For the first time in two weeks, the Oregon women’s basketball team may have its entire lineup healthy for a change.
Knock on wood.
Starting point guard Kourtney Shreve will play this weekend in Arizona after being treated for a mild concussion suffered in Oregon’s game against UCLA last Saturday.
Senior forward Angelina Wolvert, who sprained the medial collateral ligament of her left knee Jan. 18 at Washington, will again come off the bench against Arizona. Wolvert, the team’s leading scorer, scored seven points in 17 minutes against UCLA.
“Getting Ange back on the floor is such a plus for this team,” Lindsey Dion said. “She’s such a presence out there.”
And Dion, who head coach Jody Runge said is still not 100 percent, said the swelling of her ankle is slowly starting to go down.
Shreve led the No. 22 Ducks (12-5 overall, 5-2 Pacific-10 Conference) with 11 points in the 54-43 victory over the Bruins on Saturday. She is averaging 7.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
“I’m still a little light-headed,” Shreve said before Tuesday’s practice, the first time she had gone full speed since being knocked unconscious in Saturday’s game. “We’re very close to being full strength now … and definitely more confident with Ange and Lindsey back in the lineup.”
Meharry lights it up
Brianne Meharry will be searching for the record books this weekend.
The senior forward is just 19 points shy of the 1,000 career-point total, and if she maintains her average this weekend (9.8 points a game) she will become the 15th player in school history to accomplish such a feat.
Coincidentally, Meharry is expected to start against Arizona Thursday, replacing Wolvert, who recorded her 1,000th career point Dec. 9 at Texas.
“Bri is just an invaluable player,” Runge said. “She is willing to take whatever role we give her and do whatever it takes to help the team succeed. She’s a gamer.”
Things that make you go hmmm
Since the 1996-97 season, Oregon has started each Pac-10 season with a 5-2 record. The last two years, of course, have produced conference championships.
In an almost identical scenario last season, Oregon came home from a win at UCLA to host the then-19th ranked Arizona — and lost to the Wildcats, 73-66.
Hmmmmm.
The Pit is packed
Duck fans have jammed McArthur Court this season, making the women’s hoops team the biggest attraction in the Pac-10.
Last season, Oregon ranked 12th nationally in total attendance, averaging 5,852 fans per contest. This year, the Ducks are again on top of the conference in attendance, bringing in 4,799 fans each game.
For the Jan. 13 game against Stanford, the Ducks attracted a Pac-10 season-high 7,602 people.
Statin’ it up
Statistically, Oregon is among the Pac-10 leaders in most of the major categories.
The Ducks rank first in scoring defense (allowing 58.1 ppg), first in field-goal percentage (.467), first in field-goal percentage defense (.370) and first in three-point percentage defense (.278).
Oregon held UCLA to a season-best 22 percent Saturday, the worst shooting performance in the Pac-10 this year.
