Oregon Women’s Basketball’s Historic Season Ends in Elite 8

After a season that saw Oregon breakthrough for their first PAC-12 title since 2000 and their highest seeding ever in the NCAA Tournament, the Ducks fell just short of the first Final Four in program history with a 84-74 loss to Notre Dame in the Elite 8 on Monday night. The regions top two seeds dueled in Spokane for the majority of the game, as two of the best offenses in the nation felt each other out for the first half. The difference through the first 20 minutes proved to be Oregon’s sophomore stars, as Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard combined for 31 points to lead the Ducks to a 46-40 advantage at the break. Head coach Muffet McGraw and Notre Dame’s defense flipped the script in the second, where Oregon’s two sophomores shot 3-14 for just 12 points. As a team, the Ducks had one of their worst offensive halves, shooting just 25% from the field as the Irish harassed their shooters all night long. That physicality on the perimeter originated inside, where Notre Dame dominated with 52 points in the paint and out-rebounded Oregon 51-29, two stats that Oregon couldn’t overcome. The Ducks managed some short rallies in the fourth quarter, but the Irish always had a response and would close out the game at the free throw line to advance to their eighth Final Four in program history. Notre Dame will play UCONN in Columbus next week, while the Ducks return home with their sights set on redemption in 2019.

Oregon’s Historic Season Falls Short of Final Four (by Alex Castle)