Ducks Host Seattle U Saturday
EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon seeks its second win of the season's opening week Saturday, as the Ducks play host to Seattle U at 11 a.m. PT at Matthew Knight Arena.
The Ducks look to open the season 2-0 for the eighth straight year after opening the campaign with a 100-57 win over Northwestern Monday. Monday's win marked UO's 10th straight season-opening victory and first fourth 100-point performance in a season opener under head coach Kelly Graves.
The Ducks have claimed all 10 all-time meetings with the Redhawks, including a 7-0 mark at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon and Seattle last faced off in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, as the Ducks came away with an 88-45 victory.
Fans with a ticket to the Oregon vs. Washington football game can purchase tickets to Saturday's women's basketball game for just $5 by clicking here.
GAME #2
No. 20 Oregon (1-0) vs. Seattle U (0-1)
Saturday, Nov. 12 | 11 a.m. PT | Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV: Oregon Live Stream
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (Eugene: KUJZ 95.3FM | Portland: KDZR 1640 AM)
Play-by-play: Terry Jonz | Analyst: Bev Smith
Listen Online | Live Stats | Tickets
A WIN WOULD...
» Be Oregon's 50th win over its last 51 home non-conference matchups.
» Be Oregon's eighth straight season beginning 2-0.
» Be the Ducks' 11th straight victory against Seattle U.
OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Under head coach Kelly Graves, Oregon is a perfect 9-0 in season openers following its 100-57 win over Northwestern on Monday. In nine season openers, the Ducks have averaged 96.1 points per game and have eclipsed the century mark four times while allowing just 54.3 points a game (+41.8 average scoring margin).
The Ducks' win over Northwestern in Monday's season opener marked the first time UO opened its season with a Power 5 opponent since 2015-16 when the Ducks defeated 22nd-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill 79-77. It was also the first 100-point performance against a Power 5 team outside of the Pac-12 since scoring 101 against Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2018.
PROTECTING HOME COURT
Matthew Knight Arena has proved to be one of the top home-court advantages in the country during non-conference play, as the Ducks have now won 49 of their last 50 home games against non-league opponents. UO owned a 44-game home non-conference winning streak that began Dec. 29, 2014, a streak that was snapped with a 64-57 setback to UC Davis on Dec. 1, 2021. In that same span, the Ducks have won nine times against Power 5 teams and four times in the NCAA Tournament.
» Oregon is 55-3 at home in non-conference play under head coach Kelly Graves, with two of the three losses coming in his first year at the helm of the program in 2014-15.
» The Ducks have lost just 11 times against non-Pac-12 teams at MKA, owning a 78-11 record all-time.
SCOUTING SEATTLE U
Seattle U kicked off its season Thursday at Oregon State, falling 89-53 at Gill Coliseum. Sheridan Liggett paced the Redhawks with 13 points off the bench, as she was her team's only player to reach double figures in scoring. Liggett shot 3-of-4 from three and 4-for-9 from the field, adding two rebounds. Julianna Walka put up nine points and Taliyah Clark added eight to round out Seattle's top three scorers.
Seattle U held its own in the first half against the Beavers, matching OSU in the first quarter 21-21 before trailing by just five at the half (38-33). The Beavers took control in the second half, out-scoring SU 22-12 in the third quarter and 29-8 in the closing frame.
The Redhawks shot 6-for-32 (18.6%) in the second half after going 13-for-32 (40.6%) in the opening half. Seattle U committed 16 turnovers while producing 12 assists and were out-scored 50-14 in the paint.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Dating back to 1979, Oregon leads the all-time series with Seattle 10-0, including a 7-0 mark at home. Graves has won all three of his matchups with the Redhawks since coming to Oregon in 2014-15, including the last meeting in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2018, 88-45.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
All four of Oregon's freshmen saw minutes and produced points against Northwestern, as the quartet combined for 53 of the Ducks' 100 points Monday. Toss in senior transfer Taya Hanson, and newcomers accounted for 62 points in the season-opening victory.
» Grace VanSlooten put up a game-high 20 points for the most points by a Duck freshman since Te-Hina Paopao scored 22 at Oregon State on Dec. 13, 2020.
» Jennah Isai scored 17 points off the bench, the highest point total by a Ducks bench player since Sedona Prince's 22 on Feb. 28, 2021 against Oregon State.
» Isai converted 9-of-10 free throw attempts, which tied for the fifth-highest free-throw percentage by a freshman in program history (minimum nine free throws made) and highest percentage by a freshman since Chrishae Row's 92.9 percent in 2014.
» Chance Gray added 14 points with a team-leading three steals in her first collegiate start. Gray also led the Ducks with a +34 rating.
VETERAN ADDITION
Oregon welcomed in a veteran addition and added a former Pac-12 rival in fifth-year senior guard Taya Hanson, who transferred to UO after spending four seasons at Arizona State. Hanson, a native of British Columbia, Canada, started all 50 games for the Sun Devils the past two seasons, averaging 10.4 points a contest in that span. She drained 95 three-pointers in the last two seasons and her 144 career made threes ranks third among active players in the Pac-12.
Hanson, alongside teammate Phillipina Kyei, represented Team Canada's National Junior Team at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup this past fall. The Duck duo led Canada to a fourth-place finish in the event, which was held in Australia from Sept. 22 to Oct. 1.
RESTOCK AND RELOAD
Oregon head coach Kelly Graves announced the signings of three highly touted players to national letters of intent on the first day of the fall signing period on Wednesday. Each was ranked in the top 70 of espnW's top 100 class of 2023 rankings:
» G Sofia Bell, 6-1, Portland, Ore. (No. 26)
» W Sammie Wagner, 6-1, San Antonio, Texas (No. 42)
» F Sarah Rambus, 6-3, Flint, Mich. (No. 66)