No. 8 Oregon routs No. 15 Oregon State for 24th win in row
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - Te-Hina Paopao scored 22 points, Taylor Mikesell had 21 and No. 8 Oregon beat No. 15 Oregon State 79-59 on Sunday for its 24th consecutive victory.
Mikesell and Paopao combined to make eight of the Ducks' nine 3-pointers in the first half and scored 15 points apiece to help Oregon (5-0, 3-0 Pac-12) take a 45-24 lead. The Beavers (3-2, 1-2) never got closer than 18 points in the second half.
Oregon has won five of the past six matchups against Oregon State. It was the largest margin of victory for Oregon in the series since an 82-58 win during the 2004-05 season.
'œIt was just a good victory,'ť Oregon coach Kelly Graves said. 'œThe Beavers don't lose like this very often here at home.'ť
Taylor Jones led the Beavers with 14 points. Scoring leader Aleah Goodman was held to seven points.
A 13-2 Oregon run to end the second quarter was the decisive stretch in the game.
'œYou want to go into halftime with some momentum,'ť Goodman said. 'œSo to be on the opposite end of that was difficult.'ť
Oregon made 12 of 24 3-pointers to 3 of 19 for the Beavers.
Mikesell, a junior guard transfer from Maryland, was 5 of 8 on 3-pointers. Paopao connected on 4 of 5 from behind the arc.
'œMy teammates were finding me, and they were going in so I was going to keep shooting,'ť Mikesell said.
The long-range shooting prowess continues to be a strength for Oregon.
'œI kept saying it's one of the best shooting, if not the best shooting team I've ever had,'ť Graves said. 'œWe showed it I think tonight.'ť
BIG PICTURE
Oregon: The Ducks continue to forge a new identity in the post-Sabrina Ionescu era. So far so good. Oregon has the size, speed and versatility to repeat as Pac-12 champions. Erin Boley is the only starter back on a team that produced three top-10 picks in the 2020 WNBA draft, including the first and second overall picks in Ionescu (New York Liberty) and Satou Sabally (Dallas Wings).
Oregon State: The Beavers are one of eight teams in the nation to reach the Sweet 16 in the last four NCAA tournaments, but this team has a long way to go to continue that streak. The Beavers miss the ballhandling skills of senior point guard Destiny Slocum, a two-time all-Pac-12 selection who transferred to Arkansas after the 2019-20 season. Sophomore post Kennedy Brown is still recovering from a torn ACL that caused her to miss the final nine games last season.
UP NEXT
Oregon: At Washington on Saturday.
Oregon State: At Washington State on Saturday.