Everything we know following Oregon’s 72-59 blowout win over No. 9 UConn

Don Smalley
·2 min read

This has been one heck of a weekend for Oregon hoops.

The Oregon women’s basketball team capped off an amazing few days with a 72-59 victory over No. 9 UConn in front of 9,439 fans inside Matthew Knight Arena.

Both men’s and women’s teams took down two Top 10 teams in the span of five days with the Duck men sweeping No. 3 UCLA and No. 5 USC with the women upsetting No. 7 Arizona and now the Huskies.

Oregon is finally playing like the pre-season Top 10 team it was billed to be now that the Ducks have a full roster. But nerves played a factor early on as UConn scored the first 10 points of the game. Once Oregon settled down, it was all Ducks with Te-Hina Paopao leading the way with 22 points and eight rebounds.

Final Score: Oregon 72, UConn 59

Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Keys to the game

Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

  • After falling down 10-0 to begin the game, Oregon buckled down defensively to let the offense find its way. Once the shots began to fall, it was all Ducks in the first half as they held a commanding 39-24 halftime lead.

  • UConn was missing 61 percent of its scoring output due to injury and COVID protocols, but considering the Ducks have only played a handful of games with a full roster, Oregon wasn’t going to feel sorry for the Huskies.

  • Oregon was able to get out on UConn shooters from its zone better than it has all season long. Both Arizona and Stanford burned the Ducks with open shooters in the wings and the corners, but the Oregon defense adjusted and those shooters for UConn were covered.

  • Having a full roster has definitely made the difference as Oregon, a pre-season Top 10 team, is finally playing like it. These last two wins against No. 7 Arizona and No. 9 UConn are considered upsets, but a healthy Duck team has shown they can play with the best in the country.

  • The Ducks played a fairly clean game with just 12 turnovers. On the other side, the Huskies had trouble with Oregon’s pressure defense and turned the ball over 19 times.

Players of the Game

Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

  • Te-Hina Paopao: 22 points (7-17 FG, 4-9 3-pt FG), 8 rebounds

  • Sedona Prince: 14 points, 5 rebounds

  • Endyia Rogers: 7 points, 6 assists

  • Caroline Ducharme (UConn): 22 points

What's next?

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The Ducks will now go up to Washington Jan. 21 to face a Husky team that is just 5-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play. They have played just two games over a month. Washington and Oregon is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.

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