Photo by: Eric Evans/GoDucks.com
Back In The Big Dance
03/13/17 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
The Oregon women ended an 12-year tournament drought Monday when they earned a No. 10 seed to face Temple on Saturday.
The Oregon women's basketball team will make its return to the NCAA Tournament on Saturday as a No. 10 seed against seventh-seeded Temple, ending an 12-year tournament drought for the program.
The Ducks (20-13) finished sixth in the Pac-12 during the regular season, then busted the conference tournament bracket by reaching the semifinals. The UO women upset No. 11 Washington in the quarterfinals, solidifying their status as a team worthy of an NCAA berth.
The Ducks last made the Big Dance in 2005 under former star player and coach Bev Smith, who attended the team's selection show watch party Monday.
"It's incredible," said junior guard Lexi Bando, a native of Eugene. "It's been since 2005 that we've been. I was watching Bev's teams when I was little, and just to be in that position, where we're going to the tournament, is just incredible. I'm just super excited."
Oregon faces Temple in Durham, N.C., on Saturday (3:30 p.m. PT, ESPN2). The pod is being hosted by second-seeded Duke, which faces 15th seed Hampton in the first round.
Those games are part of the Bridgeport Region, in which perennial powerhouse Connecticut is the top seed.
UO coach Kelly Graves was undeterred by Oregon's No. 10 seed. He won six times as a double-digit tournament seed while at Gonzaga, he said Monday.
"I am so excited, because this is a program that's going places," Graves said. "This is going to be a national program very, very soon, and I hope to get that started now."
The Ducks played themselves into the tournament despite returning just one player — Bando — with multiple years of experience in the program. For most of Pac-12 play, Graves started three true freshmen — Pac-12 freshman of the year Sabrina Ionescu, her teammate on the conference all-freshman team Ruthy Hebard, and Mallory McGwire.
Temple (24-7) was ranked No. 23 in the USA Today coaches poll Monday after seeing its season end in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The Owls were the No. 2 seed into the tournament.
Temple coach Tonya Cardoza was named AAC coach of the year, and point guard Feyonda Fitzgerald was named first-team all-AAC after averaging 16.9 points and 7.3 assists in the regular season.
The Ducks (20-13) finished sixth in the Pac-12 during the regular season, then busted the conference tournament bracket by reaching the semifinals. The UO women upset No. 11 Washington in the quarterfinals, solidifying their status as a team worthy of an NCAA berth.
The Ducks last made the Big Dance in 2005 under former star player and coach Bev Smith, who attended the team's selection show watch party Monday.
"It's incredible," said junior guard Lexi Bando, a native of Eugene. "It's been since 2005 that we've been. I was watching Bev's teams when I was little, and just to be in that position, where we're going to the tournament, is just incredible. I'm just super excited."
Oregon faces Temple in Durham, N.C., on Saturday (3:30 p.m. PT, ESPN2). The pod is being hosted by second-seeded Duke, which faces 15th seed Hampton in the first round.
Those games are part of the Bridgeport Region, in which perennial powerhouse Connecticut is the top seed.
UO coach Kelly Graves was undeterred by Oregon's No. 10 seed. He won six times as a double-digit tournament seed while at Gonzaga, he said Monday.
"I am so excited, because this is a program that's going places," Graves said. "This is going to be a national program very, very soon, and I hope to get that started now."
The Ducks played themselves into the tournament despite returning just one player — Bando — with multiple years of experience in the program. For most of Pac-12 play, Graves started three true freshmen — Pac-12 freshman of the year Sabrina Ionescu, her teammate on the conference all-freshman team Ruthy Hebard, and Mallory McGwire.
Temple (24-7) was ranked No. 23 in the USA Today coaches poll Monday after seeing its season end in the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The Owls were the No. 2 seed into the tournament.
Temple coach Tonya Cardoza was named AAC coach of the year, and point guard Feyonda Fitzgerald was named first-team all-AAC after averaging 16.9 points and 7.3 assists in the regular season.
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/ Women's BasketballKelly Graves | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Deja Kelly, Peyton Scott & Phillipina Kyei | Selection Sunday
Monday, March 17
Peyton Scott & Ari Long: "A good, competitive basketball game."
Thursday, February 27
Kelly Graves: "We've played really well."
Thursday, February 27
