In a highly charged game filled with 41 combined fouls and 39 combined turnovers, the No. 23 Oregon women's basketball team showcased their tenacity and determination. The Ducks, with a record of 6-0, managed to pull out a hard-fought win against Auburn, 70-68. Center Phillipina Kyei led the way with a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds in her first start of the season, while guard Peyton Scott contributed 13 points. Auburn, on the other hand, was led by the sharp-shooting Taliah Scott with 28 points, including seven three-pointers.Coach's Perspective
Oregon coach Kelly Graves expressed his satisfaction with the gritty win. "Now I know what Dan Lanning felt like back there in Madison," he said. "Gritty wins are hard to come by, but really rewarding. Good win against a NCAA tournament team from the SEC. … Got some work ahead of us, but this was a heck of a game. Two heavyweights. I don’t think either team played their best tonight, both teams with a lot of turnovers, but pretty good defense and we’ve got to clean up a couple of the errors we made."First Quarter Struggles
Both teams got off to a sloppy start, committing 16 turnovers and 11 fouls combined in the first quarter alone. Auburn took an early lead, 12-9, thanks to their relentless defensive pressure that troubled the Ducks. The Oregon offense struggled to find its rhythm in the opening quarter, but they were determined to turn things around.Second Quarter Comeback
The Oregon offense came alive in the second quarter, finding success in transition and getting easy buckets. Peyton Scott led the way with smooth midrange jumpers, finding teammates like Amina Muhammad and Kyei for open layups. A 9-0 run for Oregon gave them a 29-19 lead, but Auburn refused to let it linger. Taliah Scott hit back-to-back threes for the Tigers to cut the deficit to four. At halftime, the Ducks led, 33-27, shooting 54% including a blistering 73% in the second quarter.Third Quarter Challenges
Oregon came out strong in the third quarter, scoring a trio of transition baskets to make it 39-27. Auburn struggled to get back on defense and committed a litany of fouls in the process. However, the Ducks weren't clean either and entered foul trouble early in the quarter. The game was called unusually tight by officials, much to the chagrin of the fans at Matthew Knight Arena. Kyei imposed her will throughout the third quarter, working towards her double-double with consistent footwork and strength in the post. But the Ducks let Auburn creep back within six at the end of the third, as another three-pointer by Taliah Scott cut the Oregon lead to 50-44.Fourth Quarter Drama
Oregon didn't make a three-pointer until the fourth quarter, hitting two during the course of an 8-0 run that gave them a 58-47 lead. But Auburn would not go away, keeping the game tight down the stretch. Kyei was a force to be reckoned with, as the Ducks fed it inside to their towering center, and she scored plus the foul to make it 66-58 Oregon with 2:41 to go. Carried by the scoring ability of Taliah Scott, Auburn cut it to 66-63 with 51.2 seconds remaining. But Elisa Mevius' and-one layup electrified the crowd and gave Oregon a 69-63 advantage with 26.2 seconds left. The Ducks finished the job despite a late three-pointer from Taliah Scott off the turnover to bring the game to its final margin with 0.8 seconds on the clock.After the game, Graves lauded the resilience and ability of his team with nine newcomers. "That’s what I’ve been most impressed with," he said. "People forget we have nine new players, really 10 if you count Peyton (Scott) because she didn’t play last year. That’s not easy in this short a period of time, and look at our schedule. I look at a lot of teams just rolling up on people by 60, 70, 80 points, and we’re playing knock down, drag out games against big time competition. It’s making us better."Next game: No. 23 Oregon (6-0) vs. Georgia Tech (4-0) — Hawaii North Shore ShowcaseWhen: Monday, Nov. 25Time: 4 p.m. PTWhere: George Q. Cannon Activities Center — Laie, Oahu, HawaiiStreaming: BallerTVRadio: Oregon Sports Network
