Oregon women’s basketball was elite, Peyton Scott and Sofia Bell were dominating everywhere on the court while the scoreboard ticked up in their favor on nearly every possession. The Ducks’ energy was off the charts, and the team was in complete control as it flew around and forced turnovers and missed shots despite traveling to the Midwest. The offense was in near-perfect sync as it found either Scott, Bell, or someone else wide open for layups and shot attempts.
It was a team at its peak. And, while it didn’t last forever with No. 16 Michigan State (17-4, 7-3 Big Ten) rallying late, the strong start and continued tenacity on defense were enough for the Ducks (16-5, 7-3) to pull off an upset in their 63-56 road win over MSU.
With Oregon’s first half including the Ducks shooting 4-5 from range, (50% overall) and holding Michigan State to 27% shooting. Thursday provided the Ducks with a clear ceiling on just how well they can play. They sprinted out to a 13-point first-quarter lead and, although they were far from perfect — that advantage was trimmed to as few as three in the fourth quarter— some late free throws and clutch defense helped seal the win.
The Ducks played their best 40 minutes of basketball this season — by far — quickly establishing that they were willing to attack the game from the 3-point line while continuing their remarkable defensive rebrand. Phillipinna Kyei was a matchup nightmare throughout, adding nine points, ten rebounds and three blocks.
MSU shot only from the field and from 3-point range, with head coach Robyn Fralick frequently calling time-outs in search of answers. The Ducks’ best players, Scott, Deja Kelly and Nani Falatea, all took turns dominating, the trio combining for 32 points. Bell scored 6 and a pair of 3-pointers.
Former Duck, Grace VanSlooten scored 14 to lead the Spartans, whom the Ducks never trailed.
Any hopes of a remarkable comeback died out for the Spartans when MSU went on a nearly four-minute scoring drought to end the game. Michigan State outscored the Ducks 16-6 in the fourth quarter alone, but couldn’t get shots to go when it mattered most.
Free throw issues were the primary culprit for the potential collapse, with Oregon finishing the game just 11-19 overall. But, Phillipina Kyei hit a pair with 13 seconds to go, ballooning Oregon’s lead to seven. Oregon is the first team to beat MSU in East Lansing this season.
Early season clunkers against North Dakota State and Georgia Tech no doubt put a damper on Oregon’s record. But as the Ducks try to figure out how good they can be, they delivered a strong argument for having faith in them, delivering a signature win Thursday against one of the top teams in the nation. The win, coupled with another strong performance on Sunday against Michigan, could propel the Ducks back into the top 25.
