Photo by: Eric Evans Photography/ University of Oregon
Ducks Dancing At Home Friday
03/12/18 | Women's Basketball, @GoDucksMoseley
The Oregon women's basketball team on Monday was made a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament, giving the Ducks a home game Friday against No. 15 Seattle U (4:30 p.m., ESPN2).
The Oregon women's basketball will be served home cooking to open the NCAA Tournament this weekend — and the Ducks hope they have an arena full of dinner guests joining them Friday evening.
Fresh off the first Pac-12 Tournament championship in program history, the UO women on Monday were awarded a No. 2 seed into this year's NCAA Tournament. The Ducks will host the first two rounds of the tournament, looking to extend their school-record 30-win season against No. 15 seed Seattle University on Friday in Matthew Knight Arena (4:30 p.m., ESPN2).
The No. 2 seed is the highest in school history, ahead of the No. 3 seed earned by the 1984 team.
"In a season of many firsts, we can add now one more," UO coach Kelly Graves said Monday afternoon, at a selection show watch party in MKA attended by hundreds of fans.
The Ducks (30-4) hope to see those fans and thousands more on Friday, when the arena hosts two first-round games. No. 7 seed Green Bay and No. 10 seed Minnesota will meet Friday at 2 p.m., followed by the Ducks and Redhawks. The winners will meet Sunday (time TBA, ESPN2) for a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.
Oregon is playing in the Spokane Regional, and thus could stay in the Pacific Northwest by winning twice this weekend. But after surprising the nation by earning a No. 10 seed and making it to the Elite Eight last season, the Ducks know not to take anything for granted.
"We still have to play with a chip on our shoulder, and come out and get the job done," senior guard Lexi Bando said.
Oregon won the Pac-12 regular-season title with a 16-2 record, led by conference player of the year Sabrina Ionescu and fellow first-team all-conference selections Ruthy Hebard and Maite Cazorla. Wing Satou Sabally was named conference freshman of the year.
The Ducks beat Colorado to open the conference tournament, then fended off a top-10 foe in the semifinals, UCLA, before dominating perennial conference power Stanford in the title game. Coincidentally, the UO women practiced at Seattle U's gym during their conference tournament run.
The Redhawks are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance, after winning the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. Seattle U was the No. 4 seed into the tournament, and knocked off top-seeded New Mexico State in the semifinals before upending second-seeded Cal State Bakersfield in the final, 57-54.
Seattle U averages 68.9 points per game, and holds opponents to a .393 shooting percentage. The Redhawks are led by 5-foot-10 wing Alexis Montgomery, a Beaverton native who averages 18.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
The first game Friday matches the Horizon League champ, Green Bay, with Minnesota of the Big Ten. Then the Ducks and Redhawks tip off, before what the Ducks hope will be a crowd so big, it spills into the upper level of Matthew Knight Arena.
"We want it to be a showcase for the country," Graves said. "To see, A), what great fans we have, and B), hopefully what a great team we have."
Added Bando: "To be able to host is incredible. We have the best fans, and to play on our home court again, that is where we're at our best. When the fans get involved, it's just a great atmosphere."
Click here to purchase NCAA Tournament tickets.
Fresh off the first Pac-12 Tournament championship in program history, the UO women on Monday were awarded a No. 2 seed into this year's NCAA Tournament. The Ducks will host the first two rounds of the tournament, looking to extend their school-record 30-win season against No. 15 seed Seattle University on Friday in Matthew Knight Arena (4:30 p.m., ESPN2).
The No. 2 seed is the highest in school history, ahead of the No. 3 seed earned by the 1984 team.
"In a season of many firsts, we can add now one more," UO coach Kelly Graves said Monday afternoon, at a selection show watch party in MKA attended by hundreds of fans.
The Ducks (30-4) hope to see those fans and thousands more on Friday, when the arena hosts two first-round games. No. 7 seed Green Bay and No. 10 seed Minnesota will meet Friday at 2 p.m., followed by the Ducks and Redhawks. The winners will meet Sunday (time TBA, ESPN2) for a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.
Oregon is playing in the Spokane Regional, and thus could stay in the Pacific Northwest by winning twice this weekend. But after surprising the nation by earning a No. 10 seed and making it to the Elite Eight last season, the Ducks know not to take anything for granted.
"We still have to play with a chip on our shoulder, and come out and get the job done," senior guard Lexi Bando said.
Oregon won the Pac-12 regular-season title with a 16-2 record, led by conference player of the year Sabrina Ionescu and fellow first-team all-conference selections Ruthy Hebard and Maite Cazorla. Wing Satou Sabally was named conference freshman of the year.
The Ducks beat Colorado to open the conference tournament, then fended off a top-10 foe in the semifinals, UCLA, before dominating perennial conference power Stanford in the title game. Coincidentally, the UO women practiced at Seattle U's gym during their conference tournament run.
The Redhawks are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance, after winning the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. Seattle U was the No. 4 seed into the tournament, and knocked off top-seeded New Mexico State in the semifinals before upending second-seeded Cal State Bakersfield in the final, 57-54.
Seattle U averages 68.9 points per game, and holds opponents to a .393 shooting percentage. The Redhawks are led by 5-foot-10 wing Alexis Montgomery, a Beaverton native who averages 18.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.
The first game Friday matches the Horizon League champ, Green Bay, with Minnesota of the Big Ten. Then the Ducks and Redhawks tip off, before what the Ducks hope will be a crowd so big, it spills into the upper level of Matthew Knight Arena.
"We want it to be a showcase for the country," Graves said. "To see, A), what great fans we have, and B), hopefully what a great team we have."
Added Bando: "To be able to host is incredible. We have the best fans, and to play on our home court again, that is where we're at our best. When the fans get involved, it's just a great atmosphere."
Click here to purchase NCAA Tournament tickets.
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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
