Ionescu gets another triple-double, No. 3 Oregon women win

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) – Sabrina Ionescu picked up her 11th triple-double, Satou Sabally scored 23 points and No. 3 Oregon opened the season with a 115-36 win over Alaska on Tuesday night.

Ionescu had 18 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. Ruthy Hebard, playing in her hometown, had 15 points, making 5 of 6 shots from the field and the foul line.

Hebard scored the first basket of the game, Sabally scored the next seven points as the Ducks were never challenged. It was 34-9 at the end of the first quarter.

Maitre Cazorla added 16 points, Erin Boley 14 and Taylor Chavez 13 as the Ducks made 12 of 24 from 3-point range and shot 68 percent overall (42 of 62). They also went 19 of 22 from the foul line.

Emily Evans scored 12 points for the Division II Nanooks.

Oregon, coming off its best season ever (33-4) and its second-straight Elite Eight appearance, has never lost when Ionescu has a triple double. She broke the previous women’s record of seven triple doubles last season and is just one shy of the men’s record held by Kyle Collingsworth from BYU.

BIG PICTURE

Oregon: The Ducks, coming off their best season ever (33-5) and back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, were doing a hometown visit for star forward Ruthy Hebard. … For the first time Oregon was picked to win the Pac-12 title. … The team that lost to eventual national champion Notre Dame in the West Regional finals, returns four starters, who all averaged double figures. … Ionescu was the Pac-12 player of the year and Sabally was the freshman of the year.

Alaska: Assistant coach Jessie Craig was Hebard’s high school coach. … The Nanooks only trail in the series 3-2 but last time they played were back-to-back games in 1977, both won by Ducks. … New head coach Kerri Nakamoto, came from Cal State Monterey Bay.

UP NEXT

Oregon: The Ducks return home to play No. 18 Syracuse on Saturday.

Alaska: The Nanooks play at San Francisco State on Saturday.