UCLA will look to stay undefeated in conference play this season, but three key Oregon players stand in the way and could threaten the Bruins.

Last game, the Bruins really struggled against individual performances, especially against star center Hannes Steinbach, a player who put up 29 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 11 for 12. UCLA has a new set of talent looking to bring them down.

Nate Bittle | Center

Hannes Steinbach exposed a key weakness in UCLA’s defense — the Bruins struggle against skilled centers. Fortunately for UCLA, they haven’t faced many this season. That changes against Oregon, where they’ll match up with a player on Steinbach’s level in Nate Bittle.

The 7’0 center from Oregon is averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, while shooting 48.3%. Bittle is the Ducks’ leading scorer and rebounder this season. Shutting him down quickly will be in the Bruins’ best interest.

Xavier Booker will have to learn quickly from the Washington showdown if there is any hope in slowing down Bittle.

Kwame Evans Jr. | F

Like Bittle, Kwame Evans Jr poses as a serious rebounding threat. Something that Eric Dailey Jr will have to slow down. Dailey Jr has struggled as of late, but we can be sure that he will not be outplayed on a stage as big as this one.

Evans Jr is averaging 12.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting an impressive 50% from the field. His ability to rebound and score at a high level will make him a threat in this game.

In his last game against USC he scored 23 points, while shooting 6-12. He also shot well from three going 2-5, highlighting another aspect of his game that UCLA needs to be cautious of.

Jackson Shelstad | G

The Ducks’ second-highest scorer this season has been Jackson Shelstad, a player who could prove to really make things hard for the Bruins’ star Donovan Dent.

At this point of the season, Shelstad has been very solid, averaging 15.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. He has been doing this on an OK 36.9% shooting percentage. Shelstad has proven to be the Ducks’ number two threat this season, and figuring out how to stop him and Bittle will be a tall task.

With Dent looking better all-around, this matchup will be a huge decider in this one. However, that is only a third of the challenge; the Bruins will also need to figure out how to slow down Bittle and Evans Jr.

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Ashland Community Hospital’s childbirth and inpatient services will be consolidated to Asante’s Medford medical center.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Another Oregon health care organization is making cuts.

The brick-and-mortar Ashland Community Hospital will shutter in 2026, Asante revealed on Wednesday. The Medford-based medical care provider announced that the facility will continue operating through the year before transitioning into a “satellite campus” of the nearby Rogue Regional Medical Center in the spring.

In a statement, Asante President and CEO Tom Gessel said the “transition is the only option” as health care entities across the U.S. — and specifically in Oregon — continue to struggle. He noted that the Ashland Community Hospital has “lost millions of dollars” over the past year, as the facility simultaneously recorded a significant decrease in birth rates and inpatient admissions.

According to Asante, 37 Ashland residents have given birth in the hospital so far in 2025. Meanwhile, the organization reported that the demand for outpatient services and emergency department visits has risen.

“Legislation implemented in Salem has put hospitals in an untenable situation,” Gessel added in a statement, in part. “This will only worsen with the future reductions to Medicaid funding. For smaller communities like ours, consolidating duplicative services are inevitable — especially those in such close proximity. What this means for the Ashland campus is to maintain emergency and outpatient services being used most by residents, while consolidating services that are underutilized.”

The Asante announcement comes days after Portland’s Vibra Specialty Hospital announced it will cease operations around Feb. 1, 2026. The closure will impact 310 employees.

The Oregon Nurses Association has condemned both organizations’ decisions to cut back, arguing that workers and patients deserve “long-term investments” in medical care.

“These closures represent a devastating loss of critical healthcare access for Oregonians, forcing patients to travel farther for care, increasing risks in emergencies, and placing additional strain on an already overburdened health system,” ONA said in a release.

Providence Seaside Hospital also stopped offering labor and delivery services earlier in October of this year.