Following a disappointing loss Wednesday that saw the Oregon women’s basketball team blow a 10-point second-half lead at Nebraska, the Ducks will look to finish the home slate of their regular season strong Sunday against Rutgers at Matthew Knight Arena.
The Ducks (18-9, 9-7 Big Ten Conference), despite carrying a solid record, rank just outside the top half of the 18-team Big Ten and need two wins to close their regular season, against Rutgers and next Sunday, March 2, on the road versus Washington, to strengthen their NCAA Tournament case.
Following the Ducks’ loss to Nebraska, coach Kelly Graves implored fans on KUGN radio to show out for their regular-season home finale this Sunday against the Scarlet Knights.
“We need our Duck fans to come out,” Graves said. “This is a pretty good team, they’re fun to watch, we need people to come out and support this group because I think they deserve it and I think our fans really do help. I think they really do help.”
Oregon, which currently sits 10th in the Big Ten standings, would have to play a first-round conference tournament game against the No. 15 seed, which is currently Northwestern, if the standings hold. If the Ducks manage to move up into the top nine, they would get a first-round bye and start the tournament March 6.
A look at Rutgers women’s basketball
Though the Scarlet Knights (10-17, 2-14) might not have the best resume, Graves was complimentary of a squad that can fill it up with the best in the conference on the offensive end. Rutgers ranks near the bottom of the Big Ten in most metrics, but guards Kiyomi McMiller and Destiny Adams both rank in the top 10 in individual scoring in the conference.
McMiller, a freshman, has been sidelined at various points this season, whether it be disciplinary or injury-related, but averages 18.7 points per game over 21 games played. Adams has stepped up when McMiller has been out of the lineup and has averaged 17.4 points per game while also hauling in 9.5 rebounds per game.
“They’re a formidable team,” Graves said. “I know their record doesn’t look like it but they played a lot of teams really tough and if that one elite scorer plays, they’re a different team. They’re a big-time team. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Despite massive scoring production from their guard pair, the Scarlet Knights have struggled mightily in conference play. They rank outside the top 100 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, meaning Sunday’s game will be a quadrant three contest for the Ducks.
Oregon women’s basketball’s NCAA Tournament, March Madness resume
The Ducks have stayed pat in the NET rankings in recent weeks over the ups and downs of their conference season and on Friday sat at No. 39 in the rankings with two games left to play.
Oregon has 3-7 in quadrant one games, 3-2 in quadrant two games, and undefeated (12-0) in quadrant three and four games. A No. 39 ranking in the NET roughly corresponds to a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, meaning the Ducks are on the bubble, and likely will remain on the bubble until selection day following the Big Ten Tournament.
No. 5 UCLA, No. 6 USC, No. 19 Ohio State, No. 20 Michigan State, No. 25 Michigan, No. 27 Maryland, No. 29 Iowa, No. 31 Illinois, No. 33 Minnesota and No. 38 Nebraska are all ranked higher in the NET rankings than the Ducks.
How to watch Oregon women’s basketball vs. Rutgers
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TV channel: None
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Streaming: B1G+
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Radio: KUGN (590 AM, 98.1 FM), KPAM (860 AM, Portland), KYKN (1430 AM, Salem)
Oregon women’s basketball vs. Rutgers game time
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Date: Sunday, Feb. 23
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Start time: 2 p.m.
Oregon women’s basketball vs. Rutgers predictions, picks, odds
The ESPN Analytics matchup predictor gives Oregon a 91.2% chance to beat Rutgers.
Oregon women’s basketball 2024-25 schedule
Upcoming games
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon women’s basketball vs. Rutgers: How to watch
