Oregon needed a boost in the second quarter of its San Diego Invitational matchup with No. 17-ranked Arkansas. In a move that's likely to be the norm for the next three seasons-and-change, the Ducks turned to freshman Grace VanSlooten. 

UO fed the ball to VanSlooten inside on three consecutive possessions, all three resulting in the first-year forward drawing fouls on the Razorbacks to get to the free-throw line. 

"Once I figured out they were going to keep going for that foul, I was just going to keep going at them and get them in foul trouble," VanSlooten said. "Keep going at them to add that third, fourth foul and get them on the bench by getting into the key and going to the foul line." 

Banging on the interior may not be the most pretty brand of basketball, but it's effective — for Oregon, VanSlooten's ability to get to the line with hard-charging offense in the paint prevented Arkansas from extending a seven-point lead. And, as the forward noted, it's a style of ball with dual-functionality in forcing an opponent to the bench. 

Spin. Body. Bucket.@gvanslooten40 ties it up!

? @FloHoops
? https://t.co/D9YKr8DA1x#GoDucks pic.twitter.com/bQLINh8gwZ

— Oregon Women’s Basketball (@OregonWBB) December 20, 2022

The second-quarter sequence resulted in Arkansas post Erynn Barnum sidelined to avoid further foul trouble, and the Ducks capitalized to flip a deficit into a lead by halftime. 

Pretty darn savvy for a freshman, and it's only a sampling of the fast acclimation VanSlooten is undergoing in the college game. 

A 5-star recruit from Ottawa, Ohio, and Florida's IMG Academy, the 6-foot-3 forward fitting into a roster with Final Four aspirations was to be expected. Still, there's a learning curve when stepping up in the level of competition. 

"I'm getting there," she said of adjusting to college basketball. "There was a little shock, at first, with how physical and fast the pace is and everything like that. But your teammates help a lot." 

That entails, "a lot of advice," VanSlooten elaborated. "We have veteran guards, a veteran with Philli [Phillipina Kyei] inside, so they help with that." 

Against Arkansas, one of the marquee matchups of Oregon's non-conference schedule, the Ducks thrived with that combination of veteran experience and youthful energy. 

Junior guard Te-Hina Paopao made big plays down the stretch, fifth-year senior Ahlise Hurst sank a crucial 3-pointer to build a cushion, the sophomore Kyei came up with critical rebounds. 

Then, demonstrating that both the immediate and long-term future of Oregon basketball looks promising, VanSlooten and her fellow frosh Chance Gray delivered pivotal jumpers in the second half. 

Gray's two late 3-pointers sank the Razorbacks' comeback efforts, while VanSlooten showed off elements to her game beyond banging on the interior. She capped a career-scoring high, 26-point performance with a silky smooth mid-range jumper in the fourth quarter. 

In the first half, VanSlooten operated with the "old-school, back-to-basket game" Ducks coach Kelly Graves touted before the season. With her big bucket in the fourth quarter, she showed the face-up game that makes VanSlooten the quintessential modern forward in the mold of reigning WNBA Most Valuable Player A'ja Wilson. 

Of course, it's early to draw such a lofty comparison when VanSlooten has plenty of room to grow as a player and plenty of college basketball ahead of her — including the three months remaining in her freshman season, starting with a San Diego Invitational showdown against third-ranked Ohio State. 

With her combination of physical interior play and finesse perimeter game, however, VanSlooten has the foundation to grow into one of the game's superstars — sooner than later.