Ducks & Beavers Move Up in Latest AP Poll, Setting Up Top Ten Showdown in the Civil War Series
The Oregon Ducks went 2-0 last week as they hammered Stanford 87-55 and then destroyed California 105-55. With the two dominate wins the Ducks moved up from No.6 to No.4 in the latest AP poll.
Meanwhile the Beavers split games with the Bay Area schools last week beating California 81-44 and then dropping a close one to Stanford 61-58. With the split the Beavers moved up from No. 8 to No. 7.
This sets up two must see match-ups between the schools over the weekend as Oregon will host Oregon State on Friday from Matthew Night Arena. Tip off is set for 7 pm and it will be on the PAC-12 network. Just two days after that Oregon State will host Oregon from Gill Coliseum at 1 pm and it will air on ESPN2.
Both schools will be fighting for not just the top spot in the PAC-12, but for the No.1 seed in the west region of the tournament which would mean playing potential Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games in the NCAA Portland regional.
The Beavers will have to slow down Oregon superstar Sabrina Ionescu who just earned her second Pac-12 Player of the Week honor this season and 10th in her career. Ionescu scored a career-high 37 points and had 11 rebounds and seven assists in Oregon’s 87-55 win over Stanford, during which she broke UO’s all-time career scoring record. She also notched her 10th double-double of the season and 48th of her career with 14 points and 10 assists in a 105-55 win over Cal.
Oregon will have to try to contain Beavers guard Destiny Slocum who is averaging 15 points per game and went off for 21 points in the 1st half against Stanford. The Beavers have not lost a season series to Oregon since 2009-10.
It should be a fantastic weekend of Women’s hoops in the Willamette Valley as both games are sold out setting up an electric atmosphere.