Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto
Ducks Host Surging Utes Friday
02/01/19 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
The Oregon women's basketball team puts its perfect Pac-12 record on the line against one-loss Utah in Matthew Knight Arena on Friday (7 p.m., Pac-12).
A funny thing happened on the way to a showdown between Oregon and Stanford with Pac-12 supremacy on the line in the Bay Area next week. Put simply, Utah happened.
Entering conference play last week, the Ducks and Cardinal were the two remaining unbeaten Pac-12 teams. It looked like their game Feb. 10 at Stanford could be for first place in the league, a year after the two programs met in the conference tournament championship game.
Instead, Utah has played itself into the pantheon of Pac-12 elite — and set up a showdown in Matthew Knight Arena on Friday. The No. 14 Utes upset Stanford last week, and have a chance to send the Ducks to their first conference loss as well Friday (7 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Utah (18-1, 7-1 Pac-12) has won 18 games in a season for the third time under fourth-year coach Lynne Roberts. The difference this season is, the Utes hit that mark before the end of January, playing themselves into the top 25 for the first time in a decade and setting up a matchup with the Ducks for a share of first place in the Pac-12.
"Everybody knew they were the team that was gonna be on the rise," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "But what they've done has been incredible."
The Utes are pairing 6-foot-3 forward Megan Huff, who nearly averages a double-double with 19.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, with an array of guards who have the team 11th nationally in three-point shooting at 38.4 percent. Utah isn't deep, relying on just eight players, but the team can score at all five spots.
For Oregon fans, that will sound like a familiar formula. The Ducks (19-1, 8-0) surround post Ruthy Hebard with sharp-shooters Erin Boley and Satou Sabally, and arguably the nation's best backcourt in Sabrina Ionescu and Maite Cazorla.
Graves said to keep an eye on the matchup of Hebard and Huff.
"They're good down low; so are we," the UO coach said. "I think whoever asserts themselves down there will have a better chance of victory."
Given how similar the teams are, Oregon is happy to have the homecourt advantage Friday. The upperclassmen have enjoyed watching the Matt Arena crowds grow with each passing season, in the process increasing the energy they impart upon the players.
"It's so fun," Hebard said. "We talk about it a lot, actually. It's great to see, from our freshman year. I have people coming up to me like, 'We used to walk in and sit courtside.' …
"The more fans we get, the better I think we play. And the more hyped we are for it."
Entering conference play last week, the Ducks and Cardinal were the two remaining unbeaten Pac-12 teams. It looked like their game Feb. 10 at Stanford could be for first place in the league, a year after the two programs met in the conference tournament championship game.
Instead, Utah has played itself into the pantheon of Pac-12 elite — and set up a showdown in Matthew Knight Arena on Friday. The No. 14 Utes upset Stanford last week, and have a chance to send the Ducks to their first conference loss as well Friday (7 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Utah (18-1, 7-1 Pac-12) has won 18 games in a season for the third time under fourth-year coach Lynne Roberts. The difference this season is, the Utes hit that mark before the end of January, playing themselves into the top 25 for the first time in a decade and setting up a matchup with the Ducks for a share of first place in the Pac-12.
"Everybody knew they were the team that was gonna be on the rise," UO coach Kelly Graves said. "But what they've done has been incredible."
The Utes are pairing 6-foot-3 forward Megan Huff, who nearly averages a double-double with 19.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, with an array of guards who have the team 11th nationally in three-point shooting at 38.4 percent. Utah isn't deep, relying on just eight players, but the team can score at all five spots.
For Oregon fans, that will sound like a familiar formula. The Ducks (19-1, 8-0) surround post Ruthy Hebard with sharp-shooters Erin Boley and Satou Sabally, and arguably the nation's best backcourt in Sabrina Ionescu and Maite Cazorla.
Graves said to keep an eye on the matchup of Hebard and Huff.
"They're good down low; so are we," the UO coach said. "I think whoever asserts themselves down there will have a better chance of victory."
Given how similar the teams are, Oregon is happy to have the homecourt advantage Friday. The upperclassmen have enjoyed watching the Matt Arena crowds grow with each passing season, in the process increasing the energy they impart upon the players.
"It's so fun," Hebard said. "We talk about it a lot, actually. It's great to see, from our freshman year. I have people coming up to me like, 'We used to walk in and sit courtside.' …
"The more fans we get, the better I think we play. And the more hyped we are for it."
Players Mentioned
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