The anticipation for Friday night鈥檚 game between 蜜柚直播 and Oregon built up for three weeks.
The eighth-ranked Wildcats wanted to avenge last month鈥檚 loss in Eugene after they blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and lost in overtime.
Their fans, meanwhile, wanted to give Kelly Graves an earful following a reported dust-up between the Oregon coach and 蜜柚直播鈥檚 Adia Barnes.
The regular-season-record crowd of 10,413 packed McKale Center on Friday booed Graves when Oregon took the court, then cheered loudly for the Wildcats the rest of the way. 蜜柚直播 used a red-hot third quarter to beat the 19th-ranked Ducks, 63-48. They Wildcats (16-3, 6-3 Pac-12) will host Oregon State on Sunday.
鈥淚 feel like we definitely had something to prove obviously because we lost to them the last matchup, but to feed off of what Adia said, we just wanted to take this game and just execute the gameplan,鈥 said senior point Shaina Pellington, who finished with seven points, four assists and two rebounds. 鈥溾 It was just another game. We still had the same gameplan to execute and that鈥檚 what we tried to do. Tonight, we were more successful than last time.鈥
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Oregon asked for extra security for Friday鈥檚 rematch, but it wasn鈥檛 needed. Barnes and Graves talked on the court for about a minute before tipoff; at the end, Barnes put her arm around him. It was a change from the scene in Oregon, where UA players say Graves yelled at Barnes. Barnes responded in kind, and apologized following the overtime loss for losing her cool.
鈥淚 think a lot of stuff was blown out of proportion,鈥 Barnes said Friday. 鈥淲e鈥檙e competitors and you may say something I don鈥檛 like (or) I may say something, but that鈥檚 the difference I think in former athletes like us when you鈥檙e a competitor. I think when you are a pro player, you can go at it and get mad, but then you鈥檙e not mad the next day you are like whatever. You can argue on the court.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 different when you play, and you play at a high level you don鈥檛 take stuff personal. I鈥檝e been called a lot of bad things in a lot of different ways. And I really don鈥檛 care.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 just a mutual respect. I respect Kelly. I think he鈥檚 done a great job with Oregon. I think he鈥檚 a good coach. And he does a good job. But we鈥檙e competitive and it鈥檚 something where I don鈥檛 take it personally, he doesn鈥檛 take it personally. We don鈥檛 care. We wished each other luck and talked about the crowd and stuff. There are no hard feelings. I鈥檓 just not really like that.鈥
The players seemed to take a note from their coaches in a physical but otherwise clean game.
蜜柚直播鈥檚 Sam Thomas and Oregon鈥檚 Nyara Sabally got tangled up under the Ducks鈥 basket and fell to the ground early in Friday鈥檚 third quarter. Thomas got to her feet, then helped Sabally up. As the two ran together to get back in the action, Thomas placed a helpful arm around her opponent.
蜜柚直播鈥檚 famous fans
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley tweeted Friday night that she was watching the game. It鈥檚 this kind of support from other coaches that means a lot to Barnes.
鈥淲hen you develop friendships with people you trust 鈥 you鈥檙e not recruiting against each other so you can talk basketball and you kind of go through the same things in different ways,鈥 Barnes said. 鈥淚t helps that Dawn is there for me and gives me great advice. I can rant or I can complain about something, and I know I know my secret鈥檚 good with her. I respect her and I love what she鈥檚 doing, and I want to do that.
鈥淎nother person that does that for me is (Stanford coach) Tara (VanDerveer). I do something wrong she鈥檒l call me and tell me. I love that because I love the fact that we鈥檙e competing against each other in the Pac-12, but there鈥檚 a respect and there鈥檚 support and help. Most people aren鈥檛 like her or like Dawn. I think that those women are the women that changed the game. They鈥檙e the trailblazers in the game and I respect those women.鈥

蜜柚直播 forward Sam Thomas gets tied up by Oregon guard Maddie Scherr as they scramble for a loose ball during Friday's game in McKale Center. Thomas finished with four of the Wildcat's nine steals.
Defensive prowess
Thomas showed Friday just why she is one of the best defenders in the country.
One the first defensive possession of the second half, Thomas she broke up a pass. Next, she blocked a shot, fell on the court with the ball in her hands and the awareness to pass the ball to teammate Koi Love.
Thomas spent most of the night trapping and forcing the Ducks to throw bad passes. She played 29 minutes of disruptive defense, finishing with four of 蜜柚直播鈥檚 nine steals. The Wildcats scored 22 points off Oregon鈥檚 21 turnovers.
Rim shots
The Wildcats were led offensively by Cate Reese, who scored 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting while playing just 21 minutes. Lauren Ware had nine points on 4-of-8 shooting, and delivered an impressive 3-pointer from the top of the key. Love put up eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. Madi Conner hit a pair of 3-pointers, finishing with six points.
Shaina Pellington was honored before the game for scoring her 1,000th career point five days earlier against Stanford. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge milestone, obviously, but I鈥檓 not done yet. There鈥檚 a lot more to prove. There鈥檚 a lot more to do,鈥 Pellington said.
Oregon鈥檚 original charter flight to 蜜柚直播 was canceled, and the Ducks didn鈥檛 take off until later than expected Friday morning. They arrived in 蜜柚直播 mid-afternoon, too late for a shootaround. Had the game not been scheduled for 8 p.m., it may not have been played on time.
蜜柚直播 passed out white 鈥淧rotect our House鈥 T-shirts to the first 1,500 fans in attendance.
Photos: #8 蜜柚直播 clobbers #19 Oregon, women's basketball at McKale
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats guard Madison Conner (4) sweeps in to grab the ball after Oregon Ducks guard Ahlise Hurst (0) fell and lost the handle in the third quarter of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Koi Love (5) gets smothered by Oregon Ducks guard Maddie Scherr (23) trying to finish off a fast break in the third quarter of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) scoops a bucket by Oregon Ducks forward Nyara Sabally (1) in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats guard Shaina Pellington (1) and head coach Adia Barnes try to figure out if she has two or four fouls after it was announced she had four following a call late in the game against the Oregon Ducks at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) ties up Oregon Ducks forward Nyara Sabally (1) and forces her into a traveling turnover at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats guard Bendu Yeaney (23) protects a rebound from Oregon Ducks guard Maddie Scherr (23) at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

Oregon Ducks head coach Kelly Graves shouts some instructions to his entering subs in the fourth quarter of their Pac 12 game against the 蜜柚直播 Wildcats at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
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蜜柚直播 forward Cate Reese has been named one of 30 semifinalists for the Naismith Trophy, given annually to the best player in women鈥檚 college basketball.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats guard Bendu Yeaney (23) finishes off a fast break against the Oregon Ducks in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) pulls up against the Oregon Ducks late in the second half of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

Oregon Ducks head coach Kelly Graves, left, and 蜜柚直播 Wildcats head coach Adia Barnes talk a bit just before the tip-off of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022. It was the first meeting between the two since a contentious Wildcat overtime loss in Eugene January 15.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats guard Shaina Pellington (1) just beats Oregon Ducks forward Nyara Sabally (1) to get off her shot at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Koi Love (5) and Oregon Ducks forward Sedona Prince (32) try to corral a rebound in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) shares a high five with Koi Love (5) after forcing an Oregon Ducks turnover at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats guard Derin Erdogan (11) finds just enough room on the baseline for a whip-around pass to a teammate against the Oregon Ducks in the fourth quarter of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Ariyah Copeland (22) and Oregon Ducks forward Sedona Prince (32) fight for an inlet pass in the fourth quarter of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats guard Helena Pueyo (13) turns the corner on Oregon Ducks guard Maddie Scherr (23) in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) gets tied up by Oregon Ducks guard Maddie Scherr (23) in the scramble for a loose ball at mid-court in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Lauren Ware (32) runs into Oregon Ducks forward Nyara Sabally (1) on her shot under the bucket in the first quarter of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Cate Reese (25) attempts to blow her way into the paint against Oregon Ducks forward Sedona Prince (32) in the first quarter of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats guard Bendu Yeaney (23) gets past Oregon Ducks guard Ahlise Hurst (0) for a layup on a fast break in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Sam Thomas (14) ties up Oregon Ducks guard Endyia Rogers (4) on her baseline drive in the second quarter of their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.
University of 蜜柚直播 vs Oregon

蜜柚直播 Wildcats forward Koi Love (5) has the floor all to herself, the first player out for pre-game workouts before tip-off against the Oregon Ducks at McKale Center, 蜜柚直播, Ariz., February 4, 2022.