Oregon
Takeaways: still positives for Penn State basketball despite the loss to Oregon
Penn State basketball Mike Rhoades Indiana post game interview
The Nittany Lions have their 4-game winning streak snapped by the Hoosiers inside the Palestra.
Penn State basketball lost a game it should have won. That is where this conversation starts.
The Nittany Lions (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) were up eight points on No. 15 Oregon with (15-2, 4-2) 5:41 left in the second half, but poor defensive execution allowed the Ducks to steal won on the road and win 82-81. Mike Rhoades didn’t mince words after the game either as he described the final stretch.
“We choked down the stretch,” Rhoades said after the game, “We talked about being solid on defense and we weren’t – we gave up two 3-pointers. We talked about taking care of the basketball; we had two turnovers that led to baskets.
“Credit to Oregon. They did not falter down the stretch, and they’re really, really good. But that was a game we could have won but we didn’t.”
The optics also aren’t good seeing as Penn State has lost three conference games in a row after a promising start to the season.
Frustration is warranted and doubts are understandable. But there are some clear positives Penn State can take from the game against the Ducks and it can hopefully be the start of something better going forward.
No Ace up their sleeve: Nittany Lions make it work without Ace Baldwin
If any team had to go against a top-25 opponent without its best player, the odds would not be favorable, especially when that player is a ball-dominant facilitator like Baldwin, who missed the game while recovering from a back injury.
But after struggling against Oregon’s defense in the first half, Penn State found its offensive rhythm in the second, outscoring the Ducks 47-41 over the final 20 minutes with more players being involved on a possession-by-possession basis. Don’t forget that Baldwin’s a near 14-point scorer in a game where his team lost by one. Even if he didn’t score like he usually does, the gravity would’ve helped immensely.
Also remember that Baldwin isn’t just an offensive hub, he’s also their best perimeter defender. Had he played Sunday afternoon, he likely draws the assignment on the red-hot Jackson Shelstad, who was Oregon’s leading scorer.
For his team to perform well without Baldwin, Rhoades has to feel confident about this group and how they’ll continue to grow with experience until they get Baldwin back.
Penn State’s 3-point shooting made a comeback
If Penn State had shot the ball how it did the previous two games, there was no way the Nittany Lions would’ve managed to come back. But they shot 36% (7-for-19) on 3-pointers Sunday afternoon, the most since they made 11 against Coppin St. and the best percentage since they shot 39% against Rutgers in early December.
The team is best when it gets to the rim, but to continue doing that, they need spacing to open lanes for Nick Kern and Puff Johnson to drive, and for Yanic Konan Niederhauser to operate in the post. And it wasn’t as if Penn State was taking ill-advised shots; the open ones simply weren’t falling. Hopefully this is the game that gets the shooting back on track, because they need it.
Freddie Dilione V’s breakout game
Entering Sunday, Dilione averaged 11 points per game in Big Ten competition, and after he had a quiet six points against Illinois, it stood to reason that he would bounce back.
“He’s getting more mature,” Rhoades said about Dilione. “Freddie’s biggest thing is to just keep growing and maturing, understanding the game and being a student of the game. When you play and have coaches that are investing in you, what happens? You start having success.”
It paid off in a big way as Dilione had a game-high 21 points on 4-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers. The sophomore guard downplayed his career-high because of the team result, but a performance like that has to give him confidence.
Moreover, he could possibly blossom into the secondary shooter Penn State needs opposite Zach Hicks. Does this mean Dilione will suddenly become a consistent 20-point scorer who shoots 66% from deep? Not at all, but another perimeter scoring threat who can realistically get into the mid-30s with his 3-point percentage would open up the offense for everyone.
The Nittany Lions need something positive to carry into their road game against Nationally-ranked Michigan State Wednesday night; they have that as they get deeper into conference play.
Oregon
Where Oregon Ducks rank in industry recruiting rankings for 2027 class
With the winter evaluation period of high school football recruiting now behind us, we’ve seen some of the top recruiting sites update their rankings over the past few weeks and start to reset their boards for the 2027 class. In February, On3 shifted players around after getting fresh looks at the class, and 247Sports did the same earlier this week.
So with Oregon’s handful of commits getting new ratings, where does the Ducks’ class rank nationally in this cycle?
If you look at sites individually, it looks different, with 247Sports having Oregon sitting at No. 13 in the nation. At Rivals, though, they take the industry ranking, which factors in their own rankings, plus an average from 247Sports and ESPN.
In the industry rankings, Oregon sits at No. 9 in the nation, with five commitments.
Going into the summer months, the Ducks are in a great spot, leading or among the top schools for a handful of the top prospects in the nation, like 5-star QB Will Mencl or 5-star WR Dakota Guerrant. We will see what movement Oregon can make in the coming months after official visits take place early in the summer.
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Oregon
New Data Shows Oregon E-Scooter Injuries on the Rise
Data released by the Oregon Health Authority this week suggests Oregonians are getting hurt on electric scooters more every year.
In recent years, according to OHA, an “e-scooter-specific code” was developed for health care tracking purposes.
From 2021 to 2024, annual injury reports under this code from Oregon hospitals and emergency departments jumped from 211 to 418.
And in just the first nine months of 2025, there had been 509 such reports.
“These injuries are not minor scrapes,” said Dagan Wright, an OHA epidemiologist, in a written statement. “They often involve head injuries, broken bones, and other serious trauma that requires emergency or inpatient care.”
The city of Portland signed contracts with three e-scooter rental companies in 2018, as the transportation craze spread across the country. But e-scooter injury diagnosis codes are relatively new in health care reporting, Wright said in the OHA statement.
“While the overall numbers remain smaller than for other transportation-related injuries, the rapid increase over a short period of time is a clear safety signal,” OHA added.
The agency highlighted the story of Portland e-scooter commuter Daniel Pflieger, who it says was riding a scooter home when he reportedly slid on ice. He bruised several ribs.
Sometimes outcomes are worse. OHA identified 17 deaths linked to electric or motorized scooters since 2018, and seven of those occurred in 2025.
OHA says that e-bikes raise many similar safety concerns as e-scooters. The first full year for which e-bike injuries were coded for reporting was 2023. State data shows 392 reported e-bike injuries that year, 683 in 2024, and 760 in the first nine months of 2025.
“Injuries involving e-bikes and e-scooters share common risk factors—speed, lack of helmet use, roadway design, and interactions with motor vehicles,” Wright said.
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Oregon
Oregon women’s basketball playing for March Madness seeding vs. Purdue
Hear Oregon women’s Graves, Etute and Fiso after loss to Washington
The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team finishes the regular season with a March 1 home loss to Washington.
At times, the Oregon women’s basketball team has certainly made things much harder on themselves than it needs to be. The team has also produced some miraculous comeback victories, putting itself in position to make women’s March Madness for the second straight season.
March 1, in their final regular season game, the Ducks (20-11, 8-10 Big Ten) finished on the wrong end of yet another tight game to Washington, 70-69. It’s the second time this season Oregon has come back from a double-digit deficit, but ended up losing to the Huskies (20-9, 10-8).
Those aren’t the only times Oregon has come back from a double-digit deficit, like it did in wins vs. Nebraska and USC. The No. 11-seed Ducks are hoping they won’t need heroics in a Big Ten tournament first-round game against No. 14 Purdue this Wednesday.
Watch Oregon basketball on Peacock
“I think our biggest weakness this year has been our inconsistency,” coach Kelly Graves said, “something we’ve battled all year. The great thing is our kids know, regardless of the score, we’ve got a chance. We’ll make it a game at some point. As a coach, it drives you nuts. Hopefully we can figure it out and play more consistent basketball.”
Oregon’s volatility has seen it earn three double-digit comeback wins this year, but also blow several games in the final moments.
Against Wisconsin, the Ducks held a 6-point lead with less than a minute remaining, but lost in overtime. Against Illinois, Oregon held a 21-point lead at halftime, blew it in the third quarter, trailed by eight with minutes to play and somehow eked out a win.
That makes UO somewhat of a wild card heading into the conference tournament this week at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“It’s definitely (been) a rollercoaster,” guard Katie Fiso said. “A lot of highs and a lot of lows. But one thing that I try to see through all games is our grittiness and our toughness. One thing that stays consistent throughout the season is our toughness and our grittiness. The game isn’t over until the last bell rings.”
The Ducks will be taking on a Boilermakers (13-16, 5-13) team that has struggled against most of the top competition in the league, but played Oregon tight in a Feb. 25 Ducks win.
Graves said when the Ducks went throughout the postgame handshake line after, the Boilermakers felt like their season would end after the regular season. Thanks to some upsets, Purdue is in the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 14 seed.
“We’re playing a team that probably feels like it’s playing with house money,” Graves said. “We’ve got to pick ourselves back up and get it done.”
What channel is Oregon vs. Purdue on today in Big Ten tournament?
Oregon will tip off vs. Purdue on Peacock, with no TV option to watch the game.
Oregon vs. Purdue start time in Big Ten tournament
- Date: Wednesday, March 4
- Time: Around 5:30 p.m. PT
Oregon and Purdue will play around 5:30 p.m. PT at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The first game of the day begins at 12:30 p.m. PT, with the next game 25 minutes after the first game ends, and so on. The Ducks play in the third game of the day, so no official tip time is listed.
Oregon women’s basketball schedule 2025-26
Below are the past five games of Oregon’s 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.
| Feb. 15 | Washington 51, Oregon 43 |
| Feb. 19 | Oregon 80, Nebraska 76 |
| Feb. 22 | Indiana 72, Oregon 65 |
| Feb. 25 | Oregon 71, Purdue 65 |
| March 1 | Washington 70, Oregon 69 |
| March 4 | Oregon vs. Purdue (Big Ten tournament) |
Purdue women’s basketball schedule 2025-26
Below are the past five games of Purdue’s 2025-26 basketball season. For the full schedule, click here.
Feb. 14
Purdue 72, Rutgers 57
Feb. 19
Iowa 83, Purdue 74
Feb. 22
Maryland 99, Purdue 66
Feb. 25
Oregon 71, Purdue 65
March 1
Purdue 67, Northwestern 62
March 4
Oregon vs. Purdue (Big Ten tournament)
Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football and women’s basketball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com.
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