The high from the Oregon women’s basketball team’s overtime victory at the buzzer over Arizona on Saturday didn’t last long. The Ducks locked in for their meeting against the short-handed No. 9 UConn Huskies on Monday afternoon.
Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers remained sidelined with Christyn Williams entering COVID protocols on the morning of the game.
Led by Te-Hina Paopao’s 22 points and eight rebounds, the Ducks won 72-59.
After heavily relying on their defense and a putback basket to win it at the horn on Saturday, the hustle plays transferred to Monday’s victory as well.
Midway through a commanding 18-0 run that transpired over the first and second quarters, sophomore forward Kylee Watson dove on the floor for a loose-ball rebound. From her pocket, she tossed a pass to Paopao who knocked down the 3-pointer.
“Kylee’s our best hustle player. She likes to do the dirty work,” Paopao said. “She came in and gave us the push we needed to win tonight.”
Paopao, who was the leading scorer against Arizona, captained the 18 point run that flipped the score from 14-8 to 26-14, following a shaky start. She used her tight dribble to maneuver around the high ball screens and slither into the paint.
“[Paopao] plays with love and passion for the game,” head coach Kelly Graves said. “She proved she was one of the best players in the nation with her performances this weekend.”
Sedona Prince led another offensive surge to close the half. Prince nestled into the 15 foot jumper that she’s stroked with confidence recently. She had 12 points in the second quarter.
The Ducks took a 15 point advantage into the intermission and extended that lead as the third quarter commenced. Their defense was the catalyst again.
Nyara Sabally, who left the game in the fourth quarter after sustaining a right knee injury, anticipated the Huskies’ cross-court pass. Sabally intercepted it and proceeded to go coast-to-coast. Paopao followed her lead the next play with a steal and a bucket of her own. The Ducks had 21 points off turnovers.
Oregon has favored running a 3-2 zone over the past few games. It’s allowed their perimeter defenders to wreak havoc, constantly deflecting passes. They got comfortable anticipating the next pass and those deflections became steals.
“We felt like our zone would give them some trouble,” Graves said. “We were able to scramble more, and I think we’re better when we are able to scramble and gets some tips.”
The Ducks’ season has started to gain momentum since their blowout win against Cal on Jan. 9. Before that game, they struggled to find their stride. They failed to move the ball fluidly or lock-in on defense for extended periods. After leaving this three-day weekend with two statement wins, they look like a completely different team, capable of contending with anyone in the nation.
“The energy is totally different after this weekend,” Paopao said. “I feel like we’ve really started to get in the flow of things.”
With the win, Oregon improves to 10-5 on the season. It will be interesting to see if they crack this week’s top 25 rankings after two impressive victories. The Ducks travel to Seattle next to face the University of Washington on Friday, Jan. 21.
