Women’s NCAA Tournament: Stars Will Be Out For Oregon Ducks vs Minnesota

The Oregon Ducks(31-4, 16-2 Pac-12) meet the Minnesota Golden Gophers(24-8, 11-5 Big Ten) in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at Matthew Knight Arena.

There have been big games at Matthew Knight Arena for Men’s Basketball, including Oregon State and Arizona this season. UCLA last season with Dillon Brooks final shot was epic, but now it’s the Ladies turn. Kelly Graves likely dreamed of a game like this one when he arrived in Eugene, and now that dream has come to fruition.

The similarities between Minnesota and Oregon are uncanny in a way. Last year, it was Oregon as the 10 Seed, needing to travel across the country to play. They made it all the way to the Elite 8. Now, the Golden Gophers are playing with nothing to lose, similar to the Ducks from a season ago.

In watching Minnesota on Thursday against Green Bay, they turned it on in the second half. Despite their youth, they showed athleticism vs the Phoenix. With their backs against the wall, they put together several key runs that put them ahead and gave them the win. Then there was Oregon’s performance against Seattle.

Oregon put the Redhawks away in the first quarter and scoring 88 points in the game vs Seattle.

The matchup on Sunday pits two of the highest scoring teams in the country. Oregon enters the game putting up just over 80 points per game. Minnesota ranks third in the nation with 85 points per game this season. Something’s got to give.

The leaders on the court for the Oregon Ducks this season are clear. It starts with Sabrina Ionescu. She added the 10^th triple-double of her career vs Seattle. One player has played a big role and can be credited with helping bring the Ducks back to relevance. Senior Lexi Bando has been a three-point machine for four years in an Oregon Uniform.

Bando is a local, from Eugene, Oregon. She played High School Championships at Matthew Knight Arena before donning the green and yellow. Sunday will be her 80^th and final game at MKA and it will certainly be an emotional night.

For Minnesota, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. Oregon Head Coach Kelly Graves said they are dangerous in his pregame press conference on Saturday.

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are on a roll, winning four of their last five games against Top 25 opponents. Destiny Pitts and Kenisha Bell lead Minnesota. Bell is averaging 20 points per game. Pitts leads the team in rebounding with 7 per contest. The Golden Gophers have four players hitting better than 40 percent from the field, led by Taiye Bello hitting 57 percent. She has played in 32 games this season with three starts.

Both teams run a fast pace and turnovers could be a key to the game. Oregon will need to stay out of foul trouble and their big playmakers need to step up make plays. While I don’t expect Ionescu to add another triple-double, the Ducks have enough weapons to dominate inside and out. Oregon is on a ten game winning streak.

Next: Oregon Football Pro Day Recap

Autzen Zoo will have Live Coverage of the game via our Twitter Feed. The Oregon Ducks and Minnesota Golden Gophers meet in Round 2 of the Women’s NCAA Tournament at 7:30 pm Pacific Time on ESPN2.