Sabrina Ionescu sets NCAA mark for triple-doubles in Oregon’s win over Washington
EUGENE, Ore. – With six turnovers in the first half, Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu wasn’t giving the notion of another triple-double a single thought.
It took a while for it to sink in after the fact, too.
Ionescu set an NCAA record with her eighth career triple-double to lead No. 10 Oregon to a 94-83 victory over Washington on Sunday.
She had 24 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists to help the Ducks (13-2, 2-0 Pac-12) to their fifth consecutive win. She broke the mark in her 48th career game with an assist on Lexi Bando’s 3-pointer with 1:47 to play.
“It’s pretty surreal to be honest,” Ionescu said. “I don’t think I’ve really realized that I just broke it, but I’m just happy that we won and got better.”
Penn State’s Suzie McConnell and Louella Tomlinson of Saint Mary’s shared the mark with Ionescu until Sunday. It was Ionescu’s fourth triple-double in 15 games this season.
“As long as we continue to win, that’s what’s important to me,” she said. “The triple-doubles just come.
“Coach (Kelly Graves) was joking that I almost got a quadruple-double with my (seven) turnovers, so maybe I should have turned it over a little more and set another record.”
Ruthy Hebard added 23 points and 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season, and Bando had 20 points.
Amber Melgoza had 23 of her 31 points in the final quarter for the Huskies (6-7, 0-2). Hannah Johnson and Jenna Moser each had 12.
Ionescu, who ranks fifth in the nation in three-point shooting at 51.8 percent, was 6 of 18 beyond the arc and 8 of 23 overall. However, eight of her 14 rebounds came on the offensive end.
“She didn’t shoot it particularly well,” Graves said, “but competitors like her find a way to get it done, and she made the plays late that kind of sealed it.
“I’m honored to be her coach. She’s this way every day in practice, too. She never has an off day in terms of attitude, intensity and hard work.”
Washington overcame a poor start by shooting 27 of 47 (57.4 percent) over the final three quarters, including 11 3-pointers. The Huskies trailed by double digits until Melgoza’s jumper pulled them within nine at 73-64 in the final quarter.
“They smacked us in the mouth the first quarter a little bit,” first-year Washington coach Jody Wynn said, “and then we settled down and played really, really hard.
“I’m just proud of how we played and that we didn’t quit and didn’t lay down, because it’s easy to quit against a team that’s so explosive offensively.