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The two met at halfcourt five minutes before Friday night's tipoff at McKale Center, engaging in a conversation that lasted just over a minute.

“I think there’s just a mutual respect; I respect Kelly,� Barnes said of their interaction. “We’re competitive. It’s something where I don’t take it personally, he doesn’t take it personally, we don’t care. Just wished each other luck.�

The pregame pleasantries didn’t stop a crowd of 10,413 fans— the largest regular season attendance in UA women’s basketball history — from booing Graves and injecting their passion into one of the Pac-12’s newest and star-studded rivalries.

And if there was any bad blood remaining from the first matchup — a UA overtime loss — the Wildcats delivered a message to the Ducks Friday, winning 63-48 in a game they largely controlled.

“I think just the perfect situation for us to protect home court,� Barnes said.

The high level of energy in the arena was evident even before tipoff. Fans were handed white T-shirts at the gate for the "White-Out" and seats in the upper bowl of the arena were occupied for the first time all year.

The notion of a revenge game, coupled with ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s dominance at home this year, created the perfect storm for the Wildcats. The Cats led for more than 34 minutes, including the entire second half; their lead swelled to 20-plus points multiple times.

“We definitely had something to prove tonight because we lost the last matchup,� point guard Shaina Pellington said.

Six different players scored at least six points for the Cats. Cate Reese had a team-high 13 points, her ninth straight game in double figures, while Helena Pueyo and Koi Love each had eight.

The big difference in the rematch was ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s stout defense. The Wildcats' swarming attack held the Ducks to a season-low 48 points on 16 of 44 shooting (36%). Oregon hit just 2 of 15 shots (13%) from 3-point range.

The Cats also forced 21 turnovers and outscored the Ducks 34-18 in the paint.

“We know that defensively, we couldn’t let any of their best players have their best game,� forward Koi Love said.

Both teams started off the night at a frenetic pace, but neither were successful at establishing a significant early advantage.

The Wildcats led 6-2 after the Ducks missed on their first five shots. Oregon then scored seven straight points before a Cate Reese 3-pointer tied it at 9-9. Reese and Helena Pueyo scored the next two baskets for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and the Cats led 14-9 at the end of the quarter.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ struggled to slow down Oregon's Nyara Sabally early on, and the forward led the Ducks with 11 first-half points and four blocks. She slowed down in the second half, scoring just four points while checking in and out of the game.

The Cats started to find rhythm in the second quarter, going 6 of 13 (46%) from the field and leading for over 10 minutes.

Pellington's driving layup put ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ up 26-18, its largest lead of the half. Lauren Ware hit a 3-pointer and Pellington converted on one of her two free throw attempts to close the quarter with ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ up 30-24 at the break.

Pellington guarded Oregon Te-Hina Paopao much of the game and kept the guard in check. Paopao finished with just five points after scoring 24 in the teams' first meeting.

“We had a good game plan for her,� Pellington said. “We had a gameplan for her specifically.�

Sam Thomas, who went scoreless in the first half, knocked down a 3 to open the second half and played a key role in helping the Wildcats outscore the Ducks 21-11 in the quarter. The senior had five points, one rebound, one assist, one block and one steal in the quarter.

Pueyo capped off a run of four straight baskets by the team to end the third quarter with a 3 to put the Cats up 51-35.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ made sure its big lead didn’t slip away this time, eventually bringing the advantage up to 21 points in the fourth quarter. A layup from Love made it 61-40 with 5:52 to play.

UA’s win over the 19-ranked Ducks marks the third win over a ranked opponent this season. Dating back to the start of the 2020-21 season, the Wildcats are 6-3 against top 25 opponents during the regular season, with all of three losses coming against Stanford.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has also beaten Oregon in three of the last four meetings, winning by an average of 17 points.

The Wildcats (16-3, 6-3) host Oregon State Sunday at noon at McKale Center. The Ducks (17-6, 7-2) will take on ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ State in Tempe.