EUGENE, ore. – The Oregon women’s basketball team kicks off 2026 against Northwestern, as the Ducks host the Wildcats on New Year’s Day at Matthew Knight Arena at 2 p.m..
The Ducks and Wildcats squared off on New Year’s eve in Evanston last year, with UO coming away with an 85-65 win. The victory was the third straight in the series while Oregon leads the all-time series 3-1. NU’s last visit to Matthew Knight Arena was the 2022-23 season opener in which the Ducks won 100-57.
GAME #16
Oregon (12-3, 0-2) vs.Northwestern (6-7, 0-2)
thursday, Jan. 1 | 2 p.m. | Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV/Stream: B1G+
Play-by-play: Lily crane | Analyst: CJ Flores
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (KUJZ 95.3 FM | ESPN Portland 910 AM)
play-by-play: Chris Clayton | Analyst: Bev Smith
Listen online | Live Stats | Tickets
A WIN WOULD…
» Give Oregon a 1-2 Big Ten record and 9-1 home record.
» be the Ducks’ 23rd straight home win against an unranked team.
» Snap a season-long two-game losing streak.
» Be UO’s fourth consecutive win against Northwestern and extend its lead in the all-time series to 4-1.
» Give the Ducks a 2-1 home record against the Wildcats and a 2-0 mark at Matthew Knight Arena.
» Be Oregon’s third straight victory on New Year’s Day and first since Jan. 1, 2023 over USC.
» Improve UO’s record on New Year’s Day to 4-1 overall.
LAST TIME OUT
After trailing by 18 points in the first half to the sixth-ranked team in the nation, it looked all but over for the Oregon women’s basketball team.
But the Ducks amped up the pressure and intensity in the second half and pushed Michigan to double overtime at Matthew Knight Arena,where Oregon’s upset and comeback bids fell just short in a 92-87 loss in its Big Ten home opener Monday night.
“I’m proud of our effort,” said UO head coach Kelly Graves. “Proud of how hard we played and gave ourselves a chance after that horrendous start to the game. … What we did learn, though, is we’re a pretty good team. We can play with anybody.”
Sophomore point guard Katie Fiso scored 22 of her game-high 24 points after halftime, including 11 in the third quarter after the Ducks trailed by 16 at the break. Ehis Etute added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Mia Jacobs finished with 16 points and Ari Long added 14.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
After beginning the season by winning six straight games, Northwestern (6-7, 0-2 Big Ten) comes to eugene on
OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY & DEPTH
The Oregon Ducks are showcasing impressive offensive efficiency this season, ranking 27th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten with 17.9 assists per game. They boast a 61.6 percent assisted shot rate, placing them sixth in the conference. UO also excels at the free-throw line, hitting 76.9 percent of their attempts (31st nationally), and maintain a solid assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.16 (45th nationally). The team’s effective field goal percentage of 52.1 percent positions them 10th in the league and in the top half nationally.
Oregon’s bench has proven to be a meaningful strength, contributing 56 points against Old Dominion on Nov. 27 – outscoring the entire Monarchs team. This marked the second game with 40-plus points from the reserves, following a 47-point performance against Montana on Nov. 8. The Ducks’ bench averages 27.1 points per game, ranking 50th in the nation, and has reached at least 30 points in four games.
STORM AND SWARM
Oregon’s defense is a cornerstone of their success, continuing a trend from the previous season. they have forced 20 or more turnovers in 11 games and recorded double-digit steals in 12 of 15 contests. This performance ties them for second-most games with 10+ steals nationally (behind Maryland) and fourth-most games with 20+ turnovers forced.Impressively, UO has achieved double-digit steals and 20+ forced turnovers in 11 games – tied for third-most in the country.
The Ducks’ defensive highlights include a season-high 32 turnovers forced against West Georgia (with 24 steals – their most as 2013). They began the season with four consecutive games forcing 20+ turnovers, their longest such streak since the 2010-11 season, and five straight games with 10+ steals. Oregon has had two separate stretches of at least three consecutive games forcing 22 or more turnovers.they are one of only four teams with 11 games forcing a minimum of 22 turnovers, and the only team in the Big ten.
Over the last four games, opponents have shot just 20.5 percent from three-point range. UO records a steal on 14.7 percent of opponent possessions (24th nationally, 3rd in the Big Ten) and forces turnovers on 25.3 percent of possessions (6th in the conference). Their scoring defense ranks 10th in the Big Ten and 85th nationally,allowing 58.9 points per game,with only five teams exceeding 60 points against them.
GO, FISO, GO
Sophomore point guard Katie Fiso has stepped into the starting role, taking over from graduated guards Deja Kelly and Peyton Scott.
Ducks Dominate: Spotlighting Jacobs, Bell, and Etute
oregon Women’s Basketball boasts a roster brimming with talent, and several players are consistently elevating their game. Here’s a look at the standout performances of Chance Jacobs, Sofia Bell, and Ehis Etute.
CHANCE MAKER
Junior guard Chance jacobs is a force to be reckoned with. Her 1,552 points rank 28th among active players and fifth among active players in the Big Ten. She is second on the team with four 20-point outings, most recently scoring 21 points against Portland, her 24th career 20-point effort.
Jacobs drilled a season-high five 3-pointers against Washington State on Nov. 19, going 4-for-5 from range in the second half of UO’s 86-59 victory.Her 30 made 3-pointers lead the team and are the second-most among Big Ten forwards (tied for No. 11 nationally among forwards).
Jacobs also excels at the free-throw line, going 12-of-13 against GCU – the most made free throws by a Duck since Sabrina Ionescu made 17 against Mississippi State on Dec. 18, 2018. Her free throw percentage of 84.8 is fifth-best in the nation among forwards with at least 50 made free throws and second in the Big Ten.
RING THE BELL
Junior guard Sofia Bell is a phenom on the court and in the classroom.Bell earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon after only two years and is already enrolled in an MBA program at UO. On the basketball court,she is a disruptor to opposing offenses and has developed into a knock-down 3-point shooter. The 6-foot Bell leads the team with 13 blocks and ranks second in made 3-pointers (25) and third in steals (26), recording at least one steal in 13 of 15 games this season with multiple steals in nine contests. On Dec. 7 at UCLA, her career-best 13-game stretch of consecutive games with a steal came to an end, dating back to last season. Bell has registered at least one steal in 46 of her 64 career games (71.9 percent), while finishing with multiple steals 25 times. Thirteen of her 30 career blocks have come this season after having just three over 28 games last year.
On the offensive end, she is shooting 37.9 percent from behind the 3-point line (25-of-66) and has drained multiple 3-pointers eight times. Her 15 points against Montana State on Dec. 14 tied her career high and marked the first time in her career she led the Ducks in scoring, becoming the seventh different player to lead UO in points this season. Bell is one of just eight players in the nation, and the only player in the Big Ten, to have at least 13 blocks while making at least 25 3-pointers.
EHIS THE BEAST
Sophomore forward Ehis Etute has begun to tap into her raw potential in her second season in Eugene. The Luxembourg product has scored in double figures in five of her last seven games, including setting a new career high in scoring in back-to-back games. etute first turned in 15 points to go with eight rebounds against Old Dominion on Thanksgiving Day before a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double off the bench at Auburn on Nov. 30. It marked Etute’s first double-double of her career while grabbing a career high in rebounds, going 7-of-10 from the floor. She scored nine points and hauled in 11 boards in the second half to help UO overcome a 14-point second-half deficit against the Tigers.