KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Freshman UA guard Dee-Dee Wheeler dribbles downcourt earlier this month in McKale Center. The women's basketball team plays host to Oregon State tonight.

Women's hoops lose Warren and Wheeler, play host to Beavers

Just as it was preparing to seek revenge for a weekend sweep it suffered earlier this season in Oregon, the Arizona women's basketball faced yet another series of losses.

The Wildcats (10-10 overall, 6-5 Pacific 10 Conference) lost junior forward Krista Warren before tonight's matchup against Oregon State.

The Cloverdale, Calif., native sprained her left ankle in Tuesday's practice after stepping on a teammate's foot.

Warren was X-rayed last night, and the team should know more today about how long she will be sidelined. The junior said she expects to be out for the games against Oregon State and Oregon.

"I'm (definitely) not playing tonight and probably not on Saturday either," Warren said.

Warren, who was a probable starter in the UA lineup, will leave an absence down low as she was Arizona's second highest rebounder, averaging 8.1 boards per game.

If Warren's absence was not enough for the Wildcats, who were recently seeing more success in Pac-10 play after winning three of their last four games on the road, UA faces another loss - this time to its second leading scorer.

Freshman guard Dee-Dee Wheeler, whose recurring right knee injury gave her problems in Saturday's win against Cal, said that she most likely will not be able to play against the Beavers.

"If I play, it won't be much - but I doubt I'll play. I can't go at a fast pace," Wheeler said.

Wheeler was seen by an on-campus doctor last night but said that her knee prevents her from coming to sudden stops and from playing defense.

Although UA head coach Joan Bonvicini said in Tuesday's practice that it was likely the UA guard would receive playing time, Wheeler said that her knee was troubling her in yesterday's practice and most likely will not be playing tonight.

Wheeler's absence would put a strain on UA's offense. She is currently averaging 11.5 points per game.

The Beavers (11-10 overall, 7-4 Pac-10) bring the Pac-10's leading scorer - senior guard Felicia Ragland - into McKale Center after splitting the weekend in Los Angeles. Ragland enters the game averaging 19.9 points and six rebounds per game.

Oregon State defeated UCLA, 77-36 before losing to Southern California, 60-58. The Wildcats defeated both teams.

In Arizona's 71-56 loss to the Beavers last time the two teams faced each other, the Wildcats struggled finding production from their post players and defending Oregon State's shooting, two areas that Bonvicini said are crucial in order to be successful in tonight's game.

Bonvicini said that despite the recent success on the road, these two games at home are important for the Wildcats, who have lost four games in McKale Center so far this season.

"Felisha's a very good player, and the last time we faced them, our defense was bad and we needed more production from the posts," Bonvicini said. "Beating Oregon State is huge, and with the conference being so tight in the middle, both these games are important."

Tonight's game tips off at 7 in McKale Center.