Oregon is back on a short win-streak and preparing to take on Utah at home on Friday, after wins over Arizona, Washington State and Washington.
Both the Utes and the Ducks hold close records this season, but when it comes to actual game play, the two couldn’t be more different.
Here what to watch for:
Oregon in the paint:
Oregon boasts Jillian Allyene, who earned her 88th double-double last week, which ties for most in Oregon history. The senior scored 25 points and 14 rebounds to tie the record in the Ducks’ matchup against Washington State.
Allyene has brought in-the-paint power for the Ducks this entire season, scoring 25 points against Cal followed by 14 against Colorado.
Freshman Maite Cazorla has also made her mark for the Ducks on offense this season. She was dubbed last week’s Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.
Cazorla earned the title when she scored 23 points over Arizona, and she averaged 20 points and 6.5 assists per game.
Utah from the free throw line and beyond:
While Oregon relies on up-close points, Utah takes its baskets from the outside.
Utah’s offense weapons are redshirt junior Paige Crozon and redshirt senior Katie Kuklok.
Crozon is currently third in the Pac-12 with her .843 free throw percentage, going 70-83 from the line in free throws alone.
She’s proven herself as an all-around player with 132 defensive rebounds this season, and a season-high of 16 against Arizona State. The stellar defense earned Crozon the sixth place slot in the Pac-12 for defensive rebounds per game.
Kuklok is the Utes’ own three-point-fiend.
Kuklok is fifth in the Pac-12 with a 43-percent shooting average from the three-point line. She posted a season-high 22 points with five three-pointers for the Utes against Cal.
Defense:
Oregon currently holds the No. 5 spot in the league in steals, averaging 7.91 per game. Utah is at the bottom of the pack at No. 11.
But what the Utes lack in steals, they make up for in defensive rebounds. Utah is second in the Pac-12 with an average of 30 defensive rebounds per game, behind only Oregon State who comes in with 32.59 per game. Despite Allyene’s contribution, Oregon takes the eighth place slot in that category.
Overall, this weekend will be a close match up for the Ducks. But, if Oregon can continue the offensive power it has shown in the past two weeks, the win should go to the green and yellow.
Follow Madison Layton on Twitter @MadisonLayton01
Matchups to watch: Oregon women’s basketball vs. Utah
Madison Layton
February 9, 2016
Jillian Alleyne (14) hits a close shot. The Oregon Ducks take on the Arizona Wildcats at Matthew Knight Arena on January 31, 2016 in Eugene, Oregon. (Samuel Marshall/Emerald)
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