Oregon hosts No. 12 Baylor on Sunday for a significant early-season test

EUGENE, Ore. – The Ducks have shown improved depth, shooting ability and defensive tenacity in two opening week wins, but Sunday’s game will provide the best benchmark yet.

The 12th-ranked Baylor Bears come to town this weekend, and while wins over Cal Baptist and Nevada provided encouraging signs and moments, the Ducks will have to compete with teams like this if they want to get back to the top.

“We just have to keep improving. I thought we maybe took a little step backwards from last night,” Graves said after Wednesday’s 75-58 win over Nevada. “We have a big game ahead of us on Sunday. We have a few days to prepare for it. We have to be a lot better on Sunday to beat Baylor. They’re obviously going to be a really, really good team.”

Veteran guard Peyton Scott doesn’t want the team to inflate the importance of Sunday’s game. The Bears, who defeated Incarnate Word 85-33 on Thursday night, will present a significant challenge, but one they believe the team cannot overcome.

“It’s super exciting for us and the community, but we’re not going to make it bigger than it is,” she said. “We’re going to focus on Oregon and take it day by day. We’ll enjoy this win, watch the film and move on. If the No. 12 Baylor team comes to our city, then we’ll take care of them.”

As a scouting report, Graves didn’t have much to offer. As of Wednesday evening, he said he hadn’t started preparing for this game. This, he said, would happen after Baylor made its season debut last night.

What he knew then is that this would be the biggest test yet.

“They brought back most of their staff and then added the center from Colorado.” [Aaronette Vonleh]“They will be a formidable opponent, but if we play well we can definitely win the game.”

When Incarnate Word went bankrupt, young player Darianna Littlepage-Buggs was a leader. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year two years ago scored 25 points and added six rebounds in an impressive debut. Vonleh scored 16 points in her first game with her new team, while Bella Fontleroy and Jada Walker nearly posted double-doubles. Fontleroy led the way with 14 rebounds, while Walker had 10 assists.

Littlepage-Buggs, Fontleroy and Walker each return after starting last year on the 26-8 team that lost to USC in Portland in the Sweet 16, and Sarah Andrews makes up the four-back starting at least 16 games in a season the starting eleven was.

Tipoff takes place on Sunday at 7 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena and can be viewed on the Big Ten Network.