It appears that voters are costing Oregon ground in the polls. No, I’m not talking about that Oregon team, I’m talking about a different one. I’m talking about the Oregon women’s basketball team, which despite holding a 5-1 record, still finds itself scratching at the Associated Press top 25’s front door.
On Monday, Oregon made quick work of coach Amy Stephens’ Drake squad. The Ducks’ 70-40 win over the Bulldogs marked their fourth straight and made an Oregon believer out of Stephens.
“I think they’re a good basketball team, and if they’re not in the top 25 they probably should be,” Stephens said. “Losing to Temple at home probably hurt them. They had a great opportunity to pull an upset over a ranked team. They certainly are very competitive.”
While hosting the championship game of the Women’s Sports Foundation Classic, Oregon squandered a three-point lead late in the second half and fell 51-46 to No. 21 Temple. It marked the Ducks’ only loss this season amidst lop-sided wins over St. Francis, Portland, Arkansas and Drake. Granted, not one of those teams has a winning record.
Unlike other teams gracing the top 25, Oregon is yet to be on the losing end of an upset. Take for instance its conference foe No. 25 USC. The
Trojans traveled down the street last week to face Long Beach State, which handed the Trojans their first loss of the season. The 51-46 defeat sent USC four spots south in the AP Poll where they rest today even after dropping another road loss to No. 15 Notre Dame on Nov. 27. As a 2-2 squad with a three-game stretch against unranked opponents ahead of them, USC’s schedule is similar to Oregon’s but not its record. The result? The .500 Trojans somehow get the nod in the AP rankings.
Texas Tech, ranked 24th, has also tread an interesting path into the top 25. The Red Raiders are dead last in the Big XII Conference standings at 1-4 with only two of those losses coming against ranked teams. The latest was a three-point nail-biter at the hands of No. 13 Stanford, 66-63. Texas Tech lost in similar fashion to Rice (73-70) and Mississippi (72-69) on the road last week. To vindicate their ranking, they have an impressive 85-56 win over Ohio Valley Conference powerhouse Southeast Missouri State. Can you sense my sarcasm? The only thing keeping the pride of Lubbock, Texas, in the top 25 is their No. 13 ranking in week one.
Purdue also has an upset loss on their hands. The No. 23 Boilermakers lost at George Washington Nov. 25, but are blessed with a weak schedule heading into December to break their fall.
Fortunately for Oregon, its quest to gain national recognition and a place in the AP Poll gets easier until their conference opener against UCLA Dec. 20. The Ducks may have no home games in December, but they also face zero matchups against ranked opponents. The top 25 is just around the corner for Oregon.

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