Monday, November 6
Eugene, OR
6:00 PM
University of Oregon
1-0,0-0Pac-12
81
vs
48
Northern Arizona
0-1,0-0Big Sky
1
2
3
4
F
Northern Ariz.
13
11
14
10
48
Oregon
25
10
20
26
81
Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Sophomores Set Tone As Ducks Win
11/06/23 | Women's Basketball
Chance Gray and Grace VanSlooten led the way in Oregon's win Monday over Northern Arizona.
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon's superb sophomore duo set the tone in each half Monday as the UO women's basketball team opened its 2023-24 season with an 81-48 victory over Northern Arizona at Matthew Knight Arena.
Grace VanSlooten bounced back from a scoreless first half to score a team-high 19 points, after fellow sophomore Chance Gray scored 13 of her 17 points in the first half. That's the kind of production the Ducks will be looking for all season from their top returning scorers from last year.
"We're definitely going to have to step up and embrace our roles, for sure," Gray said.
"Hopefully," VanSlooten added in reference to her 0-for-7 first half Monday, "throughout the rest of the season we can both be on at the same time."
Phillipina Kyei added a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Kennedi Williams had six points and four assists off the bench following an injury to fellow fifth-year transfer Peyton Scott in the game's opening minutes. Northern Arizona's 1-3-1 defense contributed to Oregon's 19 turnovers Monday, but so too did the early injury to a primary ballhandler in Scott.
"That was tough, but I thought we handled it OK," said UO coach Kelly Graves, who passed along that Scott will undergo an MRI on her knee Tuesday. "Kennedi came in and played a really good game at the point. She's going to have to step up like that all the time now."
How It Happened: In a sad irony, Scott scored Oregon's first basket of the season, helping the Ducks charge out to an 11-7 lead with a run capped by Gray's first of three three-pointers in the first half. Moments later, Scott went down to the hardwood favoring her knee, and had to be helped off the court. She returned to the UO bench in the second quarter, then watched the second half with a sleeve on her left knee.
The Ducks rallied without her. Kyei scored twice to make it 15-11, Gray hit another three and Williams followed with a steal and layin to make it 20-11. It was 25-13 after one period, and Oregon got two baskets each from Gray and freshman Sarah Rambus in the second period to lead 35-24 at halftime.
VanSlooten regrouped at halftime and scored Oregon's first eight points of the third quarter. She finished the period with 10, then had nine more in the fourth to finish as the Ducks' leading scorer. Among her fourth-quarter output was VanSlooten's first three-pointer of the season, after a summer working to expand her shooting range.
"We challenged her at halftime, but mainly it was just on her," Graves said. "I think she was just out of sorts in the first half, but in the second half played like we were expecting. She was just more aggressive and got to the rim."
The third quarter also included freshman Sammie Wagner's first career three-pointer, and freshman Filippa Tilliander added two free throws in the fourth for her first collegiate points. A fourth freshman, Sofia Bell, was in the starting lineup and finished with 11 points despite an 0-for-6 night from three-point range.
"I thought our freshmen all did well," Graves said.
The Ducks ended the game shooting 49 percent, and had a 49-39 rebounding edge. They held Northern Arizona to 29 percent shooting and forced 22 turnovers.
"By and large I thought (our defense) was really good," Graves said. "We held them in the 40s; you do that against somebody who averaged in the 70s last year, you're doing a good job."
Up Next: The Ducks host Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Grace VanSlooten bounced back from a scoreless first half to score a team-high 19 points, after fellow sophomore Chance Gray scored 13 of her 17 points in the first half. That's the kind of production the Ducks will be looking for all season from their top returning scorers from last year.
"We're definitely going to have to step up and embrace our roles, for sure," Gray said.
"Hopefully," VanSlooten added in reference to her 0-for-7 first half Monday, "throughout the rest of the season we can both be on at the same time."
Phillipina Kyei added a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Kennedi Williams had six points and four assists off the bench following an injury to fellow fifth-year transfer Peyton Scott in the game's opening minutes. Northern Arizona's 1-3-1 defense contributed to Oregon's 19 turnovers Monday, but so too did the early injury to a primary ballhandler in Scott.
"That was tough, but I thought we handled it OK," said UO coach Kelly Graves, who passed along that Scott will undergo an MRI on her knee Tuesday. "Kennedi came in and played a really good game at the point. She's going to have to step up like that all the time now."
How It Happened: In a sad irony, Scott scored Oregon's first basket of the season, helping the Ducks charge out to an 11-7 lead with a run capped by Gray's first of three three-pointers in the first half. Moments later, Scott went down to the hardwood favoring her knee, and had to be helped off the court. She returned to the UO bench in the second quarter, then watched the second half with a sleeve on her left knee.
The Ducks rallied without her. Kyei scored twice to make it 15-11, Gray hit another three and Williams followed with a steal and layin to make it 20-11. It was 25-13 after one period, and Oregon got two baskets each from Gray and freshman Sarah Rambus in the second period to lead 35-24 at halftime.
VanSlooten regrouped at halftime and scored Oregon's first eight points of the third quarter. She finished the period with 10, then had nine more in the fourth to finish as the Ducks' leading scorer. Among her fourth-quarter output was VanSlooten's first three-pointer of the season, after a summer working to expand her shooting range.
"We challenged her at halftime, but mainly it was just on her," Graves said. "I think she was just out of sorts in the first half, but in the second half played like we were expecting. She was just more aggressive and got to the rim."
The third quarter also included freshman Sammie Wagner's first career three-pointer, and freshman Filippa Tilliander added two free throws in the fourth for her first collegiate points. A fourth freshman, Sofia Bell, was in the starting lineup and finished with 11 points despite an 0-for-6 night from three-point range.
"I thought our freshmen all did well," Graves said.
The Ducks ended the game shooting 49 percent, and had a 49-39 rebounding edge. They held Northern Arizona to 29 percent shooting and forced 22 turnovers.
"By and large I thought (our defense) was really good," Graves said. "We held them in the 40s; you do that against somebody who averaged in the 70s last year, you're doing a good job."
Up Next: The Ducks host Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Team Stats
NAU
Oregon
FG%
.290
.452
3FG%
.172
.286
FT%
.600
.792
RB
39
49
TO
22
19
STL
10
15
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
11
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
9
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballC
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballKelly Graves | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Deja Kelly, Peyton Scott & Phillipina Kyei | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Peyton Scott & Ari Long: "A good, competitive basketball game."
Thursday, February 27
Kelly Graves: "We've played really well."
Thursday, February 27
