The Oregon women’s basketball team opens up its much anticipated 2004 season tonight against the Portland Pilots at 4:30 p.m. at Mac Court.
With a healthy Cathrine Kraayeveld and the senior leadership of Andrea Bills and Corrie Mizusawa, the Ducks are expected to compete in the upper-tier of the Pacific-10 conference.
The Ducks will need to work on a few things before they are able to contend, including offensive execution. Oregon committed 21 turnovers in its final exhibition game last week against Strakonice BBC.
“In terms of our execution, it’s getting better,” Oregon head coach Bev Smith said. “We were just rushing things, and that’s just part of the preseason.”
The Ducks shot 37.3 percent from the floor against Strakonice compared to 50.8 percent in their first exhibition against Western Oregon.
“In our exhibition game (against Strakonice), we weren’t shooting as high of a percentage,” Smith said. “You would like to see (all shots) drop, but sometimes that doesn’t happen.”
While the Ducks struggled on offense against Strakonice, they provided a solid defensive effort in both games and will use defense as an offensive ignition.
Oregon’s defense will look to contain the Pilots’ top returning scorer and West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year, Ashlee Orndorff. The senior averaged 11.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last year.
“Portland is a very solid team,” Smith said. “They have three returning starters, and they are a feisty and aggressive team.”
Portland lost its top scorer from last year in senior and two-time first-team all-conference talent Khalila O’Rielly-Williams. O’Rielly-Williams led the WCC in scoring with 16.4 points per game and in steals with 93.
However, the Pilots return three starters — Orndorff, Hanna Seltzer and Whitney Grant — from the team that beat the then-20th ranked Ducks last year 76-58 at Portland.
“One of our biggest strengths this year will be the balance of our returning players,” Portland head coach Jim Sollars said. “I don’t think we have had four seniors in some time.”
For the Ducks, the frontcourt combination of Eleanor Haring, Bills and Kraayeveld will give Oregon a height advantage that it will look to exploit.
Last season, Bills averaged 11.1 points per game and was one of the Ducks’ top offensive weapons after Kraayeveld went down with a knee injury.
“Andrea is someone who has substance on both offense and defense,” Smith said. “Portland will be playing a bit undersized, so (Andrea) will be important down low.”
Also important is the play of Haring. The sophomore scored 13 points against Strakonice on six for 10 shooting, and if she can remain productive, Haring will take pressure off of both Kraayeveld and Bills in the post.
Oregon owns a 29-2 record in home-opening games, including 26 wins in the last 27 games. The Ducks lead the series against the Pilots 17-3, including an 11-0 record at Mac Court.

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