Eugene, OR – The 16th-ranked Oregon Ducks look to remain at the top of the Pac-12 standings when the they host the upset-minded Washington Huskies at Matthew Knight Arena on Saturday.
Washington is coming off its second straight loss after winning four straight contests. The most recent setback was a 74-66 loss on the road against Oregon State that pushed the Huskies to 12-7 overall and 4-2 in league play. Washington has been competitive on the road with a mark of 4-2 in away contests, but will be back home for its next two games against No. 6 Arizona and Arizona State.
Oregon has been one of the hottest teams in the country with wins in eight straight contests after a 68-61 triumph over Washington State. The win has the Ducks in sole possession of first place at 6-0, the first time that has happened since the 1925-26 season. Oregon has been impossible to beat at Matthew Knight Arena with a 13-0 ledger at home. That mark has extended the Ducks' current home winning streak to 19 games, the third longest in program history. Oregon hits the road next to face Stanford.
Last season these teams split the season series but Washington took home a 90-86 victory when they matched up in the Pac-12 Tournament. The victory was the third in the last four meetings for the Huskies, who lead the all-time series, 187-105.
Despite a 23-point effort from C.J. Wilcox, Washington was unable to hang with Oregon State on Wednesday. The Huskies trailed by as many as 20 points in the contest and never led in the loss.
Wilcox (19.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg) has led the Huskies on the offensive end this season as the second-leading scorer in the Pac-12. The 6-foot-5 guard has scored in double figures in all but one game this season and with his size, has the ability to dominate against smaller backcourts. Flanking Wilcox on the wings is Abdul Gaddy (11.3 ppg, 3.4 apg), who runs the point and 3-point marksman Scott Suggs (12.1 ppg). In the frontcourt Aziz N'Diaye (10.7 ppg, 9.5 rpg) is a double-double threat, while providing solid defense in the paint.
Oregon rallied in the second half after trailing by 10 points at the break against Washington State. The Ducks limited the Cougars to 27.3 percent shooting in the final 20 minutes, while improving by nearly 10 percentage points themselves.
Led by a balanced attack that features five players scoring in double figures, the Ducks have been one of the best offensive squads in the Pac-12. Oregon is ranked second in the league in scoring (75.9 ppg) and third in field-goal percentage (.460). The Ducks have a +13.6 scoring margin by holding teams to less than 40 percent shooting. Oregon controls the boards well as the league's leading team on the glass (39.7 rpg). Damyean Dotson (11.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Dominic Artis (10.2 ppg, 3.8 apg) are the duo in the backcourt. E.J. Singler (10.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.2 apg) is a versatile forward that stretches the floor, while Tony Woods (11.1 ppg), Arsalan Kazemi (8.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and Carlos Emory (10.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg) provide plenty of depth in the paint.
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