Oregon visit begins 5-game homestand on Thursday night

Thursday, November 16

Phoenix, Ariz.

7 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Oregon

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Phoenix, AZ Oct. 30, 2023: GCU at beats Benedictine 90-40 during their exhibition game GCU Arena. Photo David Kadlubowski/GCU

Oregon visit begins 5-game homestand on Thursday night

11/15/2023 12:35:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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Pair of 2-0 teams meet for 1st time ever at GCU Arena

By: Nick Macdonald

Thursday, Nov. 16 \| 7 p.m. \| GCU Arena \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	OREGON DUCKS 2-0	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES 2-0

WATCH: ESPN+ \| STATS: LINK \| TICKETS: LINK \| GAME NOTES: LINK

THIS GAME

GCU returns home from its first road contest and begins a slate of five straight home contests on Thursday night vs. Oregon.
It is the first time in program history that these two teams have met. It is the second Pac-12 opponent for the Lopes since last season, with one more on deck Dec. 8 at Arizona State.
Both teams enter the game at 2-0, with Oregon having eight days off since its last win. It is the Ducks' first road contest of the season.

UNDEFEATED START

GCU is 2-0 for the fourth straight season under head coach Molly Miller.
The Lopes rank in the top three of the WAC in multiple categories, most notably its 3-point shooting. GCU is 16th in the nation (first in WAC) with 43.9% shooting on 3s. Last season, it shot 34.5% from 3-point range through the first two games and 29.3% for the season.
GCU is second in the WAC in scoring defense, allowing 56.5 points per game. It has allowed 21 points cumulatively in the fourth quarter, compared to scoring 33 points in the last quarter.

STORYLINES

GCU opened the season with one of the most memorable victories in program history on Nov. 6 vs. Saint Mary's. The Lopes scored 22 straight points to wipe away a 52-33 deficit in the final 7:32 of the contest and won on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer via junior guard Naudia Evans.
Junior guard Trinity San Antonio ranks 22nd in the nation in assists (15) and ninth in assists per game (7.5). San Antonio has had a near triple-double in each of her two games, recording 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists vs. Saint Mary's and 12 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists at North Dakota.
Evans and senior guard Anna Ostlie rank first and second, respectively, in the WAC for 3-pointers made. Evans has six for the season, while Ostlie has five. Evans made five in the season opener vs. Saint Mary's.
GCU is third in the conference in field goal percentage (43.4%). It shot 38.2% in the season opener and 44.6% at North Dakota. It shot a season-high 63.6% in the third quarter at North Dakota, going 7 of 11 from the field, 2 of 3 on 3-pointers and 9 of 13 from the free throw line in that quarter.
Head coach Molly Miller ranks fourth among active coaches in winning percentage (.847) with eight-plus seasons of coaching. She trails only Kim Caldwell (Marshall), Geno Auriemma (UConn) and Kim Mulkey (LSU).
The Lopes are 38-8 at GCU Arena since Miller took the helm in 2020. GCU has won at least 12 games at home in each of her three seasons in Phoenix, including a season-high 13 last year. The Lopes have 17 home games this season, including six of the first seven regular-season contests.

SCOUTING REPORT

Oregon heads on the road for the first time this season after home wins in Eugene over Northern Arizona and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The Ducks rank 41st in the country in rebounds per game (47.0) and 26th in defensive rebounds per game (17.5). Grace VanSlooten is 19th in the nation with 8.5 defensive boards per game, while Phillipina Kyei has recorded 11 rebounds in each game played this season.
Oregon averages 23.5 free throws per contest (second in Pac-12) and has converted an average of 17.5 per game (second in Pac-12). Sofia Bell is shooting 91% from the charity stripe so far this season.
The Lopes, who have four active players above 6 feet tall, will face their tallest opponent this season with eight players at 6 feet or taller on Oregon. Kyei measures at 6-8, while VanSlooten is 6-3. Kennedy Basham, a Phoenix native, has played 13 minutes this season and is 6-7.
Kyei has had a double-double in each of her first two games, tying her for third most in the nation and first in the Pac-12. She trails only Angel Reese (LSU) and Sedona Prince (TCU) in that category.

LAST TIME THEY MET

Thursday's matchup is the first between the two schools.
Molly Miller's Lopes are 0-1 against Pac-12 schools, narrowly losing to Arizona State last November. It hosts Oregon and travels to ASU later this season.

WHAT'S NEXT?

GCU stays home and hosts Montana on Monday at 6 p.m. with live coverage on ESPN+.
The Lopes then host the GCU Classic with Eastern Illinois, Fresno State and Nicholls. GCU plays Fresno State on Nov. 24 and Nicholls on Nov. 25.