CORVALLIS, Ore. — On the court, the Oregon women’s basketball team normally rallies behind their superstar Sabrina Ionescu. On Sunday, they rallied behind her for a different reason.
The rest of the Oregon squad rose when their teammates needed them most. Tonight, Ionescu needed them.
In a daunting road environment filled with 9,000-plus people and pressures to win in Corvallis for the first time since 2010, the stakes were already high. But on Sunday, the rest of the Ducks needed to be there for her on the court and as a friend. They wanted to win this game for her and each other and did it in historic fashion.
As Ionescu mourned the loss Sunday morning of a mentor, friend and idol in Kobe Bryant, she put her grief aside to help lead her team to victory.
“I’m proud of the team who stepped up for their sister Sabrina and helped her. I know, almost to the person, who said, ‘We’re going to do this for you,’” said head coach Kelly Graves. “That shows great commitment to team.”
As soon as the final buzzer sounded, Minyon Moore and the rest of her teammates jogged over to Ionescu and embraced her as friends, teammates and sisters would. They were there for her. Not only was this win historic, but it was emotional.
This was the first game that Graves, and everyone on the active roster, had won in Gill Coliseum.
With the news of a sudden tragedy minutes before tipoff, this was something that Graves and his team had never faced before. Moore chose not to warm up with the rest of the team and stayed in the locker room to console her teammate.
In the first half, Ionescu couldn’t help but shed a tear during the singing of the national anthem and her grief showed during the first half of play. But when Ionescu was down, her teammates picked up as if they didn’t skip a beat. Satou Sabally poured in 13 of her 16 points in the first half with Moore pitching in an additional five.
The second half was a different Ionescu.
She began attacking the basket more, getting exactly where she wanted on her elbow jumpers off the pick-and-roll, unlike the first half where she gave up the ball and had multiple defensive mental lapses.
Oregon began to play suffocating defense as it extended its lead to as large as 14 in the final quarter.
Everyone stepped up when they needed to. They trapped in the perfect places, scrambled for loose balls and secured the boards needed to sustain their lead and keep it as they concluded the game winning by 10. Jaz Shelley hit a crucial 3 from beyond the arc to put the Ducks up 12 with over a minute to play.
The “Big Three” trio of Ruthy Hebard, Sabally and Ionescu all ended the night with double-digit points for a combined 48. Hebard landed her ninth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Not only did the Ducks sweep the Civil War weekend in historic fashion, but they came together as one to support a grieving teammate.
“You can’t come here and rely on a couple players,” said Graves. “It’s the whole team that’s got to get it done. That’s a great team out there.”
Follow Carly on Twitter @carlyebisuya.
