Dillon Brooks scored a career-high 30 points and nine assists, and added six rebounds to lead the No. 16 Oregon Ducks past the Utah Utes 76-66 on Sunday in Eugene.

Oregon won its 20th game of the season, extended its winning streak to six games, and the Ducks (20-4, 9-2 Pac-12) closed out the weekend with a 11/2-game lead over second-place USC in the Pac-12 race.

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Game information:

No. 16 Oregon vs. Utah

Time: 1 p.m.

Where: Matthew Knight Arena

On air: ESPN 2, 95.3 FM Eugene, 750 AM Portland

Projected starters:

Oregon (19-4, 8-2)

Dillon Brooks, 6-7, So. (16.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg)

Chris Boucher, 6-10, Sr. (12.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg)

Elgin Cook, 6-6, Sr. (13.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

Casey Benson, 6-3, So. (6.1 ppg, 3.2 apg)

Tyler Dorsey, 6-4, Fr. (13.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg)

Utah (17-6, 6-4)

Kyle Kuzma, 6-9, So. (11.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg)

Jordan Loveridge, 6-6, Sr. (11.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

Jakob Poeltl, 7-0, So. (17.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg)

Brandon Taylor, 5-10, Sr. (9.2 ppg, 3.5 apg)

Lorenzo Bonam, 6-4, Jr. (10.1 ppg, 3.3 apg)

Preview:

"After Altman said the Ducks weren't elite, he was asked whether he would actually admit it if he thought they were.

"Oh, you know, if we had some better depth and we knew how to handle some possessions, I'd give them more credit," he said. "But with the balance in our league, it's kind of hard to get full of yourself. I was looking at the RPIs on the conference sheet and Utah was like 15th. So, what, do you let down for that game? We don't have anybody to match up inside with those guys. It's a matter of us making progress and making sure we do the little things we do to get better."

And recently, nobody has done that better in the conference than the team the Ducks beat on the road last week. Two years ago, Arizona was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, the Wildcats were a No. 2. Before the Ducks ended Arizona's 49-game winning streak at home last week, the Wildcats smoked Oregon three times last season.

And while Oregon has been better than the Wildcats this year, Altman said it takes more than a good half of conference play to begin turning the tide in his eyes.

"What Arizona has done the last few years is remarkable," he said. "Nobody else storms the court for anybody else in the league, all right? They're the only ones. They've held the banner for our league the last two years and what (Arizona coach Sean Miller) was able to do is really a credit to those guys. We don't talk enough about it. We don't give them enough credit. What they did the last two years, holding the banner for the league, unbelievable. They gave us a national focus."

But last week, a dejected Miller took the podium after losing to Oregon and heaped praise on the Ducks. Oregon was better offensively, he said. They were better defensively, he said. They were a connected and together team that made Arizona look like it didn't know what it was doing, he said.

"I'm glad it was Oregon (that ended the streak) because I think they represent all the qualities that are good in basketball," Miller said. "And they're a terrific team."

And then the Ducks did the same against Arizona State two nights later, and again on Thursday against Colorado.

And while Altman might not consider his team to be elite, he's not opposed to inching toward it. And that march continues on Sunday against Utah, as the Ducks make the turn toward the final stretch of the season with a shot at history on the horizon."

More from The Oregonian's preview here.

Links:



Oregon moves up to No. 12 in CBS Sports' rankings after win over Colorado.

Oregon sells out Civil War.

Chris Boucher expected to be OK after ankle injury.

Ducks get their revenge over Colorado.

Utes trying to start fresh before game against Oregon.

Video:

-- Tyson Alger

talger@oregonian.com

@tysonalger