Maryland women’s basketball’s challenge of ranked opponents didn’t go the way it would have liked and head coach Brenda Frese would have hoped. The struggling Terps have lost three straight and four of their last five, including their most recent in heartbreaking overtime fashion.
Due to its recent results, Maryland faces what many would consider a “must-win” game against a beatable opponent in Oregon at home. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network and will be announced at 5 p.m.
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Oregon Ducks (16-7, 4-6 Big Ten)
After a successful 9-1 stretch in non-conference play, losing only to Stanford, the Ducks took a step back in Big Ten play. Head coach Kelly Graves is in his 12th season at the helm at Oregon, where he has had success in the Pac-12, and also led the Ducks to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed in his first season in the Big Ten.
The Ducks arrive in College Park off the back of two straight wins over conference bottom dwellers in Rutgers and Penn State.
Players to watch
Katie Fiso, sophomore guard, 5-foot-11, No. 2 — Fiso took a big step forward, going from being a non-factor in his first year to becoming the team’s primary offensive option. She averages over 15 points per game as an efficient downhill scorer, capable of drawing defenses and making smart passes to her teammates. Fiso is second in the conference with 6.9 assists per game.
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Mia Jacobs, senior forward, 6-foot-2, No. 1 — Jacobs is one of the shooters Fiso likes to involve in the offense. After three years at La Salle and Fresno State, the Australian native made his jump to the Big Ten, shooting nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc and averaging 14 points per game.
Ehis Etute, second-year forward, 6 feet, No. 35 — Etute does much of Oregon’s dirty work, averaging 9.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Similar to Fiso, she took a big step forward from minor contributor to regular starter this season. Etute had one of the best games of his freshman year against Maryland last season, scoring 14 points.
Strength
Ball movement. Led by Fiso, Oregon plays very unselfish basketball, averaging 18.1 assists per game. The ball moves early and often on offense and tries to find shooters on the perimeter or cutters to the basket. This will be a good chess match against Maryland’s length and activity in the passing lanes.
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Weakness
Late game execution. Oregon suffered a couple of heartbreaking double overtime losses, against Michigan and Wisconsin. The only team to really blow out the Ducks was UCLA, and their record probably isn’t indicative of the quality of their team. Much of this can be attributed to the relative inexperience of their top players, especially in the Big Ten.
Three things to watch out for
1. Cancer awareness. Saturday’s game will be Ovarian Cancer Awareness Night in Maryland. Former Terp goalkeeper Vicki Brick-Zupancic died in April 2025 after a long battle with illness.
2. The Terps try to even the score. Maryland picked up its first-ever win against the Ducks when visiting Eugene last season, bringing the head-to-head to 1-2. The Terps will look to remain undefeated against the Ducks since joining the Big Ten and reaching the all-time series 2-2.
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3. Welson Availability. Rainey Welson has been out of the lineup for the last three games after suffering a concussion against UCLA. Unfortunately for her and Maryland, the injury came as she was starting to get back into her rhythm, and the Terps desperately needed all the guard help they could get.
