Sports

EUGENE, Ore. — A strong first-half performance by the Marist Catholic Spartans (14–5, 6–2 4A) propelled them to a dominant 58–23 win over the Cottage Grove Lions (5–15, 3–5 4A) at the Holy Dome on Tuesday night.

The Spartans did it while being without a pair of impact players. Both junior Bodey Drennan and sophomore Gabe Dietmeyer, a pair of guards, missed Tuesday night’s matchup with injuries. Marist junior forward Colton Boresek answered the call, headlining the outstanding team showing with 12 points.

“Early in the game, we were able to make a couple of 3s that opened things up,” Marist Catholic head coach Bart Pollard said. “We attacked the rim and were pretty effective in the first quarter, taking care of it, hitting shots, and finishing possessions.”

Sophomore guard Ryan Deloach led Cottage Grove in scoring with 11 points, following up his team-leading effort of 18 points from a week prior. But the big deficit in the first half was ultimately too tough a…

EUGENE, Ore. — Katelyn Shoemaker had 12 points as the Marist Catholic Spartans (14–4, 8–0 4A-4) secured a 54–35 home win against the Cottage Grove Lions (11–9, 3–5 4A-4) at the Holy Dome on Tuesday evening.

A combination of both offense and defense helped the Spartans extend their win streak to four games and remain undefeated in league play. The team is one win away from completing a three-game sweep of the Lions, having beaten them twice already this season.

“Defense and pressure, never let up,” Marist head coach Dwayne Tyner said. “Our intensity was awesome.”

Spartans’ senior Rowan De Lee hit a bank shot at the end of the first quarter as time expired. She finished the night with nine points.

Marist has caught fire at the perfect time, as they embark on a three-game road trip starting this Friday at Seaside (14–4).

“If the girls feel confident, then we’re going to have a chance to beat anybody,” Tyner said.

Mariah Bailey led the Lions in…

Eugene, Ore. — In Matthew Knight Arena on Sunday, the Oregon Ducks took on the No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes, going into this game with a drive after a win against Illinois. They were unable to keep their four-game win streak going with a devastating loss to the Buckeyes, 80-64. 

It was an explosive first quarter for the Oregon Ducks, who were down by nine halfway through the quarter but made a comeback with a 3-pointer from Ari Long, breaking a stretch of back-to-back scoring for the Buckeyes. Keeping that driving energy for the rest of the quarter with their offense, Oregon makes 10 points, ending the score of the quarter 22-18, Ohio State leading. 

Ohio State did not make it easy for the Ducks in the second quarter of the game. The Buckeyes went on a six-point run, as the Ducks struggled to keep up with their defense. It seemed like every time the Ducks got the ball, Ohio took it back and scored. Oregon tried to get some points back when Avary Cain stole the…

EUGENE, ORE. — The Oregon Ducks women's basketball team squared off against the ‌No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes in their seventh game against a top-25 opponent. The Ducks fell 80-64 to Ohio State, with their defense and 3-point shooting not enough to overcome the Buckeyes.

The Ducks now hold a record of 2-5 against ranked foes. They came into the matchup on a four-game winning streak. 

“We had a good week of practice,” head coach Kelly Graves said. “I think our kids really believe we’ve been playing well, having won four in a row, but yeah, we didn't have it tonight.” 

During the winning streak, Oregon has relied on paint scoring and defense from the sophomore forward from Luxembourg, Ehis Etute. She came into the game scoring 20-plus points in the team's last two outings. Etute has also collected nine or more rebounds in her last six games. 

Both teams…

The No. 5 Oregon Ducks softball team faced off against a tough No. 4 Tennessee Lady Volunteers team. Tennessee pulled out a 2-0 victory, aided by opportunistic hitting and masterful pitching. The game was broadcast on a tape delay on MLB Network, which speaks to how highly touted this top-five matchup was. Highlighted in the game was excellent pitching from both sides.

The Ducks started star right-handed pitcher Lyndsey Grein, who began her season the day before with a complete-game no-hitter. Tennessee started its own ace, Karlyn Pickens, who is one of the best pitchers in college softball. The matchup was truly best on best for both teams.

Tennessee jumped on Grein fast, loading the bases with two outs in the first inning before Vols first baseman…

EUGENE, OR — Bushnell Beacons women’s basketball returned to Dave Lipp Court after a loss to Southern Oregon University on Friday night to face the Oregon Tech Owls. Both teams came into Saturday afternoon fresh off a loss, with Oregon Tech falling to Corban University 70-60 the day prior. 

To start the first quarter, Beacons won the tip-off but quickly lost the ball to the Owls. Both teams started off with strong defense until senior Ayden Krupke made a layup, putting Bushnell on the board first. Oregon Tech followed with freshman Ayla Marston making a layup of her own. Throughout the rest of the period, the Beacons trailed the Owls by as many as five, ending the quarter 14-11. 

In the second quarter, the Owls scored first after Olivia Sprague was fouled by Ciena Tumoine, sending her to the line, where she made both free throws. Kenzi Pedersen of the Beacons followed with a layup, but they went scoreless for the next three minutes, down by seven until Dayvis…

The Oregon Ducks women's softball team took on the Liberty University Lady Flames on Saturday. The Ducks were able to overpower Liberty 10-2 behind two big home runs. This was the Ducks' third game of the NFCA Leadoff Classic, winning their first against Missouri and dropping their second against 13th-ranked Clemson.

Right-hander Taylour Spencer started the game for the Ducks. She saw her first action of the season in relief against Clemson, throwing two innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts to boot. Gabby Mike started for Liberty; she took the loss when they were defeated 9-4 by Clemson, where she pitched three innings of one-run ball.

The first three innings of the game only saw one hit by each team, as both pitchers were commanding the ball well. The Ducks threatened in the top of the…

It was a beautiful day in Clearwater, Fla., for some Oregon softball on Friday. On opening day, the Ducks took the win in the first game of their doubleheader against the Missouri Tigers by a final score of 3-0. With a tight game against the No. 12 Clemson Tigers, the No. 5 Oregon was not able to take the win in the second, falling 6-5 to close out opening day. 

The first game of the season began with a bit of a slow start, as no points were on the board for either team until the top of the sixth. Finally, the Ducks got the first score with Katie Flannery sacrificing a fly ball to left field for an RBI, enabling Ayanna Shaw to come home. After that first run, the Ducks just kept on going at the top of the seventh. Shaw doubled to left center, getting two RBIs as Addison Amaral scored from second and Kaylynn Jones from first.

Lyndsey Grein got 14 strikeouts for the game, a career high for her. Grein had an amazing seven-inning no-hitter against Missouri. Along with…

CLEARWATER, FL. — It was a beautiful opening day for Oregon softball as the No. 5 Ducks played a doubleheader, defeating the Missouri Tigers 3-0 earlier in the day before taking on the No. 12 Clemson Tigers to close out opening day. Senior pitcher Lyndsey Grein threw a no-hitter to open the Ducks’ season, setting a new career high with 14 strikeouts. Oregon, the reigning Big Ten champions, looked to continue its legacy heading into the new season but split the doubleheader, falling to Clemson 6-5 in the nightcap.

“Love how we came out and fought today, these guys were in it with their energy, you could see different people take on strain throughout both games,” head coach Melyssa Lombardi said. “I think the second game was tough. I think we were just a little up and down. And just a couple plays that made a difference.”

As the away team, Kaylynn Jones led off the game for Oregon but was retired on a groundout to first base. Clemson starting pitcher Lexie Hames struggled…

EUGENE, Ore. — A wave of pink flooded the stands and court at Matthew Knight Arena as Oregon women’s basketball faced the Illinois Fighting Illini during its Stomp Out Cancer game. Wearing pink-and-white jerseys, the Ducks also celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day, featuring an all-women broadcast crew. Oregon entered the matchup on a three-game winning streak following a 68–61 victory over Maryland last Saturday, and extended that streak with a 76–73 win over Illinois.

The game began with Katie Fiso scoring the first points on a layup. Following her basket, the Ducks jumped out to a seven-point lead before Illinois got on the board with a layup of its own.

Oregon maintained its offensive momentum in the first quarter, as Avery Cain knocked down a 3-pointer within her first minute in the game. While Illinois struggled from the field, Oregon shot efficiently, missing just three of its 14 attempts and closing the first quarter with a 23–14 lead.

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