The Oregon Ducks were struggling through Big Ten play until both the men's and women's basketball teams faced conference opponents on Sunday, Feb. 16. The men took down the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the women toppled the Minnesota Golden Gophers as both Duck teams returned to their winning ways.
With their win over Minnesota, the Oregon women stretched their conference winning streak back to two games as they secured the 76-70 win. The men, who had been on a five-game losing streak until the past week, also captured their second consecutive Big Ten win when they defeated the Scarlet Knights 75-57.
Oregon women's basketball defeats Minnesota 76-70
The Oregon women improved to 9-6 in conference play with an impressive 18-8 overall record. Star senior guard Deja Kelly had the night of her life as she contributed 20 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.
Junior guard Elisa Mevius contributed 19 points to the Ducks' total as she continued to prove her value as a starter for the Oregon squad. Senior forward Alexis Whitfield came off the bench during the matchup to score 13 points as she an incredible 85.7 percent from the field.
Oregon men's basketball defeats Rutgers 75-57
Sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad continued his shooting dominance as he drained three shots from beyond the arc and contributed 19 points to the Ducks' total. Senior center Nate Bittle contributed 15 points of his own alongside 10 rebounds for a double-double.
TJ Bamba, who transferred to Oregon from Villanova ahead of this season, added 11 points, six assists, and four rebounds to the Ducks' stat lines.
Oregon out-rebounded and out-hustled the Scarlet Knights as they secured 33 total rebounds, compared to Rutgers' 27, and forced 13 turnovers while only committing nine of their own.
The Oregon women will return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 5 p.m. PT when they take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Duck men will flock to the court to face the Iowa Hawkeyes on the same night, just 30 minutes later. Both games will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.