Ducks Face Seventh-Ranked Utes Sunday

EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon concludes its home weekend Sunday, hosting No. 7 Utah at 2 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena with television coverage on Pac-12 Networks.

The game will mark UO's Black History Month game, as the team will wear special Black History Month shooting shirts designed by the players.

The Ducks have won 13 of the last 14 matchups with the Utes, including eight straight in Eugene, while leading the all-time series 24-10. Utah will be UO's seventh game against a top-25 team this season.

GAME #23
RV Oregon (14-8, 5-5) vs. #7 Utah (19-2, 9-2)
Sunday, Feb. 5 | 2 p.m. PT | Matthew Knight Arena (Eugene, Ore.)
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Play-by-play: Ann Schatz | Analyst: Jennifer Mountain
Radio: Oregon Sports Network (KUGN 98.1 FM/590 AM)
Play-by-play: Terry Jonz | Analyst: Bev Smith
Listen Online | Live Stats

AT A GLANCE
Oregon seeks a weekend split with the mountain schools Sunday, as the Ducks host No. 7 Utah at 2 p.m. at Matthew Knight Arena.

The Ducks (14-8, 5-6) sit in a seventh-place tie in the Pac-12 standings after dropping four of their last five games following Friday's 63-53 setback to Colorado. UO has won 13 of the last 14 matchups with the Utes, including eight straight in Eugene, while leading the all-time series 24-10.

Monday, freshman Grace VanSlooten collected her fourth Pac-12 Freshman of the Week award and fifth weekly honor on the season. VanSlooten led Oregon with 15.5 points per game, including a game-high 20 points in the Ducks' 78-73 at Cal.

LAST TIME OUT
Three Ducks scored in double figures against the Buffaloes, led by 15 apiece from both Endyia Rogers and VanSlooten. Taylor Hosendove added a season-high 10 points - a career high in her UO career.

In Friday's loss, Oregon went 0-for-16 from behind the 3-point line, marking just the third time since at least the 2009-10 season in which UO did not make a 3-pointer.

Oregon trailed by just two points going in to the fourth quarter, but CU scored 24 points in the final frame to snap a five-game skid in Eugene. Colorado's Aaronette Vonleh led all players with 22 points to go with eight rebounds.

SCOUTING UTAH
Utah enters Sunday with its highest ranking of the season at No. 7 in the latest Associated Press poll. The Utes, who began the season 14-0, come to Eugene on a four-game winning streak after their 75-73 overtime victory at Oregon State Friday night. In the win, Alissa Pili paced all players with 23 points to go with six rebounds. Gianna Kneepkens added 17 points and eight boards.

On the season, Pili is Utah's leading scorer at 20.4 points per game, which is tops in the Pac-12. Her average has gone up during conference games, averaging 21.3 points a night in league play.

The Utes' offense leads the league and ranks fifth nationally at 84.1 points a game. Additionally, UU is fourth nationally with its 48.6 field goal percentage with a scoring margin of 21.2 points a game (No. 6 in the country).

INSIDE THE SERIES
Dating back to 1981, Oregon holds a 24-10 lead in the all-time series with Utah. Since the utes joined the Pac-12 Conference for the 2011-12 season, the Ducks are 15-5 in the series after taking two of three meetings a season ago. Utah ousted Oregon in the semifinal round of the Pac-12 Tournament a season ago, 80-73, snapping UO's 13-game winning streak in the series.

Oregon is 15-2 at home (9-2 at Matthew Knight Arena) against Utah, winning the last eight meetings in Eugene. Head coach Kelly Graves is 13-2 overall and 7-0 at home in his UO career against Utah. Sunday will mark the only regular-season meeting between the Ducks and Utes.

OREGON vs. RANKED TEAMS
No. 7 Utah will mark the seventh top-25 opponent Oregon has faced this season, as five of the Ducks' eight losses have come to top-25 squads. Oregon is 1-5 against top-25 teams this season, with the Ducks' defeating No. 17 Arkansas 85-78 to kick off the San Diego Invitational on Dec. 20. It was the 44th ranked victory under ninth-year head coach Kelly Graves.

A season ago, the Ducks collected a pair of top-10 wins, including a 72-59 win against No. 9 UConn and a 68-66 win over No. 7 Arizona. The Ducks have picked up 16 victories over teams in the nation's top 10 in Graves' tenure, with seven coming in the 2019-20 campaign. Under Graves, UO has picked up six wins against top-five teams, with the highest ranked win coming against No. 3 Stanford on Jan. 16, 2020 (87-55).

This season against top-25 foes, the Ducks are averaging 71.7 points per game (7.0 points below season average) while allowing 78.3 points (allow 68.4 for the season). The Ducks are shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from three against ranked teams. Additionally, Oregon turns the ball over 14.7 time per game (11.8 season average) while its assist-to-turnover ratio drops to 0.97 (1.44 season average).

THE "O" STANDS FOR OFFENSE
Oregon's 107.7 offensive efficiency rating (points per 100 possessions) is the 15th-highest mark in the country and third-best in the Pac-12 behind only Utah (112.4) and Stanford (111.4). The Ducks' 77.5 points per game rank as the 28th-best mark in the country and third-highest in the conference. UO's plus-14.1 scoring margin is the third-best rate in the Pac-12 and 28th in the nation while the team's 49.8 effective field goal percentage ranks fourth in the league.

UO has scored at least 75 points in 13 of 22 outings while reaching the 90-point mark four times. Under ninth-year head coach Kelly Graves, the Ducks are 52-0 when scoring at least 90 points. This season, Oregon is 4-0 when reaching the 90-point plateau, surpassing the total number of 90-point efforts during the 2021-22 and 2020-21 seasons (three times each). At Matthew Knight Arena this season, the Ducks are averaging 79.6 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from behind the arc. In total, Oregon gets a Pac-12 high 30.6 percent of its points from 3-pointers.