(Las Vegas, NV) In a quarterfinal game that the winner would face the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, the Cats coming off arguably their best overall effort cruising past USC while Oregon had a first round bye awaiting this game were set to go.
Oregon got out of the gates quickly to a 13-8 lead off of 6-10 shooting by the first media timeout. Aari McDonald has all eight Arizona points.
In order for the Wildcats to win, the ball and the points has to be spread around.
Early on, Arizona has no answer for Sabrina Ionesco as she scored at will wideing the Ducks lead to 19-10 at the 2:10 mark of the opening quarter.
Arizona senior Destiny Graham was the first Cat to score other than McDonald with 1:50 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats needed to establish themselves down low to take pressure off of McDoanld. Dominique McBryde helped the cause by scoring off All American Ruthie Hebard.
While the first quarter ended with the Ducks ahead 19-14, there was a feeling Arizona dodged a bullet. To their credit, the Cats needed to keep the score within striking distance as the Ducks handled Arizona with relative ease 83-54 back on March 1st in Tucson.
McDonald started off the second quarter just as the first scoring on a jumper from just inside the top of the key to get the Cats within three points 19-16 with just twenty five seconds gone.
McDonald’s acrobatic layup off a rebound pulled Arizona close at 21-20. Still the Cats hung tough.
The key to beating the sixth ranked Ducks for any team was to not have many empty possessions.
Three times in the fist half, the Wildcats has shots go halfway down and come back out just to have Oregon go down on their end and score. Two by Sam Thomas one a three pointer and one by Samaj Smith down low.
Click on our sponsors logo for specials
Nice ball movement by Tee Tee Starks, McDoanld allowed Thomas to cut to the middle and score off a three foot runner. That was followed by another McDonald jumper off the right baseline. Arizona wouldn’t wilt.
Ionescu continued to lead Oregon’s offense as she set up teammates Satou Sabally and Hebard for scores as the Ducks kept up the pressure.
Arizona’s Starks and McDonald did everything to keep the Cats close but Sabally hit a three pointer at the buzzer to give the Ducks a 40-28 lead going into the locker room.
In the first half, Arizona shot 44.8% from the field which in most cases would give you a great chance at the lead but the Ducks matched both first and second quarters going 9-15 in each for 18-30 and a 60% field goal clip.
The Wildcats were ineffective on the glass only grabbing six rebounds while Oregon swiped eighteen boards. The Ducks also dominated in the paint 24-14 over Arizona post players.
To expose Zona’s lack of ball movement, the Cats only had four assists in the opening half. The only blemish on Oregon was they uncharacteristicly had eight turnovers.
Hebard opened the scoring for Oregon and Thomas came back Wildcats trading baskets. 42-30 Ducks.
Cate Reese got Arizona’s second offensive board and put it back in, but Hebard continued to dominate down low for Oregon.
McDonald scored on layup and converted the free throw to put the Cats deficit into single digits 44-37.
Reese was no defensive match for Hebard as she scored with ease off her inexperienced defense.
Zona kept the Ducks lead at nine off a rough and tumble play where bodies fell to the floor and McBryde scored just her second basket to make the score 48-39 into the media timeout.
Oregon extended the lead to fourteen off a basket and free throw but McDonald came back with much needed three. 53-42 the Ducks still in control.
Oregon could be a factor in the NCAA Tournament next week as a probable #2 seed. This Duck team could challenge the likes of Baylor, Norte Dame, UCONN and Louisville for the National Title.
Click on our sponsors logo for more information
Arizona pulled within seven at 56-49 off yet another McDonald basket. Ionescu who won the PAC-12 Player of the Year after winning Freshman of the Year last year scored again to put the score at 58-49 and a timeout.
The Cats cut the deficit back to seven off a layup by Reese off a McDonald assist 60-53 going into the final quarter still fighting.
In the last meeting between these two schools, the Ducks held Arizona scoreless in the fourth quarter in Tucson.
Thomas scored the first points of the final quarter for Arizona down low, McDonald hit one out of two at the line after Oregon had scored at their end.
The Hebard vs Reese matchup (junior vs freshman) ended at 21-12. Reese got her experience against one of the premier forwards in the nation.
Reese had an impressive drive to the right side to score and was fouled but missed it. Seasons ahead she’ll look back on this experience.
Thomas playing in front of her home town canned a three but Erin Boley answered at the other end, 74-61 2:32 left.
Click on our sponsors logo for specials
With 1:38 left Oregon called a thirty second timeout to settle the players down after some physical play
Today, Arizona had grit and determination but not the horses yet to overcone the high powered Ducks who won 77-63 and moved on to the Tournament Semi-Finals. Things will change in the coming years for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats shot a very respectable 44% from the field, while Oregon finished at 53%. One of the Ducks strengths is 40% beyond the arc. Today they cooled off to 33%.
Aari McDonald finished with 34 points, 5 assists and three steals. Cate Reese was the only other Wildcat in double figures with 12 points and 5 rebounds.
After yesterday’s outside shooting performance, notably by Starks, Arizona hit only 2-15 from three point land today.
The Cats lost the battle of the boards 37-20 to a taller Oregon team who has several weapons inside.
Click on our sponsor’s logo for more information
Coach Barnes emphasized, “All these players have grit. That’s the kind of players I want to coach. If you don’t have those things, you probably don’t fit in our program. They give it their all, and that’s all that I can ask. It may not be perfect all the time, and that’s okay. I love their imperfections. We’re not perfect, but we do our best , and we did that today. I told them today, we have more basketball to play, so we don’t hang our head and we to out and we’re trying to win something That’s just our mentality.”
The Cats represented themselves well in this year in the tournament. It’s a difficult task to play the #1 seed who has an extra day of rest.
On the bright side, there’s more basketball to be played this year. In some circles here in Las Vegas of conference officials, they entertain thoughts of Arizona playing in the NCAA Tournament.
The NIT Tournament seems to be a lock for the young Cats. With Selection Sunday on the horizon, we’ll just sit back and wait on the committee members to make their choices. It’s a win-win situation for Arizona and just the beginning for this program moving forward.
The building of consistency continues in Tucson with a stellar recruiting class coming in which consists of four international players. Coach Barnes and her staff will continue to teach and develope these athletes. Soon this program will be the ones fighting for a PAC-12 Title.
Click the logo to visit our sponsors!
