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Pac 12 Basketball: No. 10 Oregon notches 17th straight win

ByBrock Zimmermann|
March 12, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Tyler Dorsey (5) and forward Dillon Brooks (24) celebrate during the second half in the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference tournament against the Utah Utes at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Ducks defeated the Utes 88-57. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 12, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Tyler Dorsey (5) and forward Dillon Brooks (24) celebrate during the second half in the championship game of the Pac-12 Conference tournament against the Utah Utes at MGM Grand Garden Arena. The Ducks defeated the Utes 88-57. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

In a tough Pac 12 basketball showdown, Dillon Brooks helped lead the No. 10 Oregon Ducks over the Utah Utes.

The No. 10 Oregon Ducks earned their 17 straight win as they defeated the upstart Utah Utes on the road on Thursday night, 73-67.

Related Story: Five reasons the Ducks will win it all

Dillon Brooks recorded a team and game-high 36 minutes and 19 points despite a poor shooting performance from three-point range. He went 1-of-6 behind the arc, and the Ducks struggled as a team, shooting 27.8 percent from deep.

After missing a game due to an ankle injury, he was crucial to keeping the Oregon team rolling.

The Ducks seemed to feel the pressure of playing in a hostile capacity crowd early on. They held a lead in the first half for less than one minute total but took a halftime lead on Brooks’ lone three-point field goal with 18 seconds left.

Oregon struggled on offense but limited their team turnovers to nine. They were still able to control the game and played excellent defense, recording nine steals and six blocks.

The Ducks proved their ability to stay composed in the second half, which should be a factor during the NCAA Tournament. They controlled the lead most of the second half and held off numerous late pushes by the Utes.

Despite having early three-point success, Utah played a relatively conservative first half. They shot only two three-pointers in the first 10 minutes and were able to convert 50 percent of those looks.

The team did not carry this success into the second half and went only 3-of-13 from long-range. The team started to force shots later in the half when the Ducks continued to pull away.

Oregon remains perfect in Pac-12 basketball play with an 8-0 conference record. The Utes fall to 5-3 and remain tied for fourth.

Next: Conference battles shake up top 25

The Ducks have won 17 in a row and proved that they deserve consideration for a high seed in the NCAA Tournament. Five of the six losses for the Utes came against ranked opponents and they only have one win over a top 25 team. They control their own destiny going forward.

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