Oregon Women’s Basketball: Ducks Non-Conference Schedule Features Preseason WNIT
The Oregon Ducks are coming off a historic season and will face challenges from the start in 2017.
Oregon Women’s Basketball brings back the bulk of their scoring Offense from last season’s Elite 8 run in the NCAA Tournament including Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard. Lexi Bando will also return for her Senior season in Eugene. Oregon will have the benefit of likely beginning the 2017 season ranked for the first time following a season that saw the team get all the way to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament before losing to Connecticut.
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The Oregon Ducks will have a decent home field advantage before Conference play facing at least eight opponents at Matthew Knight Arena including wrapping up series with Ole Miss and Mississippi State to highlight the Non-Conference schedule.
Oregon will start with four teams in the Preseason NIT, which will guarantee Top 25 matchups, including the first two at home before hitting the road for two games. Graves and the Ducks will take on Oklahoma as part of the Phil Knight Invitational in Late November. Michigan State and Connecticut will be the other matchup of the two game tournament for the Women. Both games will be at MKA.
The road game against Mississippi State will be a good test for a young Oregon Ducks squad. The Bulldogs finished 2016 as the National Runner Up. If Oregon can get through the brunt of the non-conference schedule with wins, we could see an early Top 10 Matchup in Starkville.
The Oregon Ducks begin 2017 with an exhibition game against Westmont and will start Pac-12 Play December 29th.