Offensive firepower was on full display early on in No. 5 Oregon women’s basketball (17-1, 5-0 Pac-12) victory over the unranked Arizona Wildcats (13-5, 3-4 Pac-12) Sunday afternoon at Matthew Knight Arena. 
Propelled by a nearly perfect shooting performance in the first quarter from sophomore forward Satou Sabally, the Ducks remain undefeated in conference play this season.
Here are three takeaways from Sunday’s game.
Satou’s Strides
After struggling from the field in Friday’s matchup against No. 19 Arizona State, Sabally bounced back with an impressive 18 points off 7-of-8 shooting in the first quarter alone.
By halftime, Sabally had as many points as the entire Arizona offense with 23.
“I was just making every shot,” Sabally said. “We were playing fast out of fast breaks and my team helped me by running the floor.”
Head coach Kelly Graves called Sabally’s performance “phenomenal” and credited her shooting spree to the synergy between she and junior point guard Sabrina Ionescu, who had most of the assists to Sabally in the first half. Ionescu said Sabally is getting to the basket, hitting free throws and “shooting the ball the best I’ve ever seen her shoot it.”
Sabally was a formidable defensive force in Friday’s game with a season-high four blocks, and on Sunday she continued to impress with three blocks and five rebounds.
Graves said Sabally’s confidence and aggression on the boards have been the biggest differences from her freshman year.
Early Dominance But A Slow Second Quarter
The tall and physical Ducks defense outmatched the Wildcats early on, dominating the glass and swarming players which provided the Ducks’ 20-0 scoring run to start the game.
“We came out with a lot of intensity,” Ionescu said. “In our pregame huddle we were talking about how they were going to come out and give us their best to try to beat us, so we had to do everything to not allow that to happen.”
But in the second quarter, Arizona found open looks and outscored the Ducks 19-13.
“The first quarter was about as good as we can play and the second quarter was about as bad as we can play,” said coach Graves, who told his team at halftime that inconsistent pressure can be his team’s main issue. “At some point we’re going to play a team that’s not going to let you have a quarter like that.”
Sabrina’s Third Quarter 3s Provide 16th Career Triple Double 
Despite a weak first half with only two free throws and shooting 0-of-5 from the field, Ionescu found a rhythm in the third quarter and nailed shots from deep to improve upon her NCAA men’s and women’s triple double record with her 16th.
“I just knew I had to continue being aggressive,” Ionescu said. “I just had to keep fighting and rebounding and then everything else would take care of itself.” 
Graves said he doesn’t worry about Ionescu’s triple doubles anymore because she has had so many and he knows she’ll only get more.
Follow Bryce Dole on Twitter @DoleBryce