Las Vegas, NV) This game pitted one if the favorites to win the National Championship in the Oregon Ducks with no less than three WNBA draft picks on their starting lineup against the upstart and darlings of the PAC-12, the Arizona Wildcats in the first semi-final game of the night.
On paper, this game was a mismatch, with the Ducks being a 14.5 point favorite here in the gaming capital of the world, but this is March and anything can happen.
A few hours earlier down the street, the Utah State Aggies upset the #5 Aztecs of San Diego State at the Thomas and Mack Center. This took USU off the bubble and made them the first team in the Men’s NCAA Tournament. Strange things always happen this time of the year.
All the top four seeds advanced off their byes to reach the semi-finals and UCLA and Stanford tipped if off in the nightcap.
These two teams were tops in regular season attendance in the PAC-12 this year and the Mandalay Bay Events Center had its biggest crowd of the Tournament.
Sabrina Ionesco started the game off with a three off the left wing but Cate Reese who had thirty points yesterday against Cal countered with nice basket off a post move.
At the first media timeout, the Ducks on point were up 14-6. Oregon had made the most of their possessions getting off eight shots to Arizona’s five.
Dominique McBryde got the Cats back in it with a three pointer from the right side but still trailed 16-9.
Coach Adia Barnes inserted Helena Pueyo for to stretch the Duck 2-3 zone defense and it paid dividends as she nailed a three from the left baseline.
The action in the first quarter was fast and furious as both teams shot the rock well and Ducks had a 23-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The strength of this Oregon team is they make you pay for empty possessions.
Both these teams will be playing in about a week in the Big Dance and the nation will see just how strong the PAC-12 Conference is nationally.
Out of the huddle the Ducks stretched the lead to 30-22 until McBryde scored for the Cats first bucked of the quarter, 30-24 Oregon.
Oregon went up ten points at the 4;19 mark off bombs from Ionesco and Taylor Chavez before the second media timeout.
The officials were letting both teams play physical as bodies were flying out of bounds on a consistent basis.
Resse scored for the Cats ending a drought of 4:50 in the second quarter, as the Wildcats trailed 42-28 with under a minute to play til te half. McDonald finished the quarter with a three pointer at the buzzer that drew Arizona back within ten at 43-33.
The stat that jumped out in the first half was the eleven points Oregon scored off Wildcat turnovers and the 20-14 advantage off the glass.
Cats cut the Ducks to six with better ball movement and shot selection 52-46.
Oregon came back as expected and extended the lead back go double digits 57-47 with 2:32 to play in the third.
At the end of three quarters, the Ducks had hit eleven treys. With the Zona defense stretched to cover the perimeter, Ruthie Hebert went to work inside and Reese and Samaj Smith were no match for the All American.
Heading into the final stanza, there was a total of nine free throws shot collectively by both teams as the refs allowed them play. This is beneficial for both teams as the refs generally swallow their whistles in the NCAA Tournament.
Down the stretch, it was inside-outside for Oregon that kept the Wildcats on their heels. Ionesco from the outside and Hebert down low.
Ionescu became the PAC-12 Tournament’s leading scorer and had thirty one points tonight as the Ducks won 88-70.
The Ducks were just too much for Arizona as they are for most teams. Watch out for this Oregon team in the upcoming weeks.
So the Cats will have two weeks to heal, practice and rest the bumps and bruises that a long grinding season brings.
Selection Sunday is a week from tomorrow March 15th to see if Arizona does indeed host the first two rounds of the NCAA and odds are they will.
At the end of the game, Aari McDonald’s boyfriend Devon proposed to her from the stands. Of course she said, “YES!”
