About six minutes into Saturday's UO women's basketball opener, guard Nia Jackson checked into the game for the first time, along with starting forward Ellie Manou. Twenty seconds of game clock later, Jackson was sprinting up the court and whistled a pass to Manou, who made a running layin while being fouled.
The Ducks' next field goal came three minutes later. Post Nicole Canepa was about four steps from the basket, a defender at her back. She lowered her shoulder, spun to her left and drove in for a score.
Jackson, Manou and Canepa are all true freshmen for the Ducks. Their class had a rousing debut in McArthur Court on Saturday afternoon, pouncing on San Jose State from the start and easily surviving a few missteps late for a 67-32 victory before 2,856 fans.
"We definitely came out with a lot more intensity than we did last game," Canepa said, referring the Ducks' second exhibition win, which required overtime. "We were really pumped up."
Canepa had 14 points, including the first basket of the game and the first seven points after halftime. Backup post Ellyce Ironmonger, also a freshman, added 12 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. She took a pass from Manou for a backdoor layin to give Oregon a 43-20 lead entering halftime.
Sophomore Taylor Lilley hit four three-pointers to lead the Ducks with 19 points. She combined with the posts on the kind of inside-out scoring effort coach Bev Smith prefers, unlike the 27 three-pointers Oregon took in that final exhibition win.
"Nicole really did a good job," Smith said. "Ellie didn't finish very well (1-of-6), but I thought she was a lot more active today, and she really kind of put a presence in the paint for them to have to deal with. That's a good step forward. And Ellyce came in and pushed that dagger in the paint a little more."
The Spartans, a five-win team last season, were outgunned from the outset. It took them 3:47 to finally get on the scoreboard after the opening tip, and another 7:09 before they scored after halftime.
Natalie White had five three-pointers to lead San Jose State with 18 points and expose what has been one of Oregon's weaknesses on the young season. But the rest of the Spartans shot just 5-of-47.
"Everybody came out ready to play (on defense)," Canepa said. "They knew what they had to do to defend their player, and that really brought us to the level we need to be at."
Canepa and the other forwards held the Spartans to two offensive rebounds in the first half, and the Ducks had eight assists against four turnovers. Oregon led 67-23 before allowing the final nine points, giving up 12 offensive rebounds in the second half and recording seven assists against 11 turnovers.
"We've got to deal with (fatigue) and still play hard," said Jackson, who finished with nine points, seven rebounds and three steals.
That and perimeter defense were the biggest problems Saturday. Defending opposing guards was also an issue in the overtime win over Love & Basketball, a club team whose guards got open for 22 three-point attempts.
"We have to start now locking up shooters," Smith said. "You're going to have to do that to someone like a Candice Wiggins (of Stanford), someone who can really shot the ball."
Five of San Jose State's six threes, however, came in the first half, as the Ducks adjusted to White and held her to four points after halftime.