Oregon takes care of business, returns to Elite Eight
Oregon’s run to the Elite Eight last season was a delightful surprise. This year, the Ducks made it with a more businesslike attitude.
Asked if the team was elated to be returning to the regional finals after beating Central Michigan 83-69 on Saturday, guard Sabrina Ionescu replied: “Define elation.”
“We have high expectations of ourselves,” she said.
Ionescu just missed another triple-double with 16 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for Oregon, which jumped on Central Michigan early in their Spokane Regional semifinal and never let up.
Ruthy Hebard had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Lexi Bando added 14 points for Oregon, which won its 12th game in a row. The Ducks will play
Notre Dame in the regional final on Monday.
Tinara Moore had 23 points and 14 rebounds for the Chippewas (30-5), who won their first two NCAA Tournament games in program history this year. Presley Hudson added 15 points.
CONNECTICUT 72, DUKE 59 >> Napheesa Collier had 16 points and 11 rebounds to help the Huskies beat the Blue Devils and advance to the Elite Eight for the 13th consecutive season.
Duke had only given up an average of 49 points in its first two games of the tournament. UConn had that by the end of the third quarter, much to the delight of the partisan crowd of 10,658 that took in the Albany Regional.
The Blue Devils were down only seven early in the second quarter but went going scoreless over the next 5 minutes. UConn took advantage by extending its lead to 30-16 and never looked back.
SOUTH CAROLINA 79, BUFFALO 63>> Alexis Jennings scored 20 points, and A’ja Wilson added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Gamecocks, who beat the Bulls in the Albany Regional to advance to the Elite Eight and keep alive the quest to defend their national title.
Upstart Buffalo, just the third Mid-American Conference school to reach the Sweet 16, was among the final four teams to earn an at-large berth. It was the program’s second tournament appearance after a first-round exit two years ago.
NOTRE DAME 90, TEXAS A&M 84 >> Arike Ogunbowale scored 27 points and Marina Mabrey added 25, including a careerhigh seven 3-pointers, to help the Fighting Irish defeat the Aggies in the Spokane Regional semifinals.
Notre Dame rallied from a 13-point first-half deficit and is back in its familiar spot of playing for a trip to the Final Four.
It took a fantastic shooting performance from Mabrey and some key contributions late from Ogunbowale and Jackie Young for Notre Dame. Young had three key baskets in the final five minutes and finished with 15 points. Mabrey was 7 of 11 on 3-pointers, and the Irish made 10 of 18 shots from behind the arc.