’ intensity and shoot 12-of-21 from beyond the arc.
Oregon led most of the first half and into the second, but the Ducks would only hit three of their 13 3-point attempts, and it wouldn’t be enough.
Junior forward Cathrine Kraayeveld led the team with a career-high 33 points, 24 of which came in the first half. Sophomore Andrea Bills added nine points and nine rebounds.
“We just lost all momentum, and they came back to win,” Bills said. “It was a disappointing loss, but we try to play through it and go on.”

Oregon 65, Montana 60
Oregon would not be denied again as the Ducks traveled to Missoula, Mont., on Dec. 19 to defeat the Griz for their first road victory of the season.
Behind Kraayeveld, who scored 18 points and notched a career-high 22 rebounds, and junior Kayla Steen, who added a career-best 14 points, the Ducks ousted Montana in Dahlberg Arena.
The Ducks trailed 58-57 late in the game, but after back-to-back layins for Oregon and two blocked shots by Kraayeveld, the Ducks were able to secure the win to move to 4-4.
Oregon had a downfall in the second half as sophomore Kedzie Gunderson left the game with a broken nose after a collision with a Montana player.
“The game was great, and that was a big one for us,” Gunderson said. “I went up for a rebound and I was coming down and her elbow came straight down on my nose.”

Texas Christian 76, Oregon 70
The Ducks would continue their quest on the road as they faced off against the Horned Frogs in Texas on Dec. 22. But despite solid outside shooting, Oregon didn’t have enough.
Oregon bettered its school-record on 3-pointers, going 14-of-26, which upped the record it set just a week before against Santa Clara.
But despite Oregon’s shooting extravaganza from 3-point land, the Ducks shot just 6-of-16 for 38 percent on free throws and 11-of-45 for 24 percent on shots inside the arc.
The Ducks trailed late at 69-57 with 3:18 left in the game, but after some solid defense, Oregon went on a 10-1 run to pull within 70-67 with 1:33 to go.
Oregon couldn’t hold on, though, and would commit three turnovers in the final minute to seal the Horned Frogs win. The Ducks dropped to 4-5 on the year before returning home to begin conference play.

UCLA 93, Oregon 68
The Ducks found themselves struggling against the full-court press and struggled to find offensive rhythm as they fell hard to the Bruins in their first conference game Dec. 27.
UCLA dominated from the start, as the Bruins jumped out to a 27-7 lead in the first 10 minutes. Oregon would make things even easier for the Bruins as the Ducks committed 11 turnovers in the first half.
Oregon trailed 49-28 at the half and after UCLA’s blazing start, the Ducks would never get closer than 13 points. Oregon’s 25-point deficit was its second-worst loss at home to a Pac-10 team.
The Bruins were led by freshman guard Nikki Blue with a game-high 26 points, followed by junior Whitney Jones, who also caught fire with a career-high 24 points, surpassing her previous best by 14.
The Ducks suffered without Kraayeveld, who encountered severe inflammation in her right knee before a practice the day before the game.

Oregon 79, USC 73
Oregon found what it was looking for — a solid offensive presence — and was able to overcome the Trojans on Dec. 29 in front of 4,561 fans at McArthur Court.
It was a good win for Oregon, as it was able to find its way to its first conference victory.
The Ducks jumped to a 32-22 first-half lead but struggled toward halftime from the Trojans’ full-court press. USC was able to cause several Oregon turnovers and go on a 16-2 run entering halftime.
The Ducks would not be distracted, though, and shot a solid 67 percent from the field in the second half.
With hot shooting, Oregon managed a 17-4 run late in the second half to take the lead 72-61 and secure a victory.
Oregon had solid contributions all around, as five Ducks scored in double figures on the evening for the first time this season.
“It was a great opportunity for us to rebound from a game we didn’t play very well,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “We came back against USC knowing (Kraayeveld) wouldn’t be back with us for an extended period of time, and everybody just came with that focus.”