Women’s NCAA Tournament: Oregon Ducks Push Past South Dakota State For Elite 8
Sabrina Ionescu nearly had a triple-double for the Oregon Ducks in a 63-53 win over South Dakota State on Friday night at the Moda Center in Portland.
There are advantages to playing close to home in the NCAA Tournament. The Oregon Ducks played in front of over 11,000 fans just up the road from Eugene. While the court was different from Matthew Knight Arena, Oregon was able to hold off South Dakota State. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc.
Oregon shot just 20 percent from three-point range but found other ways to find success. Ruthy Hebard finished with a double-double. She had 24 points and 14 rebounds. Sabrina Ionescu, coming off a triple-double last weekend against Indiana nearly accomplished the feat again against the Jack Rabbits.
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Sabrina Ionescu was again everywhere on the floor, had several key possession saves and finished the game with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists. Ionescu had to pick up some slack as Erin Boley finished with 0 points. She was 0 for 7 from the floor. Both teams played with their Starters for most of the game.
The Oregon Ducks Bench, already short without Taylor Chavez saw limited time as the Ducks Starters never ran into foul trouble. Boley had 3 for the game. Chavez was warming up with the team pregame, which is a good sign. While she did not play against South Dakota State, she may be needed in the Elite 8 round on Sunday.
The Oregon Ducks meet the second team in a row they beat in the regular season in Mississippi State on Sunday. The winner heads to the Final Four. This is the third straight Elite 8 appearance for Oregon. I expect the Moda Center will be close to a sellout on Sunday for the Portland Regional Final.
Oregon and Mississippi State meet on Sunday at 11 am on ESPN.