Oregon
Brink scores 18, No. 4 Stanford sends Oregon down to 13th straight loss, 76-56
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Cameron Brink sees her role for Stanford as “leader, scorer, a little bit of everything.”
Brink had 18 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks as fourth-ranked Stanford pulled away from Oregon for a 76-56 win in the Pac-12 regular-season finale for both teams and possibly her final collegiate game in her home state.
Brink, from Beaverton, Oregon, had 25 points and a career-high 23 rebounds against Oregon State on Thursday as the Cardinal wrapped up their 27th Pac-12 title and the top seed in next week’s conference tournament in Las Vegas.
“Cam to me is the player of the year in the Pac-12,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “We won the Pac-12. She’s our number one player and she leads the way for us and she did today, too.”
Kiki Iriafen added 16 points and eight rebounds and Hannah Jump 12 points for the Cardinal (26-4, 15-3).
Chance Gray had 18 points to lead the Ducks (11-20, 2-16), who have lost a program-record 13 in a row and finished last in the league.
Stanford could get at least one more game in the state of Oregon. An NCAA Tournament regional will be played in Portland.
But first the Cardinal has the Pac-12 tournament and then the opening two rounds of the tournament.
“We’ve just got some fine-tuning to do,” Brink said. “We’ll fix all that. But I think we’re going in real strong to Pac-12s. And that’s the last Pac-12 tournament ever too, so we’re just taking it all in and enjoying it.”
That fine-tuning, Brink said, includes making sure her team is running the correct offensive sets, moving the ball and communicating well on defense.
Saturday, Stanford got a bit of a test.
Stanford led 37-22 at halftime but consecutive 3-pointers by Ula Chamberlin and Gray to open the second half cut Stanford’s lead to nine.
Elena Bosgana’s 3-pointer later in the third extended Stanford’s lead to 14 but the Ducks continued to hang around with a 5-0 run, capped by Grace VanSlooten’s steal and transition basket. Stanford answered with an 8-2 run.
Stanford led 57-43 after three quarters and pulled away with the first seven points of the fourth quarter.
Stanford shot 32 of 69 for the game. Oregon was 18 of 57.
The Ducks’ last win came Jan. 14 at home against Arizona.
“I’m proud of our team. I’m proud of the way we finished,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said. “Stanford is just a better team right now. They’re the champs, and they showed why today.”
Both teams started slowly but Stanford went on a 13-3 run to take control.
Stanford led by 17 on three occasions in the second quarter. Brink had 10 points and 10 rebounds in 14 first-half minutes for her 16th double-double of the season.
VanDerveer, in her 45th year as a collegiate head coach and 38th at Stanford, said her team’s place right now “couldn’t be much better.”
She considers the Pac-12 the most competitive conference in the country.
“You’re never where you want to be. You always want to get better,” VanDerveer said. “I’m really proud of this team and how well we’ve done. It’s not just on the court stuff. They’re very unselfish. I think this team is sometimes even too unselfish. But it starts with Cam (Brink), who is a great passer. She’s always looking for other people and she’s extremely competitive. The team is very close and they work hard together.”
BIG PICTURE
Stanford: The Cardinal ended the regular season with a road sweep of the Oregon schools and some momentum heading into next week’s Pac-12 tournament.
Oregon: The Ducks slipped from a team contending for a national title to one that finished last in the standings.
UP NEXT
Stanford: Plays at Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas on Thursday.
Oregon: Plays at Pac-12 tournament in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
___ Get alerts and updates on AP Top 25 basketball throughout the season. Sign up here ___ AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
Oregon
Western Oregon University awarded a National Science Foundation grant to empower geoscience students with career pathways – Western Oregon University
Written by Maureen Brakke
Pictured: Earth and Environmental Science students in action on a spring volcanology field trip with Dr. Templeton.
MONMOUTH, Ore. The Western Oregon University Earth and Environmental Science program recently secured a three-year GEOPAths (Pathways into the Geosciences – Earth, Ocean, Polar, and Atmospheric Sciences) grant from the National Science Foundation Division of Research, Innovation, Synergies and Education (RISE) for approximately $420,000.
This funding aims to bolster undergraduate engagement in the field through a multifaceted approach encompassing course-based training, service learning, and skill development. Spearheaded by Co-Principal Investigators Geology Professors Steve Taylor and Jeff Templeton, the project centers on the vital theme of water in the environment.
At its core, the initiative seeks to establish a robust Geo-STEM learning ecosystem, forging partnerships with governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations, and regional employers. Together, they aim to foster earth science literacy, tackle local environmental challenges, and inspire diverse student populations to pursue careers in geosciences.
Recognizing the importance of inclusivity, the project places a strong emphasis on engaging underrepresented groups such as minorities, females, low-income individuals, and first-generation college students. By providing tailored support, including scholarships, the project aims to cultivate learning cohorts, work-based experiences, and mentorship opportunities that empower students and enhance their sense of belonging in the field.
“The GEOPAths NSF award to the Earth and Environmental Science program will provide invaluable resources to support student success in the STEM disciplines at WOU,” said Steve Taylor, Ph.D., professor of geology and chair of the Division of National Sciences and Mathematics. The majority of grant funds are dedicated to direct student support in the form of scholarships and facilitation of work-based experiences, leading to lifelong careers as geoscience professionals. We are excited about this opportunity and are really looking forward to getting this project off the ground in the coming months.”
Ultimately, the initiative not only seeks to diversify the geoscience workforce but address pressing societal issues, particularly in water management. Through innovative approaches to recruitment and retention, it aspires to contribute valuable insights to the broader field of geoscience education while equipping students with the skills and confidence to become future leaders in the profession.
###
About Western’s Earth and Environmental Science Program: The Earth and Environmental Science program at Western Oregon University provides a liberal arts education in geoscience with an emphasis on scientific methods, problem-solving, and interdisciplinary science education. A key objective of the program is to prepare undergraduates for careers as professional geoscientists and educators. The program also promotes the development of an informed citizenry for wise decision-making on issues related to natural resources, environmental quality, and sustainability in Oregon and beyond. Together we succeed.
Oregon
Oregon Powerball jackpot winners shine light on a little-known immigrant culture
Oregon
Takeaways from Oregon baseball’s series win against Utah at PK Park
After dropping each of its last two conference series, the No. 21 Oregon baseball team got back into the series win column, taking two out of three against conference-leading Utah at PK Park this weekend.
The Ducks (32-15, 14-10 Pac-12) won the first two matchups against the Utes (30-15, 15-9 Pac-12) in a Saturday doubleheader after Friday’s opener was postponed due to weather before dropping the Sunday finale.
Conference sweep eludes Ducks yet again
After taking the opener Saturday, 7-5, then the second game of the day, 5-1, to clinch the series, the Ducks dropped yet another chance for a series sweep in a 9-7 decision Sunday afternoon.
Oregon has yet to record a series sweep in conference play after leading Arizona and USC 2-0 before dropping the Sunday game in each series.
“It’s extremely frustrating,” coach Mark Wasikowski said. “We’re trying to win the league. We’re disappointed in the fact that we weren’t able to sweep the team that came in here in first place. We win a series and we’re disappointed. The standard is high, obviously, when you win a series, and your guys are really disappointed.”
The Ducks fell behind 4-1 in the Saturday opener before scoring two runs in the fourth, fifth, and seventh innings to set the tone for a more dominant second game. Jacob Walsh went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in the series-opening, 7-5, victory.
In Game 2 Saturday night, Grayson Grinsell allowed just one run in six innings of work and reliever Brock Moore continued his hot streak on the mound, striking out three in three scoreless innings to give the Ducks a 5-1 win. Jeffery Heard knocked in two runs and drew two walks in the win.
On Sunday in the finale, Oregon starter Kevin Seitter got into early trouble and the Duck bats couldn’t complete a comeback late to fall 9-7. Bennett Thompson pinch hit in the eighth inning and hit a three-run homer that cut the Utes lead to just one heading into the ninth, but the Oregon bats went down quietly in the final inning.
It’s Oregon’s sixth conference series win heading into the final two weekends of the regular season.
Bryce Boettcher on a heater
In Oregon’s last five games, Eugene native and starting centerfielder Bryce Boettcher has five home runs, including two last Tuesday in a win over Oregon State.
The senior two-sport athlete went yard in Oregon’s first game against the Utes and its last, bringing his home run total to 11 for the season with a .295 average. Boettcher is one home run short of stamping his name in the Duck record books as one of just 11 players to hit 12 home runs in a single season.
“I feel good,” Boettcher said. “I’ve made a couple of adjustments, mostly just mental adjustments within myself in the box. It’s been nice coming home for these past couple of games, so I’ve been feeling good.”
Where Oregon stands heading into final stretch of regular season
With just two weekends and six games to go before the Pac-12 Tournament begins, Oregon currently sits three games back of conference-leading Arizona. The Ducks are also a game behind both Oregon State and Utah but has tiebreaker advantages over both the Wildcats and Utes.
The Ducks play Washington for a road series in Seattle next weekend and host Washington State the following weekend back in Eugene. The Huskies (18-21-1, 9-14 Pac-12) and Cougars (20-26, 8-16 Pac-12) both rank near the bottom of the Pac-12 conference standings.
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football, volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @AlecDietz.
-
News1 week ago
Both sides prepare as Florida's six-week abortion ban is set to take effect Wednesday
-
Politics1 week ago
Columbia University’s policy-making senate votes for resolution calling to investigate school’s leadership
-
Politics1 week ago
GOP Rep. Bill Posey won't seek re-election, endorses former Florida Senate President as replacement
-
World1 week ago
Brussels, my love? MEPs check out of Strasbourg after 5 eventful years
-
World1 week ago
Russian forces gained partial control of Donetsk's Ocheretyne town
-
Politics1 week ago
House Republicans brace for spring legislative sprint with one less GOP vote
-
World1 week ago
At least four dead in US after dozens of tornadoes rip through Oklahoma
-
Politics1 week ago
Anti-Trump DA's no-show at debate leaves challenger facing off against empty podium