SEATTLE — The 94th all-time meeting of Oregon and Arizona will be the first time the teams ever meet in the NCAA Tournament.

Oregon is 15-12 against Arizona during Dana Altman’s tenure, including a 4-0 mark in games that went to overtime and a 2-2 split in conference tournament meetings.

“It was always a game that we looked forward to,” Altman said. “A lot of years we were battling for position in the league for the NCAA Tournament and so forth. Sean (Miller) did a good job and now Tom (Lloyd)’s doing a good job. It was always a big game.”

The Ducks are 4-2 all-time against the Wildcats in postseason play, all in Pac-10 or Pac-12 tournaments, the last coming in last year’s Pac-12 tournament semifinals. But Sunday’s matchup (6:40 p.m., TBS) at Climate Pledge Arena with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line will be the biggest stakes the rivals have ever played for.

“Obviously we have a lot of respect for Oregon,” Lloyd said. “We’ve battled with them the past three years, and I know those battles go way before me, as well. I know there’s been a good run of Oregon and Arizona, heated battles in game.

“I’m sure both teams' staffs probably sat down and watched the film yesterday, and they’re like, ‘oh, yeah, that’s right.' I think there was probably a lot of those familiar things. Both programs have a conviction in the way they play and a style of play that kind of suits themselves and their personnel. There’s probably a lot of familiarity on both sides, but it’s a new year.”

Despite two regular season wins over the Ducks last year, the 67-59 loss sticks with the Wildcats most entering Sunday night.

“In March everything is a little bit more important,” Wildcats guard KJ Lewis said. “Regular season counts, but at the end of the day we wanted to win a Pac-12 Championship, obviously being the last year for the Pac-12. We keep that one in the back of our minds.”

The rivalry has produced some incredible individual performances and moments, from Caleb Love’s career-high 36 in Eugene last season and Kerr Kriisa’s three-pointer in Tucson in 2022, to N’Faly Dante’s dunk over Kriisa in 2023 and Payton Pritchard’s career-high 38 points plus Shakur Juiston’s overtime heroics at UA in 2020 and many other chapters along the way.

Over the past 15 years, 11 of the 27 meetings have been decided by six points or less, with Oregon going 8-3 in those games.

“Growing up watching all these games they always go down to the wire, always a dog fight,” Oregon center Nate Bittle said. “We know what we got to do going into the game. ... Two years ago we jumped on them early at home. We didn’t let up. We were playing defense. Defense leads to offense for us.”

Love (16.4 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 3.5 apg.) is one the few Arizona players who were part of the rivalry last season. He sets the tone and is the offensive threat No. 5 seed Oregon (25-9) has to prevent from taking over, making TJ Bamba the likely defensive matchup.

“I know he’s a respectable player,” Bamba said. “I’mma do my job; guard the best player, make life hard for him and completely try to shut him down. I look forward to taking that matchup and imposing my will.”

Lewis and Kaden Bradley are also back for No. 4 seed Arizona (23-12) and provide balance to an offensive attack that still leans on Love.

“It’s not if I can repeat the 36 points, it’s not like that,” Love said. “I’ve got to do whatever the team needs for me to do to help the team win, and that’s what I’m going to try to do. Most importantly, we have to play well as a group, and we’ve got to handle our ones individually, as far as guarding and executing the game plan as best we can.”