The Arizona women’s basketball team (9-4, 1-1 Pac-12) will open its home conference schedule with a game Friday night against the Oregon State Beavers (6-8, 0-2 Pac-12).
The Wildcats are returning to Tucson after splitting their opening Pac-12 weekend series in Washington, defeating the Washington State Cougars 71-65 on Friday but losing to Washington 76-65 on Sunday.
In both games, five Arizona players scored in double digits, but the Wildcats were outrebounded by both opponents as well.
Even though the Beavers are sitting near the bottom of the conference, Oregon State is the number one shot-blocking and third best rebounding team in the Pac-12, averaging 45.3 rebounds per game.
Led by freshman guard Jamie Weisner and junior guard Alyssa Martin, the Beavers are looking to get their first conference win after being swept by USC and No. 16 UCLA at home this weekend.
Like in this season, the two teams only played each other once last year, and the Wildcats defeated the Beavers in Corvallis, Ore., 58-56 on a game-winning jump shot by junior forward Erica Barnes.
Oregon State may be a strong rebounding team, but it has struggled to replace its top four scorers, who graduated after last season.
The Beavers are averaging the fewest points per game (59.8) in the conference and are also the worst free throw-shooting team in the Pac-12, making 61 percent of their shots from the free throw line.
Arizona’s senior captain, Davellyn Whyte, has led the Wildcats on the court so far this season, averaging 16 points, 5.3 rebounds, and five assists per game. She is currently in the top four in the conference for points, assists and three-point field goals per game (2.62). Additionally, Whyte is currently the active Pac-12 career leader in points with 1,739.
Junior forwards Barnes and Alli Gloyd have made contributions this season as well. The two combine for 21.2 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
Unlike in the second half of last season, the Wildcats will have forward Cheshi Poston in their rotation.
Poston’s presence down low has been effective this season. The 6-foot-2-inch senior has 17 blocks and since Poston replaced Barnes in the starting rotation on Nov. 24, both have seen an increase in production.
Friday will be the first of two consecutive home games for the Wildcats. On Sunday, Arizona will host the Oregon Ducks before it’s off to Utah to start its longest road trip of the season at four games.
