Bruins to Face Toughest Test With No. 12 Oregon

The UCLA Bruins are preparing for their toughest test of the season as they will travel north to face the No. 12 Oregon Ducks on Sunday afternoon. It will be a very even matchup with a heightened emphasis on the Bruins' paint presence and success.

Dec 3, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Aday Mara (15) celebrates with guard Kobe Johnson (0) in the first half against the Washington Huskies at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The UCLA Bruins (7-1) are riding a six-game win streak and hold a 1-0 record in Big Ten play after their convincing win over the Washington Huskies earlier this week. They will face their toughest test of the season as they travel up north to take on the No. 12 Oregon Ducks (9-0) on Sunday afternoon.

The Bruins' only loss this season came against New Mexico in their second game of the season. As a team full of transfers, the Bruins were still getting used to each other and now look like a completely different team. They are clicking at the best time as conference play is underway.

The Ducks have a perfect 9-0 record, defeating two top 25 teams in No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies and most recently, No. 9 Alabama Crimson Tide. This is a team littered with seniors and veteran experience, resembling what the Bruins bring to the table this season.

7-0, 220-pound senior center Nate Bittle has been the best player on both sides of the ball for the Ducks this season. Bittle is averaging a team-high in points per game (13.6), rebounds per game (nine), and blocks per game (two).

Bittle will be a main priority to limit in the paint as he will be the biggest on the floor. Bruins' sophomore center Aday Mara is 7-0, 240 pounds and will be a major factor in stopping Biddle from having his way. Sophomore Eric Dailey Jr. and Junior William Kyle III will be required to help as well.

The Ducks are averaging just under 80 points per game while allowing 67.7 on average. They rank 14th in the Big Ten in field goal percentage at 45.4% and 11th in three-point percentage at 33%. They are not the greatest shooting team, but they gain extra possessions to maximize their chances.

In the Ducks' most recent win, they took down the Bruins' bitter rival, USC, by 8 points on the road. Sophomore guard Jackson Shelstad had a team-high 24 points. Three of the five starters from that came are averaging above a 50% field goal percentage as well.

If the Bruins want to stack up and take this game down to the wire, they will need a strong shooting performance while limiting the number of turnovers. They did an exceptional job against the Huskies earlier this week in both aspects and will need to bring even more intensity to this game.

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