UO Welcomes Arkansas-Pine Bluff to MKA

EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon women's basketball will play its second game in three days at Matthew Knight Arena, as Arkansas-Pine Bluff visits Wednesday evening for a 6 p.m. PT tipoff.

The Ducks, who are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and coaches polls, won their 11^th straight season opener on Monday after defeating Big Sky preseason favorite Northern Arizona, 81-48. Four players scored in double figures, led by 19 from Grace VanSlooten and 17 from Chance Gray while Phillipina Kyei added a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Eight Ducks made their Oregon debuts against the Lumberjacks, including freshmen Sofia Bell, Sarah Rambus, Filippa Tilliander and Sammie Wagner. Bell was the only freshman to crack the starting lineup, finishing with 11 points and three rebounds. Wagner added eight points and six boards off the bench.

Wednesday's matchup will be the first-ever meeting between UO and UAPB. Arkansas-Pine Bluff opened its season at Oregon State Monday, falling 85-74. Zaay Jones scored a game-high 26 to go with seven rebounds to lead the Golden Lions.

Season and single-game tickets are on sale now and available at GoDucks.com/Tickets.

GAME #2
RV Oregon (1-0) vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-1)
Wednesday, Nov. 8 | 6 p.m. PT | Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV: Oregon Live Stream
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (Eugene: KUGN 98.1 FM/590 AM | Portland: KDZR 1300 AM)
Play-by-play: Chris Clayton | Analyst: Bev Smith
Listen Online | Live Stats

AT A GLANCE
Oregon women's basketball is set for its second game in three days to begin the 2023-24 season, as the Ducks welcome Arkansas-Pine Bluff to Matthew Knight Arena Wednesday night.

The game will be the first-ever meeting between the Ducks and Golden Lions, who began their season against Oregon State in Corvallis on Monday.

The Ducks return three starters among four letterwinners from last year's team that finished 20-15 and made a run to the quarterfinals of the WNIT. UO also welcomed in the nation's 18th-ranked recruiting class that features three four-star prospects ranked in espnW's top 100 in Sofia Bell, Sarah Rambus and Sammie Wagner.

LAST TIME OUT
Oregon began its 2023-24 season with an 81-48 win over Big Sky preseason favorite Northern Arizona on Monday. The Ducks won their season opener for the 11th straight year, and 21st time in the last 22 seasons, behind four players in double figures.

Sophomores Grace VanSlooten and Chance Gray led the way with 19 and 17 points, respectively. Gray tallied 13 in the first half while VanSlooten scored all 19 of her points in the second half. Phillipina Kyei turned in her ninth career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

The UO defense forced NAU into 22 turnovers behind 15 steals and owned a 49-39 rebounding advantage, leading to a 23-10 edge in second-chance points.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF
Arkansas-Pine Bluff opened the season Monday in Corvallis against Oregon State, falling 85-74 to the Beavers. The Golden Lions took a 46-33 lead into halftime and led by as many as 17, but OSU stormed back and outscored UAPB 30-9 in the third quarter. Zaay Green, who missed all of last season due to injury, dropped a game-high 26 points with seven rebounds while shooting 4-of-9 from 3-point range.

Green was the 2020-21 SWAC Newcomer of the Year after averaging 15.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game after transferring from Texas A&M. Green returns to the fold as all five of UAPB's starters return for the 2023-24 season. The Golden Lions (14-17, 10-8) reached the championship game in the SWAC postseason tournament, but lost to Southern 62-53.

In total, Arkansas-Pine Bluff returns 11 letterwinners to head coach Dawn Thornton's squad. UAPB was selected to finish third in the SWAC preseason poll, with Coriah Beck earning preseason all-SWAC first team honors and Maori Davenport being named to the second team. Beck is the Lions' returning leader in both points (11.5) and assists per game (2.5).

INSIDE THE SERIES
Wednesday's contest will mark the first-ever meeting between Oregon and Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Golden Lions are the first of two games against teams from the SWAC on the Ducks' schedule this season, the other being Southern. UO made the trip to Baton Rouge to play Southern last season as part of the inaugural Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series, while the Jaguard trek to Eugene for the rematch on Dec. 11. Oregon is 6-1 against current teams from the SWAC, the last being last year's 83-46 win at Southern.

LAST SEASON IN REVIEW
Oregon finished the 2022-23 season with a 20-15 record, while going 7-11 in Pac-12 play, good for n eighth-place tie in the league standings. The Ducks produced their eighth 20-win season over the last nine years, with the only exception being the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.

Despite being one of the last four teams left out of the NCAA Tournament, UO made a run to the Great 8, or quarterfinal, round of the WNIT. Oregon hosted the first three rounds of the WNIT, defeating North Dakota State, Rice and San Diego by an average of 28.0 points a game. Oregon, who had qualified for five straight NCAA Tournament berths, made its eighth all-time appearance in the WNIT/NWIT and first since 2016.

The Ducks began the season ranked at 20th in the Associated Press top-25 poll and spent the season's first 10 weeks in the top 25, reaching a ranking as high as No. 16. UO won two games against ranked opponents a season ago, an 85-78 neutral-site win against No. 17 Arkansas and a 73-59 victory over 14th-ranked Arizona at Matthew Knight Arena in late February, snapping a season-long seven-game losing skid.

RETURN AISLE
Oregon brings back four letterwinners, including three starters, from last year's team in Kennedy Basham, Chance Gray, Phillipina Kyei and Grace VanSlooten. Kyei was the Ducks' leader in both rebounds (376) and blocked shots (53) last season, with her rebound total equaling the third-most ever in a season in UO history. Her 10.7 rebounds per game ranked second in the Pac-12 while her 54.1 field goal percentage ranked fourth.

Gray and VanSlooten each wrote their names in Oregon's freshman record book, as Gray's 56 3-pointers were tied for third-most in a single season in UO freshman history and her 77 assists were good for ninth on that list. VanSlooten finished in the top 10 in Oregon freshman history with 113 made free throws (third), 423 points (fifth), 28 blocks (seventh) and 155 made field goals (tied for seventh).

NEW TO THE PARTY
Joining Oregon's four returners are nine talented newcomers, including four freshmen and five transfers. The freshman class, which was ranked No. 18 by espnW, is headlined by the nation's 26th-ranked prospect and McDonald's All-American Sofia Bell from Portland.

Along with Bell come Sarah Rambus (No. 66) and Sammie Wagner (No. 42) as well as Swedish recruit Filippa Tilliander. Wagner joined the Ducks last January after graduating early from Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio, Texas, but did not appear in a game. Wagner was able to travel and practice with the team ahead of her official debut.

A pair of fifth-year senior transfers in guards Peyton Scott (Miami (Ohio)) and Kennedi Williams (Liberty) look poised to have the biggest impact on the Ducks in 2023-24. Scott is approaching 2,000 career points after amassing 1,871 over four seasons with the Redhawks (fourth in program history). Williams led Liberty in assists each of the last three seasons, capped by a career-high 144 a season ago - the most by a Flame since 1997-98. She helped lead Liberty to a combined 91-33 (.734) record in four seasons with a WNIT berth in 2022-23.

UO also welcomes in Oregon natives Ula Chamberlin (Medford) and Bella Hamel (Hillsboro). Chamberlin played two seasons at Weber State (2019-21) before one season at UC San Diego in 2021-22. Hamel played three seasons at Lane Community College in Eugene, where she averaged a double-double with 16.5 points and 12.1 rebounds a game.

NO PLACE LIKE MKA
Since its opening in 2011, the Ducks have been dominant in defending Matthew Knight Arena, posting an all-time record of 150-60 (.714). UO is 82-13 (.863) over the last six seasons at Matthew Knight Arena, with a 40-12 conference record, winning by an average of 24.8 points per game during that span.

Under head coach Kelly Graves, UO's offense is averaging 79.9 points a game at home - the highest number of any Pac-12 team since 2014-15. The Ducks also lead the Pac-12 in attendance over the last five seasons, averaging 7,852 fans in attendance.

The Ducks are 64-3 (.955) at home against non-conference teams under Graves, with two of the three losses coming in his first season (2014-15). Oregon has won 59 of its last 60 home games against non-league opponents, including a 44-game winning streak from Dec. 29, 2014 to Dec. 1, 2021.