Notes: Ducks Meet Maryland on Saturday in Program's First Sweet 16

EUGENE, Ore. - The No. 10 seed Oregon women's basketball team meets No. 3 seed Maryland on Saturday morning in the program's first ever trip to the Sweet 16. The Ducks and Terrapins tip at 8:30 AM PT on ESPN.

NO. 10 SEED OREGON DUCKS (22-13, 8-10 Pac-12)
PPG: 71.1 | FG%: 45.0 | 3FG%: 39.2 | FT%: 72.3
Notable: Oregon is making its first ever appearance in the Sweet 16. In 12 previous trips to the NCAA Tournament, the Ducks had never advanced past the opening weekend. Oregon's freshmen are a big reason why they've made it this far - 63 percent of UO's scoring in the tournament has come from rookies. Forward Ruthy Hebard averaged 21.5 points and 11.0 rebounds in two games last weekend at Duke. As a team this season, Oregon ranks 21st in the NCAA in FG% (45.0) and 4th in 3FG% (39.0).

NO. 3 SEED MARYLAND TERRAPINS (32-2, 15-1 Big Ten)
PPG: 90.1 | FG%: 51.2 | 3FG%: 37.8 | FT%: 70.8
Series Record: UO leads, 1-0 (Ducks won, 76-70 in Los Angeles on 12/29/83)
Notable: Maryland, winners of three-straight Big Ten Tournament titles, knocked off Bucknell, 103-61, and No. 22 West Virginia, 83-56, to get to the Sweet 16. The Terps played two Pac-12 teams this season in Las Vegas, defeating No. 23 ranked Arizona State, 83-42, and Washington State, 79-69. Maryland leads the country, averaging 90.1 points per game. The Terps rank No. 2 in the NCAA in both shooting (51.2%) and rebounding margin (+14.3 per game).

TV AND RADIO BROADCAST INFO
Oregon's game on Saturday vs. No. 4 ranked Maryland in the NCAA Tournament will be aired on ESPN at 8:30 AM PT. The game will also be broadcasted live on the radio in Eugene (KUGN 590 AM) and Portland (KBNP 1410 AM) with Terry Jonz on the call, Oregon women's basketball's longtime play-by-play man. Fans can find a free radio stream online via TuneIn.com/Ducks and the TuneIn app.

OREGON'S NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
- The Ducks are 7-12 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
- This is Oregon's 13th trip to the NCAA Tournament.
- Oregon's last appearance was in 2005.
- This is Oregon's first trip to the Sweet 16. Previously, the Ducks never advanced beyond the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Oregon won first round games in 2005, 1999, 1997, 1994 and 1987 but lost in the second round each time.
- The most points scored by the Ducks in an NCAA Tournament game was 80 in a win over San Diego State in 1997.
- Alison Lang had the most points by UO player in the NCAA Tournament with 24 against Missouri in 1982. - Lang also owns the rebounds record with 20 in that same game against Missouri.
- Missy Croshaw owns UO's NCAA Tournament record for three-pointers with five against Colorado in 1994.

LAST TIME IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The last time the Ducks made the NCAA Tournament was in the 2004-05 season. No. 10 seed Oregon defeated No. 7 seed TCU, 58-55, in Seattle in the first round behind Catherine Kraayeveld's 23 points. The Ducks lost, 69-46, to No. 2 seed Baylor in the second round.

KELLY GRAVES IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
In his third season at UO, this is Kelly Graves' first trip to the NCAA Tournament with the Ducks. However, he is hardly a stranger to the tournament.
- This is Graves' ninth trip in the NCAA Tournament overall. He has been a double-digit seed seven times.
- This is his fourth trip to the Sweet 16.
- Graves is 10-8 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
- He first went to the NCAA Tournament as the head coach of Saint Mary's as a No. 12 seed in 1999. Graves then went dancing seven more times at Gonzaga, going as a No. 12 seed three times, No. 11 seed twice, No. 7 seed once and No. 6 seed once.
- Graves took Gonzaga to the Sweet 16 in three straight seasons - 2010, 2011 and 2012.
- In 2011, Graves and Gonzaga advanced to the Elite 8. The No. 11 seed 'Zags were the lowest seed ever to reach the Elite 8. They defeated No. 10 seed Vanderbilt, No. 2 seed Xavier and No. 7 seed Louisville before falling to No. 1 seed Stanford in the regional finals.
- Graves' teams have upset No. 2 seeds twice and No. 3 seeds twice in the NCAA Tournament.

IONESCU NAMED ESPNW'S FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
After posting more triple-doubles than any freshman in NCAA history, guard Sabrina Ionescu has been named the ESPNW national freshman of the year, the outlet announced on March 9. Ionescu tallied four triple-double this year, tied for the third-most in NCAA single-season history and the most of any freshman. Only Stanford's Nicole Powell (5, 2020) and Youngstown State's Danielle Carson (6, 1986) have had more. Ionescu hit game-winning shots for the Ducks against both No. 20 California and No. 11 Washington this season as she averaged 14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. Ionescu ranks 10th in the Pac-12 in scoring, 11th in rebounding and third in assists. She's also seventh in free throw percentage (81.3%), seventh in three-point percentage (40.9%), seventh in three-pointers made (2.2 per game), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0), sixth in defensive rebounds (5.2 per game) and 10th in minutes played (32.6). In addition to her four triple-doubles, Ionescu posted seven double-doubles and was national player of the week after helping the Ducks defeat No. 15 UCLA and USC at home in the same weekend.

THE NATION'S TALLEST TEAM
With six players standing 6-foot-3 or taller, the Ducks are tied with Kansas State and Texas for the tallest roster in Div. I women's basketball this season. Oregon's tallest player is 6-foot-6 freshman forward Lydia Giomi from West Seattle. She is the tallest player on the Oregon roster in 10 years (Jessie Shetters, 6-foot-6, 2003-07).

FRESHMEN STARTING IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Oregon starts three freshmen - G Sabrina Ionescu, F Ruthy Hebard and F Mallory McGwire - more than any other team in the NCAA tournament this year. Only Maryland, which starts both Destiny Slocum and Kaila Charles, has more than one freshman in the lineup. (Starter defined as having 20-or-more starts this season.)

FRESHMEN SCORING
In last Saturday's win over Temple to open the NCAA Tournament, Oregon's three freshmen starters - Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard and Mallory McGwire - combined to score 52 of the Ducks' 71 points. So far in the tournament, Oregon's rookies have accounted for 63% of UO's scoring.

THE TWO BEST SHOOTERS IN THE NCAA
Oregon's game against Maryland on Saturday will feature the two best three-point shooters in the NCAA. Maryland's Shatori Walker-Kimbrough is the nation's active career leader, shooting 46.3 percent (186-of-402) from three-point range. Oregon's Lexi Bando is second in active career three-point percentage at 45.7 percent (199-of-435).

NCAA STAT RANKINGS
Oregon is one of the best shooting teams in the nation.
- The Ducks rank 21st in the NCAA and third in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage at 45.0 percent.
- Oregon is better from three, shooting 39. percent which is fourth in the NCAA and first in the Pac-12.
- With all those made shots come assists. The Ducks rank 12th in the NCAA and first in the Pac-12 with 585 assists this season. Oregon is averaging 16.7 assists per game as a team, first in the Pac-12 and 16th in the NCAA.

TOP-25 TESTED
Oregon has played a whopping 14 games against top-25 teams this season. The Ducks are 5-9 in those contests with wins against then-No. 24 Michigan State, then-No. 20 California, then-No. 15 UCLA, then-No. 11 Washington and No. 9 Duke.