Sports

Facing their highest-ranked opponent so far, the Oregon Ducks (6-5, 0-2 Big Ten) men’s basketball faced the seventh-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-1, 0-0 WCC) a few hours up the road at the Moda Center in Portland.

Spreading the ball early has been Oregon’s game plan throughout the year, but with little consistent success. Against the Bulldogs, the offense clicked early as each starter contributed one make to the 12-point total after the first five minutes of action.

A 3-pointer each from Jackson Shelstad and Nate Bittle cashed, as well as a self-created dunk from Kwame Evans, which seemed like early sparks for the Ducks.

The big man battle of Bittle and Gonzaga redshirt junior Braden Huff got off to hot starts; both led their team in scoring through the first half.

“He’s a really skilled player,” Huff said of Bittle. “Can shoot it really well, good post-game and then defensively he’s really big in there.”

The senior center and Oregon native led the way…

For the first time in history, the first round of the College Football Playoff visited Eugene. 

The Oregon Ducks (13-1, 8-1 Big Ten, fifth seed CFP) defeated the Sun Belt Conference champion James Madison University (12-2, 8-0 SBC, 12th seed CFP) 51-34 for their first-ever meeting in Autzen Stadium on December 20, 2025.

 “I think we started off hot. Ultimately, we can be better,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said. 

“This wasn't an acceptable performance in the second half…Very disappointed. We got complacent and comfortable,” Oregon defensive coordinator and newly-hired Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi added. 

After electing to receive the opening kickoff, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore connected with tight end Jamari Johnson for a leaping 41-yard, one-handed touchdown catch to open scoring, going up 6-0 after a missed two-point conversion. 

Following the opening drive, the Ducks' offense would continue to rack up scores on the…

Plenty of talented quarterbacks have come through Oregon in the last few decades, including NFL first-round picks like Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, and the legendary Heisman winner Marcus Mariota.

“Now he’s at the point where he’s making plays on the field similar to what Bo did and what Dillon [Gabriel] did towards the end,” offensive coordinator Will Stein said of his current quarterback, Dante Moore. “He can anticipate the play calls, I feel like we’re really in sync.”

Moore is going to be the next on that list and has been making a case to be the most talented quarterback that Duck fans have seen since Mariota’s 2014 season. 

The flashes are there, a dual threat with a true cannon for a right arm. If you watched only the highlights, you would be left with the impression that this is already an NFL-level quarterback. 

However, the thing about Moore is that he looks like a pro on almost every other play, too. With few things left to perfect, he very…

Coming off a rebound win on Sunday, Oregon women’s basketball (12-1) looked to start a new win streak against the Portland Pilots (5-6). In the second-to-last game before conference play for the Ducks, they forced 24 turnovers and had two players record double-doubles to set them up 

Early in the first quarter, the Ducks applied some of their best full-court defense to the Pilots, forcing four early turnovers en route to seven in the first quarter that allowed them to jump out to a 7-0 lead. 

Katie Fiso led the charge for Oregon offensively early on, scoring seven points on 3-for-4 shooting, while grabbing three rebounds and a steal. It was a nice bounce-back for her, having scored just 10 points in the Ducks’ previous contest.

On Portland’s side, they shot just 23 percent while hitting the foul limit and grabbing 12 boards, four of which were corralled by Rhyan Mogel.

The second quarter started with a bang, as Oregon went on a 9-0 run to extend…

EUGENE, Ore. — On Sunday, December 14th, the Oregon Duck Women’s basketball team (10-1) defeated the Montana State Bobcats (6-2). Oregon’s key players in this game were Katie Fiso, Ari Long, and Sofia Bell, with a combined 35 points. The Ducks won every statistical category against the Bobcats, including the rebound and turnover battle, which led to a 69-44 win for the Ducks to move to 11-1 on the season.

Coming off an 80-59 loss to UCLA, the Ducks look to come back with a win and establish momentum.

Oregon started off slow in the first minute but found a rhythm the rest of the first quarter, shutting down on defense, only allowing Montana to shoot 25 percent from the field and forcing eight turnovers in the first ten minutes.

The Bobcats were aggressive, especially on defense, establishing a full-court press. However, the Ducks were still able to run the offense efficiently. Oregon’s offense was fueled by 3-pointers and drawing fouls. The Ducks went 11-for-13…

EUGENE, Ore. — Australian native and senior transfer forward Mia Jacobs surpassed 1,500 points Sun, Dec 7th, against UCLA, in the Ducks’ first loss of the season.

Jacobs started her basketball journey in Perth, Western Australia, and transferred after high school to La Salle University in Pennsylvania. After showing lots of potential in her freshman season, she transferred to Fresno State, where she started for two years. She was named first-team All-Mountain West in 2024-25 after leading her team with 18.3 points. Jacobs has integrated seamlessly into the Ducks, becoming a veteran leader and is tied for the team lead with 22 three pointers, which is good for second among all Big Ten forwards.

1,500 points is quite the feat. Jacobs became the 32nd active player in the NCAA with 1,500 points. She is no stranger to the 3-ball, as she shot 36.4% and 38% her two previous seasons. At…

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. — It was a successful first home game of the 2025 season for Cottage Grove girls basketball (2-0) as the Lions ran visiting Scio (0-2) out of town Friday by a 30-point margin.

Senior point guard Mariah Bailey earned player of the game honors for the second time in as many contests after a 27-point scoring performance, including 23 points in the second half.

Bailey was coming off a game in which she broke the 4A state record for 3-pointers made in a single game, hitting nine on Tuesday at Newport.

“I felt pretty good. I had a slow start, but I’m in a new role this year. Last year, I was just a shooting guard, but this year I’m a point guard, so I kind of have to do everything,” Bailey said. “I have to facilitate; my coaches want me to score. I felt great. I’m really proud of this team.”

Forward Makya Alsup, the other half of the senior scoring tandem, was dominant in the paint, finishing with 18 points while leading the team with 11 at…

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. — An additional four minutes gave Cottage Grove (0-2) a chance to lift itself to a victory on its home opening night, but instead, that chance turned to defeat Friday as the Lions fell to Scio (1-1) 62-56.

Lions point guard Tai Lam left the gym having scored 16 points. His biggest shot was a hit from long range in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter to even the game up at 54-54.

This was the final field goal Cottage Grove would score for the remainder of the game and throughout overtime. The Lions were outscored 8-2 by the Loggers in the extra frame, recording their pair of points on two free throws, the first and last points of the period.

“We never quit. Tai hit a big shot to send it into overtime and give us another shot,” head coach Seth Hutchinson said. “But, in overtime, we couldn't execute, and weren’t disciplined enough and didn't capitalise on opportunities.”

The game never got too far out of the grasp of either side. The…

COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. — Trailing by 17 points midway through the third quarter in the final game of the regular season, hope for a playoff berth seemed to be fading inside Cottage Grove’s boys basketball huddle. The game was essentially a win-or-go-home scenario for the Lions, playing on the road against a North Bend team without much at stake other than its seniors. A switch flipped, and so did the game. The final shot rang off the rim and, with the sound of the buzzer, the Lions had done it, 59-58.

The 2024-25 season for Cottage Grove boys basketball was one that went through peaks and valleys. The Lions began the year 0-3, then won six of their next nine games and finished February with one wild comeback.

“I was proud of the guys for battling through. We had to come back at North Bend, and they showed some grit and some tenacity in that game,” Cottage Grove head coach Seth Hutchinson said. “We pulled one out, and we gave ourselves a chance in the postseason.”

…

EUGENE, Ore. -- Coming off a gritty 58-53 win over the Auburn Tigers, the University of Oregon Women’s Basketball team returned home to host a storied Pacific Northwest rivalry with the Oregon State Beavers. Entering into the 49th matchup of the series, Oregon State led the all-time record 28-20, with the first-ever game being played all the way back in 2002.​

Oregon went into this game at a perfect 9-0, marking the first time the team has started undefeated since the 2015-16 season. Oregon State stepped into Matthew Knight Arena, donning a 5-3 record with tough losses to Virginia Tech, 17th-ranked Vanderbilt, and Colorado State.

​The Oregon defense opened the game with an active performance in the first quarter, allowing it to continue putting an almost complete stop on the Oregon State offense throughout the first half. The Ducks created nine turnovers and capitalized on offense with 22 points off those turnovers. 

The dynamic duo of senior forward Mia…