No. 22 Oregon vs. UNLV: How to watch, follow and more

For just the third time under head coach Dana Altman (7th season), Oregon traveled 120 miles to play in Portland. This time, the No. 22 Ducks welcome the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels to the Moda Center on Saturday, Dec. 17. The game will broadcast nationally on ESPN2, with tipoff timed for 8 p.m. PT.

“It’s important for us to get up there and play because it’s a big part of the Oregon fan base,” Altman said. “Basketball is a lot different than football. Playing two games at home each week during the conference schedule with a lot of them on Thursdays and Saturdays, it’s hard to make two trips from Portland in a week.”

The game will be a homecoming of sorts for standout freshman Payton Pritchard, who has historically thrived at the Moda Center, helping West Linn High win state titles in 2013 and 2014.

“I won two state titles at (Moda Center), so I like that floor,” Pritchard said. “I had good memories there, so hopefully we can continue that.”

Week 6 — No. 22 Oregon Ducks (9-2, 0-0 Pac-12) vs. UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (6-4, 0-0 Mountain West)
Date: Saturday, December 17, 2016
Time: 8 p.m. PT
Place: Moda Center (Portland, Ore.)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: IMG Sports Network
Follow Along: Live Stats; @AddictedToQuack

At A Glance

• Oregon Ducks (9-2, 0-0 Pac-12) — The Ducks have won seven straight, most recently topping Montana, 81-67, thanks to Chris Boucher’s career performance. The senior led the way with 22 points and a Matthew Knight Arena record 19 boards for his 10th collegiate double-double… The victory extended the Ducks’ home winning streak to 32 games, the longest in UO history and the third-longest active streak in the country. Kansas (46) and South Dakota State (33) round out the top two… While the Ducks continue to find their offensive rhythm, they’ve relied on their defensive abilities. UO ranks 18th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.372), as they’ve held opponents to less than 70 points for 10 straight games… The Ducks are first in the country with 8.7 blocks per game, thanks to big-time swatters Boucher (3.2bpg, 10th nationally) and Jordan Bell (2.5bpg, 29th nationally).

• UNLV Runnin’ Rebels (6-4, 0-0 Mountain West) — So far this season, first-year head coach Marvin Menziez has led the Runnin’ Rebels to a 6-4 overall record with wins over UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton, Northern Arizona, Western Kentucky, Southern Utah and most recently Incarnate Word… Against Incarnate Word, Tyrell Green notched a double-double with 21 points and 10 boards to help UNLV snap a two-game skid… The Runnin’ Rebels look to build upon their 2015-16 campaign, in which they finished 18-15 overall and 8-10 in Mountain West play, placing them sixth in the conference… Only three players return from last season’s squad, as the team welcomed 12 newcomers this year… UNLV was picked to finish eighth in the Mountain West preseason poll, as voted by members of the media… Through 10 games, three Runnin’ Rebels are averaging double-digits in the scoring column: Jalen Poyser (16.1ppg), Green (12.8ppg) and Christian Jones (10.5ppg)… Dwayne Morgan has been holding it down defensively, averaging a team-leading 7.3 rebounds per game and blocking a team-best 11 shots.

All-Time Series

• The Ducks are 3-2 against the Runnin’ Rebels all-time, dating back to their first meeting in 1974-75. UNLV most recently bested Oregon last December, 80-69. In that game, the Runnin’ Rebels opened play with three straight triples to jump out to a 9-2 advantage. Altman looks prevent that type of obstacle this season, preaching a sense of urgency.

"They got off to a great start against us last year and we got in a hole we never dug ourselves out of," Altman said. "It's a different team and a different roster. Marvin (Menzies) is a good coach, and I like some of the stuff they are doing. They are adjusting to a new coach, so I hope we can take advantage of that and get them before they get better as the season progresses."

Film Session

Below, you’ll find highlights from the Ducks’ and Runnin’ Rebels most recent outings. Oregon topped Montana at home Tuesday, 81-67, while UNLV bested Incarnate Word at home Wednesday, 92-64.

Oregon 81, Montana 67

UNLV 92, Incarnate Word 64