By Zach Carver
Oregon wraps up a weekend in California as the Ducks look to steal an in-conference win from unranked Cal on Sunday. As of Jan. 18, the Golden Bears sit at seventh in the conference, while the Ducks are eighth. Leaving Berkeley with a win could help Oregon jump past Cal, depending on the outcomes of each team’s Friday night games. Both teams enter the weekend with a losing record in Pac-12 play. It is fair to say each team will look to bring their best in a game that holds a lot of significance in terms of the current Pac-12 standings.
Through 17 games, the Golden Bears are averaging 70 points per game on 40.7% efficiency from the field. This low percentage puts them 11th in the conference in field goal percentage. Luckily for Cal, Oregon isn't much better with its 41.4% shooting. Despite not being a great three-point shooting team, Cal takes about 42% of its shots from behind the line. Cal has yet to lose a game this season while shooting under 20 threes. The Ducks would be wise to allow the Golden Bears to sling it from deep, although you certainly can’t leave them open. Cal’s leading scorer on the year is guard Ioanna Krimili at 15.5 per game. Although in the last two games she has made just one three-pointer, Krimili hit over 47% from deep in the previous six games. Preventing Krimili from getting hot beyond the arc is crucial in not allowing the Golden Bears to reach their offensive potential. Another key for Oregon is to not allow guard Leilani McIntosh to control the game with the ball in her hands. McIntosh ranks second in the conference in assists per game at 5.9.
Oregon allows the least amount of free throw attempts per game in the Pac-12, something that will certainly keep many crucial points off the board against a team that connects on 76% of free throws. This game will likely be a close one, and the ability to keep the Golden Bears away from the foul line could end up being what gives Oregon the win.
The Ducks certainly have a height advantage over Cal. Junior Phillipina Kyei is posting a monstrous 12 rebounds a game in conference play this season. Don’t be surprised if Kyei puts up another double-digit rebound game against the Golden Bears this Sunday night. Kyei has been a force in recent games for Oregon. She has put up a double-double for three consecutive games while also averaging over two blocks during that same span. This matchup against Cal possibly indicates another huge performance by Kyei. While Kyei looks to take care of business in the paint, forward Grace VanSlooten and guard Chance Gray will be the main sparks on the offensive side of the floor. Gray averages nearly 14 points a game while hitting on 41.2% of her threes in Pac-12 play this season. She has made her presence felt this season by hitting double figures in points in all but two games this season. The Golden Bears have another lethal scorer to worry about on Sunday, Duck’s leading scorer Grace VanSlooten. VanSlooten has averaged almost 19 points per game in the last three games on an impressive 46% from the field.
Sunday’s game certainly looks to be in the hands of the Ducks, as they possess the height advantage and two offensive stars to compliment their towering centers. Heading back to Eugene with a win over Cal would be huge for Oregon as they start to settle in for their matchup against No. 20 Utah on Jan. 26. Defeating Cal would be huge for the Ducks in the Pac-12 standings, and provide the necessary confidence and momentum for their difficult upcoming games.