Tuesday, October 20
Eugene, OR
6 p.m.
University of Oregon
0-0,0-0Big Ten
120
vs
35
Bushnell
0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bushnell | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 35 |
| Oregon | 21 | 32 | 28 | 39 | 120 |
Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com
10/20/26 | Women's Basketball
Freshmen scored 52 points for the Ducks on Tuesday in a 120-35 victory over Bushnell.
EUGENE, Ore. — There will be countless moments in the coming months with more pressure and drama than Tuesday offered. Still, it was a meaningful step for the future core of the Oregon women's basketball team.
The Ducks played their lone preseason exhibition prior to the 2026-27 season Tuesday in Matthew Knight Arena. They won 120-35 over neighboring Bushnell, with the program's four freshmen supplying 52 points as they got their first run in their new home.
"It definitely felt really good," said Brooklynn Haywood, a guard from Anchorage, Alaska, who led the Ducks with 22 points. "I've been waiting for so long to play on that court, so it was great. And just the group that I'm with, it just makes me really happy to be out there."
Fellow freshman guard La'u Pele Falatea added 14 points for the UO women, while veteran transfers Mallory Heyer and Hilary Fuller scored 13 apiece. Ari Long had 11 points and Katie Fiso scored 10 to lead Oregon's returning veterans, who for the most part could sit back and watch the newcomers get their first collegiate action Tuesday, albeit in a non-counting game.
"I think this was great for us, to get a nice tune-up and let everybody get out there and feel good and play hard," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "There are some things that we can do better, but I think by and large it was a good night."
Haywood was 6-of-6 from three-point range to lead a 16-of-27 effort overall by the Ducks, who figure to be more of a volume three-point shooting team than they have in the past, Graves said. Fiso and freshman Kennedy Holman each had six of the Ducks' 33 assists — on 48 made baskets — and Heyer had eight boards.
Oregon will surely face bigger teams than the Beacons in the regular season, and enjoyed a 43-28 edge in rebounding Tuesday. The Ducks' only player bigger than 6-foot-2, freshman Emilia Krstevski at 6-4, added six rebounds.
"We do have a small team, but we've got a lot of heart and we work our (butts) off," said Fuller, a 6-2 junior transfer from Belmont. "So I don't doubt our capabilities. The sky's the limit."
How It Happened: The Ducks went with their veterans to open the game, and Ehis Etute had six points with four rebounds in the first quarter. Heyer hit a layup just more than two minutes in to cap a 9-0 run by Oregon to open the game, and a layup by Filippa Tilliander made it 21-10 to end the period.
Ten different Ducks scored in the second quarter, led by six points from Fiso and five from Haywood. It was 23-13 when Krstevski scored to spark a 16-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Avary Cain, the starter Tuesday in place of injured defensive stopper Sofia Bell. After Bushnell ended that run, the Ducks went on to score the final 14 points of the first half and led 53-15 at halftime.
Heyer, Long and Fuller each scored seven in the third quarter, which the Ducks opened by scoring 17 straight. Heyer hit a three-pointer to close out the period with Oregon ahead, 81-25. The freshmen then played the bulk of the fourth-quarter minutes, with Haywood scoring 14 in the period and Falatea adding 10.
Up Next: The Ducks open the regular season by hosting Hawai'i on Nov. 2 (3 p.m., B1G+).
The Ducks played their lone preseason exhibition prior to the 2026-27 season Tuesday in Matthew Knight Arena. They won 120-35 over neighboring Bushnell, with the program's four freshmen supplying 52 points as they got their first run in their new home.
"It definitely felt really good," said Brooklynn Haywood, a guard from Anchorage, Alaska, who led the Ducks with 22 points. "I've been waiting for so long to play on that court, so it was great. And just the group that I'm with, it just makes me really happy to be out there."
Fellow freshman guard La'u Pele Falatea added 14 points for the UO women, while veteran transfers Mallory Heyer and Hilary Fuller scored 13 apiece. Ari Long had 11 points and Katie Fiso scored 10 to lead Oregon's returning veterans, who for the most part could sit back and watch the newcomers get their first collegiate action Tuesday, albeit in a non-counting game.
"I think this was great for us, to get a nice tune-up and let everybody get out there and feel good and play hard," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "There are some things that we can do better, but I think by and large it was a good night."
Haywood was 6-of-6 from three-point range to lead a 16-of-27 effort overall by the Ducks, who figure to be more of a volume three-point shooting team than they have in the past, Graves said. Fiso and freshman Kennedy Holman each had six of the Ducks' 33 assists — on 48 made baskets — and Heyer had eight boards.
Oregon will surely face bigger teams than the Beacons in the regular season, and enjoyed a 43-28 edge in rebounding Tuesday. The Ducks' only player bigger than 6-foot-2, freshman Emilia Krstevski at 6-4, added six rebounds.
"We do have a small team, but we've got a lot of heart and we work our (butts) off," said Fuller, a 6-2 junior transfer from Belmont. "So I don't doubt our capabilities. The sky's the limit."
How It Happened: The Ducks went with their veterans to open the game, and Ehis Etute had six points with four rebounds in the first quarter. Heyer hit a layup just more than two minutes in to cap a 9-0 run by Oregon to open the game, and a layup by Filippa Tilliander made it 21-10 to end the period.
Ten different Ducks scored in the second quarter, led by six points from Fiso and five from Haywood. It was 23-13 when Krstevski scored to spark a 16-0 run capped by a three-pointer from Avary Cain, the starter Tuesday in place of injured defensive stopper Sofia Bell. After Bushnell ended that run, the Ducks went on to score the final 14 points of the first half and led 53-15 at halftime.
Heyer, Long and Fuller each scored seven in the third quarter, which the Ducks opened by scoring 17 straight. Heyer hit a three-pointer to close out the period with Oregon ahead, 81-25. The freshmen then played the bulk of the fourth-quarter minutes, with Haywood scoring 14 in the period and Falatea adding 10.
Up Next: The Ducks open the regular season by hosting Hawai'i on Nov. 2 (3 p.m., B1G+).
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballTeam Stats
F-503780
F-529
FG%
.245
.623
3FG%
.227
.593
FT%
.667
.727
RB
28
43
TO
36
12
STL
8
28
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
8
3FGM
6
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
2
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