Oregon Ducks Women Push 16 Assists In Win Over Utah Utes

;The Oregon Ducks have won 7 of their last 8 games and are now one game above .500 in the Pac-12 Conference and a game ahead of Utah in the standings.

More from Autzen Zoo

• Oregon football: Ducks and Coach Prime playing it cordial leading up to Saturday
• Oregon Basketball: Non-conference slate features Michigan coming to Eugene
• Oregon football: Ducks find complete game effort in win vs Hawaii
• Oregon Ducks must get run game going against Hawaii
• 8 Pac-12 teams represented in Associated Press Top 25 after Week 2

The Oregon Women’s Basketball team has spent two seasons growing with Head Coach Kelly Graves and learning how to win games. In just his second season his team is paying big dividends having made it through the non-conference slate undefeated and after a rough start getting back into the Pac-12 race at 6-6 after an 0-5 start. Friday night Oregon faced Utah a team that has also had an up and down season, but are on a win streak of late and have also climbed back to the middle of the Pac-12. Both teams entered the game at 6-6, but a win for the Oregon Ducks could prove to go a long way toward playing in March.

Utah scored the first points, but Oregon kept pace landing three straight baskets including a three point shot from Lexi Bando. Jillian Alleyne and Bando were the early scorers for the Ducks. Kat Cooper would push Oregon to their largest lead of the game 33-24 with just over a minute left in the first half.

Oregon led at the half in rebounds 17-15 and shot over 50 percent from inside and 56 percent from beyond the arc. Utah would be outscored 20-6 entering halftime as the Ducks would lead by nine at the break.

"This is what we play for, to have a chance. They have never played a meaningful game in February….this was fun for themHead Coach Kelly Graves On The Win Over Utah"

The Utes were not going away and would take the third quarter pulling to within six points of the lead. Alleyne would push the Oregon lead to 10 and break some big Oregon records in the second half taking the most points scored in an Oregon Uniform from former Oregon Ducks player Bev Smith. She also broke Smith’s record for double doubles in an Oregon uniform with 89.

Alleyne would hit a shot and be fouled with just over 4 minutes left in the game. She would hit the free throw putting Oregon up 9. Utah would go on a run and keep the ball on their end of the floor with three Ducks committing fouls to pull within 4 points. Lexi Petersen would hit a three pointer and Oregon would start a run of their own as Cazorla would go to the foul line. Oregon would extend their lead to 9 points.

Oregon would win the game­­­ in the end and Utah would miss their last four shot attempts. The Ducks finished the game hitting 47 percent from three point range with Utah hitting at just 21 percent. Oregon dished out 16 assists on the night. The Ducks Defense had seven steals and five blocks against the Utes.

Next: Five Oregon Ducks Invited to NFL Combine

Oregon welcomes Colorado for the second of four home games at Matthew Knight Arena on Sunday for a 4pm tipoff on Pac-12 Network.