Over the last four years, it’s been one of the most competitive and fiercest women’s basketball rivalry this state has ever seen.
The annual Oregon-Oregon State match-up entered a new era Sunday afternoon and so far, it’s the Ducks who appear to be the best of the Willamette Valley.
Te-Hina Paopao had a career-high 22 points and Taylor Mikesell added 21 as the No. 8 Ducks easily defeated No. 15 Oregon State to the tune of a 79-59 final score.
Although those two new guards were the only Ducks in double figures, Oregon managed to have 11 different players enter the scoring column.
Paopao and Mikesell worked their magic early and often in the first half. The two combined to hit eight of the Ducks’ nine three-pointers in the first 20 minutes of action. Overall, Oregon hit nine from long distance in the first half and 12-of-24 for the game.
Oregon held a commanding 45-24 lead at halftime and cruised from there.
“This is a good victory” said Oregon head coach Kelly Graves after the game.
“The Beavers don’t lose like this very often here at home.”
While the Ducks’ offensive game was on-point, it was the defense that caught Graves’ eye and impressed him the most.
“What we wanted to do was to take away the three-game and they made just thee tonight,” Graves said.
“When you can hold these guys to just three then you’re doing your job. We played them straight up on the interior, we didn’t help or double down.”
Most of those defensive assignments went to 6-5 post Nyara Sabally, who made Taylor Jones and Jemela Mitrovic earn everything they got. Jones and Mitrovic did score 14 and 11, respectively, but that was it as for the Beavers offensive output.
Oregon held Beaver sharp-shooter Aleah Goodman to just seven points and just 2-of-5 from long distance. OSU was just 3 of 19 from behind the arc and 21-of-59 (36 percent) from the field.
This might have been Oregon’s most complete game of the year.
While the defense was getting after it, when Paopao and Mikesell are shooting like they did early on, the Ducks are going to be tough to beat down the road.
“I thought Te-Hina controlled that first half. It was such a tremendous job and the nice thing is we have a good bench that can come in and give her some rest,” Graves said. “We don’t drop off a lot, but boy was she on tonight. Her and Mikesell had great synergy and shot it well.”
Paopao was 9-of-15 from the field and Mikesell was 8-of-14. As a team, the Ducks did shot just 44 percent, but when you make 12 from long range, it makes you tough to beat.
Oregon will remain on the road next weekend when the Ducks go to Seattle to take on the Huskies Dec. 19 and then it’s off to the Palouse Dec. 21 to play the Cougars.
POST GAME; KELLY GRAVES DISCUSSES ROAD WIN OVER OREGON STATE