Katie Fiso Doesn't Hold Back After Oregon Defeats Virginia Tech in NCAA Tournament

Oregon Ducks guard Katie Fiso led the charge in the Ducks' 70-60 first-round NCAA Tournament win over the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Oregon guard Katie Fiso moves the ball up the court as the Oregon Ducks face the Washington Huskies on Feb. 15, 2026, at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle, Washington. | Alec Dietz/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team is moving on after a 70-60 win over the Virginia Tech Hokies in their first-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. With the Ducks leading the Hokies 35-29 at halftime, the Ducks ended up dominating coming out of the locker room, as an 18-0 scoring run in the second half helped Oregon to pull away and secure a double-digit victory over Virginia Tech. 

The Ducks have now opened the NCAA Tournament with a victory for the second consecutive season, and they will face the No. 1-seeded Texas Longhorns in the second round.

Oregon guard Katie Fiso puts up a shot during warmups as the Oregon Ducks face the Washington Huskies on Feb. 15, 2026, at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle, Washington. | Alec Dietz/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Three Oregon players scored in double figures for the Ducks in the win. It was guard Katie Fiso, however, who led the way for the Ducks, scoring 22 points, four assists, and three rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting from the field. 

Fiso also showed her skills on defense, recording two blocks and a steal against the Hokies. Her 22 points scored against Virginia Tech were the 11th time this season that she has scored 20-plus. Here’s what Fiso said about Oregon’s first-round win over Virginia Tech on Friday.  

What Katie Fiso Said After Oregon's Win

Oregon guard Katie Fiso chases down the ball as the Oregon Ducks host the Penn State Nittany Lions on Jan. 24, 2026, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How Oregon Prepared For Virginia Tech:  

“We keyed in a lot on the scout, we focused in on the scout before the game, knowing personnel, knowing who the shooter is, knowing who to close out on,” said Fiso. “Our rotations were key today, I think that’s what helped a lot to transition into offense, so our defense was great.”

18-0 Run In Second Half:

“We were keyed in, we were locked in, we knew this game wasn’t over until the last buzzer sound. It was intentional for us to lock in on defense, be in our rotations and push in transition, I think that was key to success today,” said Fiso.

Handling Pressure:

Oregon head coach Kelly Graves watches his team as the Oregon Ducks host the Penn State Nittany Lions on Jan. 24, 2026, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“We knew what we had to do, we knew this was going to be a tough matchup, and like I said, it wasn’t going to be over until the last buzzer. We were confident in our preparation work. We did a lot of prep work. Shoutout to the coaches and our coaching staff, they helped us a lot to be prepared for this game. I think it was a matter of just doing it and seeing it on the floor,” said Fiso.

What Worked Well With Oregon Defense:

“Our flying around our intensity, knowing that if I get beat, someone has my back, that’s just what we hang our hats on, our defense, our rotations, having each other's back, it was key for us to do that,” said Fiso. 

How Big Ten Play Prepared Ducks For NCAA Tournament:

“That’s what the Big Ten prepared us for. I feel like the Big Ten is one of the best conferences in this country. All those hard games, all those lows, we learned from those lows, and that’s why we were able to push through these 40 minutes, staying high, we wanted to be this great team, and to do that, we got to play all 40 minutes, that was really key and intentional for us this game,” said Fiso.

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