The Oregon Ducks are off to a red-hot start this season, and on Sunday, they delivered their biggest statement yet. Down by 14 points early in the third quarter on the road against previously unbeaten Auburn, Oregon leaned on its rising sophomore stars - Katie Fiso and Ehis Etute - to mount a comeback that kept their perfect record intact.
And what a comeback it was.
The Ducks closed the game on a 34-15 run to stun the Tigers 58-53 at Neville Arena. Fiso and Etute were at the heart of the rally, combining to score 28 of Oregon’s 34 second-half points in what was arguably the best performance of their young careers.
“Seriously, I’m on cloud nine, man. This was a great win,” Oregon head coach Kelly Graves said postgame.
“We just beat an SEC team on their home floor. We’ve just got to keep this thing going.”
Fiso was electric down the stretch, pouring in 13 of Oregon’s 18 fourth-quarter points and finishing with a career-high 24. She hit tough pull-ups, got to the rim, and even knocked down her second three-pointer of the game - a shot that gave the Ducks a seven-point cushion with three minutes left. Not bad for someone who came into the game without a single made three on the season.
Etute, meanwhile, was a force in the paint. She tallied her own career-highs with 16 points and 15 rebounds, shooting an efficient 7-of-10 from the field. Her rebounding was relentless, and Graves didn’t hold back in his praise.
“Absolutely incredible,” he said. “It felt like she was getting every rebound.”
The duo’s dominance was undeniable - they combined for 40 of Oregon’s 58 points. Mia Jacobs also chipped in with 10, most of which came in the first half, and added nine boards of her own. But it was Fiso and Etute who turned the tide when the Ducks needed it most.
The first half told a different story. Auburn used its physicality and size to build a nine-point halftime lead and stretched it to 14 just after the break.
Oregon looked outmatched early, but they didn’t fold. Instead, they responded with grit, energy, and a few timely stops that flipped the momentum.
“We didn’t hang our head. We didn’t give up.
We had every reason,” Graves said. “It was a tough road trip - planes, trains and automobiles.
We’ve been on the road for an entire week, and to be down 14 like that and find something within us to pull it out... I couldn’t be more proud.”
Oregon’s defense tightened up in the second half, holding Auburn to just 8-of-27 shooting after the break. The Ducks also won the battle on the glass (41-32), doubled up the Tigers in steals (10-5), and dominated in transition with a 21-9 edge in fastbreak points.
Starting wings Ari Long and Sofia Bell didn’t do much scoring - just four points combined on 2-of-10 shooting - but their defensive presence was felt. They combined for five steals and helped disrupt Auburn’s rhythm, especially late in the game.
“We finally get stops,” Graves said. “We were able to get stops with tips and recoveries, and then we had some easier run outs. We started to get some layups.”
The turning point came midway through the fourth quarter when Fiso drove in for a layup that gave Oregon its first lead since the opening frame. From there, the Ducks never trailed again. Auburn was forced to foul late, and Fiso and Etute calmly hit three of their final four free throws to seal the win.
This 9-0 start marks Oregon’s best beginning to a season since 2015-16 - the year before Sabrina Ionescu arrived and helped elevate the program to national prominence. Now, with a young core finding its rhythm, the Ducks look like a team that’s ready to write its own chapter.
Next up: a rivalry showdown at home against Oregon State. And after a long week on the road, the Ducks are more than ready to be back in Eugene.
“I’m just happy to get back home, to be honest with you,” Graves said. “It seems like we’ve been on the road forever.
I love the South, but I don’t want to spend more time here than I have to. So, let’s get back to the great Northwest.
This was fun. This was really fun.”