When the Arizona women's basketball team lost to Oregon at home earlier this year, head coach Joan Bonvicini said it was the team's worst loss of the season.

The Wildcats came into the game on the heels of a big win against 15th-ranked Oregon State, yet all the Wildcats could do against Oregon was shoot blanks. Almost a month later, Arizona will have a chance for revenge, and they will be bringing in all of their ammunition.

There is no question this time. It's Duck season.

"This is a revenge game for us," Bonvicini said. "We are going to prove that we are a much better team than we showed in our first meeting."

The Wildcats (16-5 overall and 7-5 in the Pacific 10 Conference) will play Oregon (15-8, 7-6) in a crucial Pac-10 matchup tonight in Eugene at 8. Arizona is currently tied for third in the conference with Washington while Oregon is a half game behind Arizona in fifth place.

With such a logjam of good teams, each win is vital for the Wildcats' chances to reach the NCAA Tournament. While Arizona would love to sweep the Oregon schools this weekend, a split is probably all they need to keep their chances alive.

"This is not a nice road trip to be on and if we come out with a sweep I'll be so happy," senior guard Andrea Constand said. "It will just guarantee a better place for us towards the NCAA Tournament."

Arizona is looking for its first-ever tournament birth, and with six games remaining, their chances are probably the best they have ever been. The Wildcats are coming off a big sweep of UCLA and USC - its first conference sweep of the season. Those big wins quickly cured the damage done by their three-game losing streak. Yet the Wildcats need to play well every game lest they lose respect in the eyes of the selection committee.

"It's important that we remain focused for every game," sophomore forward Adia Barnes said. "Our concentration is on Oregon now."

Oregon is a stingy defensive team that gave the Wildcats fits in January. In that game Arizona lost 55-47 - its lowest offensive output of the season. The Ducks have a pair of good scorers up front in center Renae Fegent (14.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game) and forward Adrianne Boyer, who averages 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds.

Arizona will counter with its triple threat of scorers in Constand, fellow senior guard Brenda Pantoja and Barnes. Barnes leads the team in both scoring and rebounding (17.3 and 7.9) while Constand and Pantoja each add 14.0 points per game. Pantoja continues to lead the nation with 9.2 assists per game.

"We are a team built on a lot of character," Constand said. "We have a lot of individuals coming together and that is why we are successful right now."