It’s hard to point out what was most impressive about Oregon’s 100-43 victory over Horsholm BBC Saturday in front of 3,540 at McArthur Court.
Was it the fact that the Ducks jumped out to a 20-0 lead to start the game, or that they held their overseas competition to just 19 points in the first half?
“Holding them to under 20 points in the first half,” senior Shaquala Williams said. “Our focus was defense. We know we can score, but we haven’t proven we can defend yet, at least to our coaches, so it was more important for us to get off to a great defensive start.”
Oregon, which exhibited the same up-tempo offense that helped lead them to the WNIT Championship last season, made 11 of its first 12 shots in the game en route to the blowout. Every Duck scored — including freshman Yadili Okwumabua, whose only free throw make pushed the Ducks to 100 points — with Williams leading the way with 20.
“There was tremendous depth we were able to play with tonight,” head coach Bev Smith said. “It is important to get everyone some playing time, especially here at Mac Court.”
As was not the norm last season, every Oregon player grabbed at least one rebound against Horsholm. As a team, the Ducks pulled down 53 boards and held Horsholm to just five offensively.
“We talked about rebounding, just playing aggressively, and getting open shots,” junior Cathrine Kraayeveld said.
Kraayeveld posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 boards, while sophomore Kedzie Gunderson made the most of her first start with a 15-point performance.
Smith said the Ducks entered the contest keying on three parts of their game. They wanted to dominate defensively, control the rebounding and run the basketball.
Based on the statistical sheet, Oregon accomplished its goals.
“Obviously, the competition wasn’t great, but we achieved all of our goals,” Williams said. “This game wasn’t necessarily about our competition, but the goals we set for ourselves.”
Even though the game doesn’t count in the standings or team records, the 100 points scored represents Oregon’s highest point total since the 1998-99 campaign when the Ducks dropped 106 against UCLA.
“We were up by 50, so we had to look forward to something,” Williams said. “I guess 100 points was that.”
Kraayeveld made the team’s first point of the season with a layup at the 15-second mark, then followed that up with a carbon-copy play just a minute later.
Less than 30 seconds later, senior Alissa Edwards began Oregon’s night from beyond the arc with her first 3-pointer of the year, making the score 7-0.
Fittingly, Kraayeveld scored the Ducks’ final points on its 20-0 run with 14:59 left in the first stanza. Horsholm’s Bess Greenberg ended Oregon’s domination with a jumper at 14:37, but it hardly mattered there on out as the Ducks ended the half with a 58-19 lead.