Pac-12 Tournament: Oregon Ducks Earn Statement Win vs Washington Huskies
In the end, Oregon Ducks Head Coach Kelly Graves was jumping up and down with his players after upsetting Washington 70-69 in Seattle on Saturday night.
If there was a doubt on Saturday that Oregon would end their run in the Pac-12 Tournament after one game, it certainly was not with the team. The Ducks had everything going against them, including facing Kelsey Plum, the NCAA Scoring Leader in Women’s Basketball History in what was essentially her home floor in Seattle.
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It was an upset for a program that is dangerous right now. They used grit and fought through adversity and a few bad calls. Freshman Sabrina Ionescu had never lost in the Pac-12 Tournament and now she has won two games that will surely turn some heads and attention toward Oregon Women’s Basketball.
Oregon used four players in double figures to defeat the Huskies. Kelsey Plum had 34 points and a chance at a three-pointer in the final seconds that did not fall. Oregon was held to 40 percent shooting from the floor, but Lexi Bando hit 5 of 7 from beyond the arc leading the way for the Ducks with 23 points.
What keyed the win was the turnover battle. In the first half, Oregon had just one turnover and took a one point lead into the locker room. The Ducks were outrebounded by 2, but hit more free throws. Now the challenge is the Stanford Cardinal.
Oregon lost to Stanford at home to end the regular season, but Tournament runs sometimes have some magic, and it appears that Kelly Graves has found the formula for a run at the right time.
Next: Oregon Baseball: David Peterson Picks UpWin, Strikes Out 17 In Home Opener
It’s another quick turnaround. Oregon and Stanford meet in the Quaterfinals of the Women’s Pac-12 Tournament on Saturday night at 8:30pm Pacific Time on Pac-12 Network.