Men’s basketball
Point guard Chris Duarte had a standout senior season. Duarte came to Oregon from Northwest Florida State College before his junior year and has an impact on the court ever since. He was voted Pac-12 Player of the Year and International Player of the Year, and earned Jerry West Award honors as the best shooting guard in the nation. He was the third-leading scorer with 17.3 points per game. In addition, forward Eugene Omoruyi wrapped up his senior season as a Duck by making a big impact. Omoruyi averaged 16.7 points per game, and 5.3 rebounds. LJ Figueroa, another senior guard, averaged 12.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The Ducks also finished as the best three-point shooting team in the Pac-12.
The Ducks clenched their second straight Pac-12 regular season title with a 14-4 record in conference play, and an overall record of 21-6.
March Madness did not begin according to plan, as the Ducks’ first game was cancelled due to COVID-19 complications within VCU’s basketball team. The Ducks were eager to play though, and ultimately scrimmaged to maintain readiness for the next game to come.
The wait did not hinder the Ducks, as they went on to beat the No. 2 seed Iowa 95-80. The men went on to play in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019, but lost to USC, 82-68.
Erin Boley in action against Seattle in the season opener. Photo by Eric Evans.
Women’s basketball
This season was a large adjustment for the Ducks, who had to leave behind the disappointment of the cancelled 2020 NCAA tournament.
The dynamic trio of Ruthy Hebard, Sabrina Ionescu, and Satou Sabally graduated, without having the satisfaction of completing their last season. Morgan Yaeger and Minyon Moore also graduated, leaving an impact on the young team. Without these powerhouses, the Ducks had to adjust with nine newcomers, but were also impacted by multiple injuries throughout the season.
Erin Boley and Lydia Giomi both completed their final seasons for the Ducks and had a virtual senior night that celebrated their years with the team.
The Ducks advanced to the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament, but fell short to Oregon State. The team’s three-year Pac-12 championship run came to an end, with Stanford taking home the title.
The UO began the NCAA tournament against South Dakota, and with Boley—who surpassed the 1,000 point mark for her career this year—scoring a game-high 22 points, they dominated the game to win 67-47. In the second round, Oregon won against Georgia 57-50, sealing their ticket to the Sweet 16. In the following game though the Ducks faced Louisville, and lost 60-42.
Sedona Price, a redshirt sophomore forward, made waves this season, and scored 17 points in her first game. Nyara Sabally, a redshirt sophomore from Berlin, Germany, began her playing career for the Ducks the year after older sister Satou graduated from Oregon, and finished the regular season with 14 double-figure scoring games.
- by Riley Ovall, student associate