BIG Game 8: Gophers @ Oregon Jan. 21

BigTenGuy

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Huge game tonight. Win to get to .500 in conference play, with potential long winning streak on tap (potentially 4 games heading into Iowa City). Schedule about to really ease up.
 
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From Oregon website:

UO takes on Minnesota Wednesday (6 p.m., B1G+).
EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon women's basketball team returns home after a two-game Midwest swing, as the Ducks host Minnesota on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.

The Ducks look to snap a season-long three-game skid after dropping a 94-62 double-overtime decision at Wisconsin on Sunday. Minnesota has lost two straight, and three of its last five, after a 67-54 setback at Washington.

Oregon is 3-0 all-time against the Golden Gophers after a 76-70 win in Minneapolis a season ago in the inaugural matchup as Big Ten foes.

A WIN WOULD…
» End Oregon's season-long three-game skid.
» Improve the Ducks' home record to 10-2 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play.
» Give the Ducks their 24th consecutive home win against an unranked team.
» Improve Oregon's all-time record against Minnesota to 4-0.
» Be UO's second win at home against the Golden Gophers and a 2-0 record as members of the Big Ten.
» Give Oregon a 4-3 record following a loss this season.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Oregon is unbeaten against Minnesota, winning all three of the previous meetings dating back to 1979. The Ducks and Golden Gophers met twice in postseason play before the initial meeting as members of the Big Ten a season ago. In last year's meeting in Minneapolis, Oregon pulled out a 76-70 victory helped in part by a 28-5 edge in bench scoring. The Gophers trimmed the deficit to four points with under four minutes to go, but the Ducks were able to pull away the road victory.

Wednesday's meeting will be the second at Matthew Knight Arena between the teams, as they met in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. The sixth-ranked Ducks advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with a 101-73 victory that day.

OFF AND RUNNING
Oregon began the 2025-26 season 10-0 for just the third time in program history before suffering its first loss of the season on Dec. 7 at No. 4 UCLA. It marked the first 10-0 start since beginning the 2015-16 season 11-0, and the second 10-0 start or better under 12th-year head coach Kelly Graves. The Ducks' 12-1 start was its best 13-game start since the 2019-20 season, and the third 12-1 start or better under Graves. UO's offense has scored 80 or more in 11 of 20 games, including five straight to begin the season - its longest streak to open a season since seven straight such games to open the 2019-20 season. UO's scoring offense of 78.5 points per game ranks 32nd nationally and ninth in the Big Ten.

Seven different Ducks have led or tied for the team lead in scoring, with 11 different players producing a double-digit scoring performance. Four times this season five different players finished in double figures, most recently on Dec. 18 in win over Portland: Mia Jacobs (21), Amina Muhamad (12), Avary Cain (11), Sarah Rambus (11) and Katie Fiso (10). Five of the 11 players with a double-figure scoring game came off the bench (Avary Cain, Ehis Etute, Muhammad, Astera Tuhina and Janiyah Williams).

» Oregon's offensive rating of 104.1 (points per 100 possessions) ranks 11th in the Big Ten while averaging 73.7 possessions per 40 minutes (fourth in Big Ten). UO had an offensive rating of 96.0 with an average of 70.2 possessions per 40 minutes last year.
» UO's field goal percentage of 46.6 is No. 25 in the country, with its 52.2 percent on two-point shots ranking ninth in the conference.
» Oregon ranks 25th in the country and seventh in the league with an effective field goal percentage of 52.5 percent.
» The Ducks' bench is averaging 25.1 points per game, good for fourth in the Big Ten, after scoring 32 points at Iowa - their seventh 30-point outing of the season.
» UO's 18.1 assists per game are good for 21st nationally, posting an assisted shot rate of 62.0 percent (sixth in the Big Ten).
» The Ducks are third in the Big Ten and No. 19 in the country in free throw shooting (78.0 percent), while their 1.18 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks 37th nationally.

STORM AND SWARM
Oregon's suffocating defense, a chief reason for Oregon's success a season ago, is back again this year. The Ducks have forced at least 20 turnovers 12 times and recorded double-digit steals in 15 of 20 contests to start the season. The 15 games with 10 or more steals are tied for the seventh-most in the country, and two shy of the national leaders, while the 12 20-turnover games are tied for 15th-most nationally and six games behind the nation's leaders. In 12 games this season, UO's defense has recorded double-digit steals while forcing 20 or more turnovers - tied for the eighth-most such games in the country and four games behind the nation's leaders.
 


From Oregon website:

The Ducks look to snap a season-long three-game skid after dropping a 94-62 double-overtime decision at Wisconsin on Sunday.
Being outscored by 32 points in double-overtime is quite the accomplishment. 😉
 


And from U website

Minnesota Wraps Up West Coast Swing at Oregon​


MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota women's basketball team (12-6, 3-4 Big Ten) continues its West Coast swing as it takes on Oregon (14-6, 2-5 Big Ten) on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on B1G+. Fans can listen live on 100.3 KFAN with Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist on the call.

WHERE THEY RANK
  • Minnesota is ranked No. 16 in the NET and is one of 10 Big Ten teams in the top 25. The Gophers also received one vote in this week's AP Top 25 poll.
  • Minnesota leads the nation with 11 games holding opponents to 50 points or fewer. No other team in the country has more than nine such games, and the next closest Big Ten team is Maryland with seven.
  • The Maroon and Gold rank No. 1 in the nation and the Big Ten in fewest turnovers per game, averaging 10.5.
  • Minnesota's 1.57 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks eighth nationally and third in the conference.
STARTING FIVE
  • The Golden Gophers close out their West Coast trip Wednesday night at Matthew Knight Arena against the Oregon Ducks.
  • Minnesota fell to the Washington Huskies 67-54 on Sunday. Mara Braun, Amaya Battle and Grace Grocholski combined to score 41 of the Gophers' points. Braun led with a season-high 18 points, followed by Battle with 12 and Grocholski with 11.
  • Braun and Grocholski have each reached 1,000 career points this season. With those milestones, Minnesota now has three active 1,000-point scorers, including Battle. Brylee Glenn is nearing the mark with 915 career points.
  • Battle has recorded 549 career assists, ranking third in Minnesota history. She needs 30 more assists to surpass Lindsay Whalen (578) for second on the program's career assists list.
  • This season, Battle leads the Gophers in assists (69) and rebounds (130). She ranks 15th in the Big Ten in assists per game (3.8) and ninth in rebounds per game (7.2).
 







And from U website

Minnesota Wraps Up West Coast Swing at Oregon​


MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota women's basketball team (12-6, 3-4 Big Ten) continues its West Coast swing as it takes on Oregon (14-6, 2-5 Big Ten) on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on B1G+. Fans can listen live on 100.3 KFAN with Justin Gaard and Lynnette Sjoquist on the call.

WHERE THEY RANK
  • Minnesota is ranked No. 16 in the NET and is one of 10 Big Ten teams in the top 25. The Gophers also received one vote in this week's AP Top 25 poll.
  • Minnesota leads the nation with 11 games holding opponents to 50 points or fewer. No other team in the country has more than nine such games, and the next closest Big Ten team is Maryland with seven.
  • The Maroon and Gold rank No. 1 in the nation and the Big Ten in fewest turnovers per game, averaging 10.5.
  • Minnesota's 1.57 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks eighth nationally and third in the conference.
STARTING FIVE
  • The Golden Gophers close out their West Coast trip Wednesday night at Matthew Knight Arena against the Oregon Ducks.
  • Minnesota fell to the Washington Huskies 67-54 on Sunday. Mara Braun, Amaya Battle and Grace Grocholski combined to score 41 of the Gophers' points. Braun led with a season-high 18 points, followed by Battle with 12 and Grocholski with 11.
  • Braun and Grocholski have each reached 1,000 career points this season. With those milestones, Minnesota now has three active 1,000-point scorers, including Battle. Brylee Glenn is nearing the mark with 915 career points.
  • Battle has recorded 549 career assists, ranking third in Minnesota history. She needs 30 more assists to surpass Lindsay Whalen (578) for second on the program's career assists list.
  • This season, Battle leads the Gophers in assists (69) and rebounds (130). She ranks 15th in the Big Ten in assists per game (3.8) and ninth in rebounds per game (7.2).
Thanks for posting. It is a huge game mostly so the Gophers can prove to themselves that they can beat a quality opponent on the road. A 2–2 season split with the former PAC schools would be a huge resume builder.
 




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