Notes: Ducks Meet Utah Sunday at MKA

EUGENE, Ore. - The Oregon women's basketball team will to win for the fourth time in five games when the Ducks host Utah at 1 PM on Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena.

OREGON DUCKS (13-6, 3-4 Pac-12)
PPG: 74.8 | FG%: 46.9 | 3FG%: 39.3 | FT%: 69.8
Notable: The Ducks have won three of their last four games, including Friday's 71-66 win over Colorado. Defense has been the difference for the Ducks in Pac-12 play. In three league wins, Oregon is holding opponents to 36.6% shooting while opponents are shooting 48.7% in four league losses. The Ducks have the best inside-outside combo in the NCAA as forward Ruthy Hebard is third in the nation, shooting 68.9% on field goals while guard Lexi Bando is second in the nation, shooting 52.9% from three.

UTAH UTES (13-5, 2-5 Pac-12)
PPG: 67.6 | FG%: 40.7 | 3FG%: 25.7 | FT%: 68.7
Series Record: UO leads, 14-9 (10-2 in Eugene)
Last Meeting: UO won 73-63 (3/23/16, Eugene, WNIT)
Notable: Utah is coming off a 70-44 loss at Oregon State on Friday. Center Emily Potter leads the Utes with 15.8 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting 54.8 percent from the field. Potter also has 56 blocks this season, the most in the Pac-12. Erika Bean is second in the conference, averaging 6.1 assists per game. Paige Crozon is the only Ute shooting better than 30% from three at 34.2%.

TV AND RADIO BROADCAST INFO
Oregon's game at 1 PM on Sunday against Utah will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Oregon and Pac-12 Mountain but not Pac-12 National. The game will also be carried live on the radio in Eugene (KUGN 590 AM) and Portland (KBNP 1410 AM) with Terry Jonz, Oregon women's basketball's longtime play-by-play man, on the call. Fans can find a free radio stream online via TuneIn.com/Ducks and the TuneIn app.

OREGON'S HISTORY VS. UTAH
- UO leads the all-time series, 14-9, after defeating Utah three times last year - twice in the regular season and once in the WNIT.
- Oregon won, 77-65, at Utah last year and again, 69-58, at home. The Ducks won again, 73-63 in the WNIT.
- UO's win last year in Salt Lake City was it's first against the Utes on the road since 1984.
- Lexi Bando was fantastic against Utah last season, averaging 20.7 points per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the field and 57.9 percent from three-point range (11-of-19). She had a ridiculous 34 points including six three-pointers in the WNIT win over the Utes last season.
- Utah is 5-3 against the Ducks since joining the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season.
- Oregon won the first six games in the series, stretching from 1981-1989.
- The Ducks won the first meeting between the two schools, 73-63, in Eugene on Dec. 12, 1981.
- The 86 points scored by the Ducks in their overtime loss in 2009 is their most in any game against Utah. The Ducks scored a series low 47 points against the Utes on both March 3, 2012 and Feb. 8, 2013.

TOP-25 TESTED
Oregon has already played six top-25 teams this season. The Ducks are 2-4 so far this season with wins against then-No. 24 Michigan State and then-No. 20 California.

ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST SHOOTING TEAMS
The Ducks continue to be one of the best all-around shooting teams in the nation.
- Oregon ranks 16th in the NCAA and fourth in the Pac-12, shooting 46.9 percent on field goals.
- From long range the Ducks are even better, shooting 39.3 percent from three, which ranks ninth in the NCAA and second in the Pac-12.

INSIDE, OUTSIDE THREATS
The Ducks own one of the best inside-outside combinations in the NCAA this season.
- Freshman forward Ruthy Hebard ranks third in the NCAA and leads the Pac-12 in field goal percentage at 68.9 percent.
- Junior guard Lexi Bando is second in the NCAA and leads the Pac-12, shooting 53.7 percent from three-point range. She is the active career leader in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage at 46.6.

OREGON'S LAST GAME
For the third time in four games, the Oregon women's basketball team rallied back from a halftime deficit to win Friday night, as the Ducks defeated Colorado, 71-66, before 2,260 in Matthew Knight Arena. The Ducks (13-6, 3-4 Pac-12) trailed at halftime for the seventh time in seven Pac-12 games so far this season. The Buffaloes (11-7, 1-6) led 11-10 after the first quarter, and 31-29 at the half. The UO women had 10 turnovers at halftime, and committed two more early in the third quarter as Colorado took a 36-33 lead. But from there the Ducks tightened up their play at both ends and went to freshman phenom Ruthy Hebard in the low block, as Hebard scored nine points during an 11-0 run to a 44-36 Oregon lead. Colorado stayed in the game with the three-point shot, making one late in the third quarter to stay within 49-45, and then four more in the final quarter to remain a threat. But with the Ducks up 68-64 after a baseline jumper by Jacinta Vandenberg, the UO senior post came up with a huge defensive rebounds with 27 seconds left and the Ducks held on. Hebard led the Ducks with 19 points and 11 rebounds, her sixth double-double of the season. Maite Cazorla added 14 points with six assists, Sabrina Ionescu had eight points, six assists and five rebounds, and Vandenberg scored a season-high nine points while grabbing six rebounds. Along with the baseline jumper, Vandenberg hit a hook shot as the shot clock was expiring for a 64-59 Oregon lead.

RPI CHECK
Oregon is No. 42 in the most recent NCAA RPI while Utah is No. 50. The Pac-12 has four teams in the top-11 of the RPI, led by OSU at No. 7. UO's best RPI win is Michigan State at No. 51 with Cal just behind at No. 53.