No. 25 Oregon Ends Regular Season on High Note with 73-65 Win at Utah

Pregame

Guard Maddie Scherr was sidelined with an injury, so the Ducks went big and gave Sedona Prince the starting nod.

First Quarter

Oregon’s height made an impact right away. The Ducks went inside for the first two buckets: Nyara Sabally converted a three-point play, then Prince hit a layup. Sydney Parrish and Endyia Rogers joined in on the fun, combining for three quick three-pointers and a 16-3 Oregon lead after three minutes of play.

The roles switched after the first media timeout — Oregon went scoreless for six minutes, turning the ball over five times while Utah went on a 7-0 run.

The Ducks made their first six field goals, but missed their next 10 before Parrish hit a layup to keep Oregon ahead 18-10 after one.

Second Quarter

Sabally picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and only played five minutes in the first half. Center Phillipina Kyei came in and picked up the slack, scoring two quick layups to boost the Oregon lead to 11.

The Utes have relied on the three-point shot all season: they have made and attempted more threes than any other Pac-12 team while shooting a conference-best 35.8% from downtown.

Utah made just 1-12 three-point attempts in the first half, as Oregon’s strong start propelled it to a 38-22 halftime lead. Parrish led all scorers with eight points on two three-pointers, while Jenna Johnson led the Utes with six points.

Third Quarter

Both offenses were clicking to start the second half. Parrish hit a layup then facilitated another for Sabally. Utah’s Kennady McQueen knocked down a three and grabbed an assist as Utah cut Oregon’s lead to 44-32.

The Ducks found themselves in foul trouble, with five different players with at least two personal fouls. Utah took advantage. Johnson grabbed a three-pointer then found McQueen for another three, and the Duck lead was cut to eight.

Johnson went on a tear at the end of the third, scoring nine points in three minutes for a total of 17 points in the period. The Utes showed how dangerous they are when the three-ball is falling, cutting the Oregon lead to 54-51 after trailing by 16 at halftime.

Fourth Quarter

McQueen stripped Te-Hina Paopao and got a layup to kick off the fourth to make it a one-point margin, but Paopao came right back down the court and knocked down a three. Parrish avenged the turnover by grabbing her own steal and layup to give the Ducks some breathing room at 59-53.

Parrish was a force for the Oregon offense. She splashed her third and fourth triples of the game, taking advantage of the one-on-one looks the Utah defense offered her. Parrish led Oregon on a 14-2 run, while Utah reverted to its shooting slump from earlier in the game.

Oregon let its foot off the gas, and Utah snapped back with a 7-0 run capped off by a three-pointer from Dru Gylten.

The Ducks needed one last momentum swing, and they got it from Prince. She swatted a layup and assisted Sabally’s layup on the other side, and Oregon held on for the crucial 73-65 win.

Parrish finished the day with 18 points, 8 boards and 5 assists. She came into the game shooting just 25% from downtown in the month of February and she knocked down 4-8 on Saturday. Johnson notched a season-high 27 points in the loss.

With the win, Oregon clinches a first-round bye and the second seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, which begins on March 2. The Ducks will face either the No. 7 seed UCLA or the No. 10 seed USC on March 3 at 6:00 p.m. Oregon was 2-0 against the LA schools this season.

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