The Bruins’ opportunity to secure their 23rd consecutive win and preserve their undefeated season lies in Eugene, Oregon.

With No. 8 Ohio State in the past, No. 1 UCLA women’s basketball (22-0, 10-0 Big Ten) will take a quick trip up the West Coast to play Oregon (16-7, 7-5) on Sunday. The Bruins have defeated their old Pac-12 rivals in four straight contests, including twice last season by a combined margin of 45 points.

In a record-breaking start to their season, the Bruins reached No. 1 in the AP poll for the first time in program history and have remained there for the longest time in Big Ten women’s basketball history.

UCLA will look to extend the program’s all-time longest winning streak against Oregon, with its current 22-game winning streak eclipsing the 21-game streak put together by the 1977-1978 team.

“That’s what I’m most proud of about the records,” said coach Cori Close. “You don’t get those records if you don’t do the journey well, you don’t stay focused on the process.”

UCLA endured its toughest test of the season Wednesday, overcoming its largest deficit and emerging victorious after the game was tied at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

“Did we win the toughness battle all four quarters? No, we didn’t,” Close said following the win over the Buckeyes. “But when it counted, when Cotie (Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon) made that shot that tied it, I thought we had great poise, and we were the tougher, more together team the rest of the way.”

After Oregon, UCLA will return to Los Angeles to take on No. 7 USC at the Galen Center in a marquee matchup that could decide the Big Ten regular-season conference champion.

With a 13-4 record at home and wins against multiple ranked squads, Oregon has the opportunity to create trouble for the UCLA team in between two of its biggest matchups of the season.

While Oregon has only averaged the 17th most points in the Big Ten per conference game, it has the third-best defense – behind UCLA – over the same period, allowing only 62 points per game.

After facing a strong defensive team in the Buckeyes and amassing their lowest-scoring performance, the Bruins’ offense will look to figure things out against the Ducks.

“For us to get really good shots, it has to be paint touches,” said junior center Lauren Betts. “That keeps me going because I want to do what’s best for the team and I want to win the day, so I have to do my job consistently.”

Betts led the team with 19 points and 14 rebounds against the Buckeyes, adding another double-double in a season where she is averaging 20.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

In a rare occasion, Betts won’t be the tallest person to see the floor Sunday, with 6-foot-8 center Phillipina Kyei opposing her. Kyei leads her team in both rebounds and blocks and could slow down Betts and UCLA’s interior scoring.

With the Bruins’ top-ranked defense facing a Ducks offense that amassed 61 points in their most recent matchup, it may be difficult for the home squad to bring down the visitors.

“We’re just focused on winning the games,” said junior guard Gabriela Jaquez. “And that has led to us being 22 straight wins, which is great, because we love to win.”