When the Oregon women’s basketball seniors take the floor against No. 19 Stanford on Sunday for the final time at Matthew Knight Arena, they’ll be doing so with a distinct “adaptability.”
That’s because this year’s senior class — Megan Carpenter, Amanda Delgado, Katelyn Loper and Marie Berthuel — have all been tasked with playing in a new scheme during their final years of basketball.
The road hasn’t been easy, Delgado said, but they’ve always stuck together.
“We’re just going with the flow,” Delgado said. “We can’t dwell on what’s happened or the past. We’re jumping full-force into what he wants us to do. I think adaptable is what we’re trying to accomplish. You can see it through all of us.”
Delgado said the group has tried to be the example for change in flexibility and versatility. Being the first year in head coach Kelly Graves’ new style of play, they’ve been asked to execute the fundamentals, which has redefined their style.
Delgado prides herself on being a vocal leader on the court. She’s oftentimes the first to relay instructions to the team during practice or make sure that the underclassmen are staying focused.
“Being vocal, I pick and choose,” Delgado said. “On the court, it just happens. That’s where I’m comfortable. I’m in my element. Off the court, I still talk a lot, but I’m not super obnoxious like I am on the court.”
Graves agrees that Delgado is a leader.
“She works hard every day,” Graves said. “She lost her starting spot. But that doesn’t make a difference with her. You couldn’t tell where she stands on the team based on her demeanor every day and her willingness to compete.”
Megan Carpenter, 6-4, center, Longmont, Colo.
She has averaged 3.0 points per game and 2.4 rebounds while earning a starting spot this season (18 starts). Carpenter has 258 career points and 299 rebounds at Oregon entering Sunday’s game.
“She’s made me so much better,” Jillian Alleyne said. “I give a lot of my credit to her. She goes hard in practice every day against me.”
She started in 13 of 30 games her sophomore year.
“I think we’ve become better as a basketball team when we inserted her into the lineup,” Graves said. “I really like how she’s responded this senior year. … I think the growth she’s made as a player is tremendous.”
Katelyn Loper, 5-11, forward, Post Falls, Idaho
After transferring from Hofstra, Loper has racked up 632 career points at Oregon, including 131 three-pointers in two years. She currently ranks ninth all-time in UO history for three-pointers. She could tie Chelsea Wagner (eighth all-time) with 133 three-pointers.
Loper posted 33 points in the home opener of the season and drilled nine three-pointers against CSU Bakersfield last season, which is tied for most all-time in UO history.
“It took her a little while to really get on board, but she’s been terrific,” Graves said. “She’s accepted a role coming off the bench. She gives us that spark. It’s an important role.”
Marie Berthuel, 5-3, guard, Nice, France
In her first season, Berthuel has appeared in six games as a walk-on. She has six career points, both three-pointers.
“Marie is a happy-go-lucky young woman,” Graves said. “I think she’s been a great teammate. … She knows she’s not going to play. It’s a hard position to be in. Yet she’s here every day at practice. She works hard. She’s expected to do things the way everyone else does. She’s had a great attitude and does it with a great heart.”
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