SEATTLE — After a “signature” win against No. 19 Stanford on Sunday, the Ducks appear to be as confident as ever.
They play Washington State at Seattle’s KeyArena in the opening game of the four-day tournament (11:30 a.m., Pac-12 Networks) Thursday.
The upset win last Sunday snapped a four-game losing streak for Oregon.
“Having our last game to go out with a bang like that—this is a perfect time to be playing well,” guard Lexi Petersen said after Tuesday’s practice. “I think every team wants to play well this time of the year.”
Last year, Oregon and Washington State found themselves in the exact same first-round matchup: No. 10 Oregon vs. No. 7 WSU. This year, however, the two teams likely won’t light up the scoreboard like they both did in that matchup (207 combined points, a new tournament record).
Both teams have conference standouts: Tia Presley and Lia Galdiera lead the Cougars. Graves called Galdiera a first-round WNBA draft pick. UO’s Jillian Alleyne leads the NCAA in double-doubles (27) and the conference in rebounding (15.1 rebounds a game).
The Ducks will likely want to get the ball inside to Alleyne, as WSU doesn’t have a solid answer for her. The Ducks’ defense will be tested by Galdiera (19.4 points per game) and Presley (17.1 ppg).
“First thing I thought about was last year, and how we didn’t go out well,” forward Katelyn Loper said. “I just think that with this momentum, we know we can’t just keep riding on that, but it’s obviously a good feeling that we want to take into this game.”
This year, the two teams split the season series, first with a Washington State win in Eugene (79-76) and an Oregon win in Pullman (70-69).
For Oregon head coach Kelly Graves, those two closely contested match-ups seem ironic.
“It’s funny we’re so close, because we’re different in a lot of different ways,” Graves said. “But it’s a good matchup for us. I’m sure they’re saying the same thing, and it should be an exciting way to open the tournament.”
With a win against WSU, the Ducks would snap a six-game Pac-12 Tournament losing streak.
Game notes:
– ESPN’s Charlie Creme has WSU as one of the “next four out” in his latest mock NCAA Tournament bracket.
– Kelly Graves said guard Lexi Bando, who has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury, is questionable.
– The winner of UO-WSU will play No. 2-seeded Arizona State on Friday at 11:30 a.m.
Probable lineups:
Oregon (13-16, 6-12 Pac-12)
Drea Toler, 5-5, guard — Los Angeles, Calif — (4.4 ppg, 3.0 apg)
Lexi Petersen, 5-11, guard —Tukwila, Wash. — (11.1 ppg, 3.6 apg)
Lexi Bando, 5-9, guard — Eugene, Ore. — (10.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
Jillian Alleyne, 6-3, forward — Fontana, Calif. — (18.4 ppg, 15.1 rpg)
Megan Carpenter, 6-4, center — Longmont, Colo. — (2.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
Washington State (16-13, 7-11)
Lia Galdeira, 5-11, guard — Kamuela, Hawaii — (19.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg)
Tia Presley, 5-10, guard — Spokane, Wash. — (17.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Dawwnyelle Awa, 5-9, guard — Kealakekua, Hawaii — (5.0 ppg, 2.5 apg)
Mariah Cooks, 6-1, forward — Santa Maria, Calif. — (7.2 ppt, 5.3 rpg)
Louise Brown, 6-2, forward — Melbourne, Aus. — (3.8 ppt, 6.6 rig)
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne
