Jillian Alleyne set the Pac-12 record for all-time rebounds on Sunday, and many of her friends and family have been eager to reach out and show their support. Former teammates also touched base with Alleyne after she surpassed Stanford star Chiney Owguimike’s mark of 1,567 rebounds. But for Alleyne, the focus quickly shifted back to the team.
She said time for reflection is on the back burner. Games against Colorado and Utah are quickly approaching.
Alleyne and the Ducks travel to Boulder and Salt Lake City this weekend, looking to build on the team’s first win 69-59 in Pac-12 play against California Sunday.
“Coming to practice right now, it’s a super good vibe,” Alleyne said before Tuesday’s practice. “People are really happy-go-lucky right now. I think that will cause us to work a lot harder this week.”
The Ducks will first see the last-place Colorado Buffaloes (5-12, 0-6 Pac-12) and then take on the improved Utah Utes (12-5, 4-2 Pac-12) on Sunday afternoon.
Oregon (12-5, 1-5 Pac-12) won the entirety of its nonconference schedule and then dropped its first five conference games. All five losses came against teams currently ranked in the AP Top-25 poll.
“Colorado is going to be a tough test for us, no question about it,” head coach Kelly Graves said. “They’re hungry, this is a must-win for them. They’re searching for their first one. They have a bunch of new kids that I’m sure still believe. They’re going to get after us.”
The Ducks were swept by the two mountain schools last year on the road. The last time the Ducks took a sweep against Colorado and Utah came at home in 2011-2012.
Oregon (40.4 percent) and Colorado (37 percent) rank first and second in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage.
Lexi Bando, who had 16 points against the Golden Bears in last weekend’s offensive revival, said the team’s confidence benefited from the win on Sunday.
“Getting the win against Cal will definitely bring a lot of energy to this road weekend,” Bando said. “I think that will definitely help us be mentally prepared for those games.”
Utah is tied for fourth place in the conference standings while Colorado sits at No. 12. The Buffs have won four straight against the Ducks and erased a 13-point lead in Boulder last season to win 84-59. Utah is coming off an 80-60 loss to No. 8 Arizona State.
“We’ve been playing pretty well overall, but haven’t been able to seal the deal, so to speak,” Graves said. “So hopefully we’re going to have a great weekend of practice and hit the road to continue this.”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne