Ducks Return to MKA, Host Washington State

EUGENE, Ore. — The Oregon women's basketball team returns to Matthew Knight Arena on Wednesday, as the Ducks are set to host former conference foe Washington State for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

Oregon suffered its first two losses of the season at the Hawai'i North Shore Showcase, falling to Georgia Tech and South Dakota State on consecutive days in Laie, Hawai'i. Guard Deja Kelly led the Ducks in scoring in both contests, including 21 against the Jackrabbits, to earn all-tournament team recognition.

The Ducks and Cougars will meet for the 94^th time in series history, dating back to 1074. UO owns a 71-22 edge in the series, marking the most wins against any single opponent in program history. WSU has won three straight in the series after a 71-61 win in Pullman a season ago.

Single-game tickets are now on sale and available at GoDucks.com/WBBtix.

GAME #9
Oregon (6-2) vs. Washington State (4-4)
Wednesday, Dec. 4 | 7 p.m. PT | Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV/Stream: B1G+
Play-by-play: Saul Galvan | Analyst: Carson Mercier | Sideline: Max Ragel
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (KUGN 98.1 FM/590 AM)
Play-by-play: Chris Clayton | Analyst: Bev Smith
Listen Online | Live Stats | Tickets

AT A GLANCE
After competing in the Hawai'i North Shore Showcase over Thanksgiving week, Oregon returns to Matthew Knight Arena to begin a four-game homestand on Wednesday against former conference foe Washington State at 7 p.m.

UO and WSU have met 93 times, dating back to 1974, with the Ducks holding a 71-22 all-time record. The Cougars have won three straight in the series, tying their longest in series history, after defeating the Ducks 71-61 in Pullman a season ago.

LAST TIME OUT
Playing its first games away from home this season, Oregon suffered its first losses of the season at the Hawai'i North Shore Showcase last week.

The Ducks began the three-team tournament last Monday against Georgia Tech, with the Yellow Jackets earning a 74-58 win. UO and South Dakota State faced off the following day, with SDSU holding on for a 75-70 win.

Deja Kelly was named to the all-tournament team after leading the Ducks in scoring in both contests. Kelly was the lone Duck to reach double figures against Georgia Tech, finishing with 10 points and three rebounds, before dropping 21 points against the Jackrabbits.

For the first time this season, Oregon lost the rebounding battle. The Yellow Jackets held a 53-31 rebounding edge, while South Dakota State had 38 boards to UO's 28.

Over the two games, the Ducks shot just 3-for-26 (11.5%) from the 3-point line.

SCOUTING WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State (4-4) comes to Eugene after going 2-1 at the Discover Puerto Rico Shootout, picking up wins over Norfolk State and Virginia before suffering a 79-68 loss to Drake. The Cougars are 2-0 at home this season while going 0-3 in true road contests.

Tara Wallack has led or tied WSU in scoring in five of eight games this season and averages a team-high 14.6 points per game while also leading the team with 6.6 rebounds. She produced two 20-point scoring efforts at the Puerto Rico Shootout, dropping a season-high 22 in the win over Norfolk State. Eleonora Villa is second on the team at 13.7 points per game, with Dayana Mendes third at 9.3 points.

The Cougars are third in the nation in blocks, averaging 7.0 per game, with Wallack averaging a team-high 2.5 per game with Alex Covill next at 2.0 blocks an outing. Wallack's 20 total blocks on the season are the 10th-most in the country.

INSIDE THE SERIES
Wednesday will mark the 94th all-time meeting between Oregon and Washington State, dating back to 1974. The Ducks own a 71-22 lead in the series history, marking UO's most wins against a single opponent in program history. WSU has won the last three meetings, including a 71-61 victory in Pullman last season, after Oregon had won nine straight from 2017-22. In last season's matchup, Phillipina Kyei dropped a career-high 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting while hauling in 15 rebounds.

UO is 35-9 at home all-time against the Cougars, with an 8-4 record at Matthew Knight Arena, winning four of the last five in Eugene. Washington State won the last matchup at Matthew Knight Arena, an 85-84 overtime decision on Jan. 15, 2023. WSU's three-game winning streak in the series matches its longest in the series history, equaling a stretch from 2014-15.

RACE TO 2K
Oregon guards Deja Kelly and Peyton Scott are in a battle to see who will be the first to join the 2,000-point club. Kelly, a graduate transfer from North Carolina, amassed 1,858 career points over four seasons (121 games) as a Tar Heel while Scott tallied 1,873 points in 112 career games in four years at Miami (Ohio). Scott is now in her sixth collegiate season after receiving a medical hardship waiver due to her season-ending knee injury suffered in the 2023-24 season opener.

» Scott entered the season No. 7 among active players in career points, while Kelly was next at eighth.
» As of Monday, Kelly sits in eighth with Scott only two points behind in ninth, as each are less than 50 points from joining the 2K club.
» The duo is the only set of teammates in the top 10 in scoring among active players, and the pair sits as the top two players in the Big Ten in career points.
» Scott has four double-digit scoring efforts this season while Kelly has reached double figures five times, including three times surpassing 20 points to lead the team.
» Kelly led all players with 21 points against Nevada on 9-of-13 shooting and followed that up with a second 20-point effort in UO's win over Baylor.
» After 21 points against South Dakota State last week, Kelly has now authored 100 career games in double figures, while Scott owns 98 such games.

DUCK DEPTH
Oregon's depth, helped by seven transfers among nine newcomers, has keyed the Ducks' 6-2 start this season. Five different players have led (or tied) UO in scoring through eight games, including two off the bench in Nani Falatea and Elisa Mevius. The Oregon bench is averaging 29.0 points per game and has a plus-100 point differential in bench points on the season. Last year, UO averaged just 9.6 points a night from its bench and opponents outscored the Ducks' bench by 288 points.
» UO's bench has outscored its opponents in seven of eight games this season, and four times by double digits.
» Nine players are averaging at least 5.0 points per game, including three bench players, with Mevius leading the bench scoring at 7.6 points per game.
» The Oregon bench has scored at least 20 points in seven of eight games, and twice eclipsed the 40-point plateau. Last year, UO's single-game bench high was just 26 points while surpassing 20 points just twice.
» The Ducks have been led in rebounding by five different players, four of which are newcomers, this season. Deja Kelly, Phillipina Kyei and Amina Muhammad are the only players to lead the team in rebounding in multiple games.
» Head coach Kelly Graves has utilized four different starting lineups this season, with three Ducks making their first starts of the year in the last matchup with South Dakota State: Ehis Etute, Nani Falatea, Sarah Rambus.
» After missing the seasons' first six games due to international team duties and injury, Etute made her collegiate debut at the Hawai'i North Shore Showcase.
» Etute scored eight points to go with five boards in both contests, shooting a combined 50.0 percent from the floor.