Preview: Portland Pilots at No. -- Oregon Ducks

EUGENE, Ore. (Interstat) — The surging Oregon Ducks look to continue their dominant start to the season when they host the cross-state Portland Pilots in a nonconference women’s basketball game Thursday at Matthew Knight Arena.

Oregon (11-1) has won 10 of its last 11 games, with its lone loss coming on the road against then-UCLA on Dec. 7. The Ducks are coming off a 69-44 victory over Montana State on Sunday, where forward Mia Jacobs recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Jacobs has been a consistent force for Oregon, averaging 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. She is complemented by a balanced attack; five Ducks average at least 8.5 points per contest. Oregon’s defense has been stifling, holding opponents to an average of just 55.8 points.

The Portland Pilots (5-5) arrive after a blowout 94-58 win at Long Beach State on Dec. 11, which snapped a two-game skid. Guard Lainey Spear led the way in that victory with 14 points in 17 minutes off the bench. Spear, averaging 7.7 points, is a key reserve for a Pilots squad seeking consistency.

Portland’s season has been marked by volatility, with wins over Division III Willamette and NAIA Warner Pacific alongside competitive losses. Their defense allows 66.2 points per game, a figure they will need to strengthen against a potent Oregon offense averaging 77.2 points.

This in-state matchup offers Portland a final major test before West Coast Conference play begins next month. For Oregon, it is a tune-up before a challenging stretch that includes a game at Stanford and matchups against Big Ten opponents.

The game tips off at 7 p.m. PST Thursday. Oregon leads the all-time series 40-11 and has won the last 16 meetings. Portland’s last victory in the series came in 1996.

Up Next: Portland travels to face Portland State on Sunday. Oregon heads to San Francisco to play Stanford on Sunday.