(12) U-C-L-A (11-2) at Oregon (6-7)

Oregon Ducks

Sports Network | January 4, 2009

GAME NOTES: McArthur Court in Eugene is the site of today's Pac-10 Conference clash between the UCLA Bruins and the Oregon Ducks.

UCLA opened Pac-10 play on Friday against Oregon State, and the result of that tilt was a 69-46 road victory. That win was the seventh in a row for the Bruins, who are now 11-2 overall. The schedule has been fairly soft for UCLA, which lost to Michigan and Texas, the two best teams that the club has faced thus far.

Oregon also opened the Pac-10 portion of its schedule on Friday, falling to USC in an 83-62 final in front of a disappointed home crowd. That loss halted a modest two-game win streak for the Ducks, who are a disappointing 6-7 overall. They have lost by double digits to the only three ranked teams that they have faced thus far and are considered underdogs today.

UCLA has won its last three meetings with Oregon and owns a commanding 79-25 advantage in the all-time series between the teams.

Heading into Friday's game against Oregon State, UCLA was averaging 77.2 ppg on 50.1 percent shooting from the floor while limiting opponents to 57.9 ppg on 42.5 percent shooting. Darren Collison was scoring 14.3 ppg and dishing out 5.3 apg through the first 12 outings of the campaign, and he came through with a 16-point effort against Oregon State. Michael Roll also tallied 16 points in the contest, as he nailed all four of his three-point attempts off the bench. The third and final double-digit scorer in the win was Drew Gordon, as he hit all four of his shots from the floor en route to 11 points. UCLA led 37-16 at intermission after holding the Beavers to seven field goals in the first half. The second half was much more competitive, but the large halftime lead proved to be more than enough to earn the Bruins a win. They forced 20 turnovers in the clash and finished with a 12-4 edge on the offensive boards.

Oregon is scoring a respectable 73.8 ppg this season, but the club's output would certainly be higher if not for 41.4 percent shooting from the floor. Defensively, the Ducks are permitting 76.9 ppg to the opposition. Tajuan Porter is the leading scorer for Oregon with 14.2 ppg, but his 37.9 percent shooting is clearly disappointing. Michael Dunigan checks in with 11.2 ppg and 6.0 rpg, while Garrett Sim provides 10.6 ppg. The fourth and final double- digit scorer for the Ducks is LeKendric Longmire with 10.2 ppg. In the ugly loss to USC on Friday, Oregon connected on only 37.1 percent of its field goal attempts, including an 8-of-28 showing from three-point range. The Ducks were also outscored 17-8 from the foul line and outrebounded by a 44-33 margin. Porter scored 12 points in the setback, while Sim and Kamyron Brown netted 10 points apiece.

Expect UCLA to take care of business on the road today. The Bruins will likely pull away in the second half and earn a satisfying, double-digit win.

GAME NOTES: McArthur Court in Eugene is the site of today's Pac-10 Conference clash between the UCLA Bruins and the Oregon Ducks.

FACTS & STATS: Site: McArthur Court (9,087) -- Eugene, Oregon. Television: FSN. Home Record: UCLA 8-0, Oregon 4-3. Away Record: UCLA 1-1, Oregon 1-1. Neutral Record: UCLA 2-1, Oregon 1-3. Conference Record: UCLA 1-0, Oregon 0-1. Series Record: UCLA leads, 79-25.

UCLA 80, Oregon 69