EUGENE, Ore. — Deja Kelly showcased her skills by scoring 13 of her 20 points in the second half, and Elisa Mevius sealed the game with a crucial layup with just 22 seconds on the clock. The Oregon Ducks managed to avoid a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit, pulling off a thrilling 74-72 victory against No. 12 Baylor on Sunday night. This win marked the end of a 14-game losing streak for Oregon against ranked teams.
With this victory, Oregon improved to a 3-0 record, having faced Baylor only six times historically with a previous record of 1-5 against them. Last season, Oregon struggled against ranked teams, finishing 0-13, and this win against a Top-25 opponent was their first since defeating then-No. 14 Arizona 73-59 on February 23, 2023.
The comeback by Baylor began when Sarah Andrews and Yaya Felder both completed three-point plays in succession, fueling a 17-2 run that narrowed the gap to just 68-67 with 5:39 left in the game. After Phillipina Kyei scored a jumper and Kelly made two free throws, Oregon was able to create a bit of breathing room with a five-point lead. However, Baylor responded quickly with a three-pointer from Andrews and two foul shots from Jada Walker, followed by a tip-in from Aaronette Vonleh, giving Baylor its first lead of the second half at 74-72 with 1:28 left on the clock.
Kelly then tied the game at 74 by making a layup with one minute remaining. Following a missed layup by Andrews, Mevius skillfully drove from the left corner and, with support from the 6-foot-8 Kyei, she found space for a wide-open basket, establishing a lead for Oregon that they would not relinquish.
Leading the charge for Baylor was Walker, who scored 24 points. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs contributed significantly with 19 points and secured 10 rebounds, while Andrews added 13 points to the team’s totals.
Oregon’s Alexis Whitfield was instrumental in the first half, scoring 12 points on perfect shooting (5-of-5) and grabbing four rebounds. These efforts helped Oregon to a 35-27 lead at halftime. Baylor struck first in the second quarter with back-to-back layups from Walker and another from Littlepage-Buggs, which pushed them to a 25-20 advantage with 6:55 remaining in that period. However, Whitfield responded by leading an 11-0 run to close out the half, bringing momentum back to Oregon.
In terms of shooting statistics, Baylor struggled significantly, making only 29% of their attempts (10 of 35) from the field and connecting on just one of 10 three-point attempts. In contrast, Oregon shot a better 13 of 26 in the first half, despite the Bears utilizing their defensive pressure to score nine points off 10 turnovers from the Ducks, keeping the game competitive.
The Bears opened the second half with eight of the first ten points, pulling within two. Yet, Kelly quickly responded with a jumper, and Sofia Bell added a three-pointer, followed by another jumper from Kelly. She added one of two free throws, extending Oregon’s lead to ten points with 5:38 left in the third quarter. Nani Falatea capped off an 11-3 run with a three-pointer and a jumper, stretching the Ducks’ lead to 60-44 about five minutes later.