Six games remain.
Six more opportunities are left for the Oregon women’s basketball team to right its season and return to the NCAA Tournament.
Oregon’s recent play hasn’t given fans many reasons to be confident. The team is 1-3 in its last four games, and lost its last two in the Bay Area.
Hope remains. Oregon is 13-9, and with another six wins and a strong showing at the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament, the team could find itself in contention for March Madness.
“We need to get the four wins at home and at least – at the minimum split,” said senior guard Kedzie Gunderson, referring to the upcoming games against Washington and Washington State. “We basically have to win five out of six games.”
Teams in Oregon’s current predicament could easily pack it in and call it a season, but the team has several things in its favor.
Four of the final six games are at McArthur Court. All four are against teams Oregon lost to on the road, but the Ducks are 8-2 at home.
Oregon’s final road trip is to Washington and Washington State – both teams the Ducks beat at home. It also marks Oregon’s last chances to earn the road win that has eluded the Ducks all conference season.
First, the Ducks are going to need some help. Oregon lost an opportunity to tie Cal in the loss column last Saturday, but now has to look inside itself to fix the problem.
Post Gabrielle Richards needs to display the talent she has shown in flashes this season.
She first tempted Oregon fans in preseason play, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against then-No. 10 Temple. She had 23 points and 13 rebounds against Oregon State and 13 points and 18 rebounds in the second meeting of the Civil War.
Offensively, Oregon has struggled. The reemergence of consistent shooting would not only help Richards, but the team as well.
Defense remains Oregon’s strength.
Conference teams, even in wins, haven’t been scoring in droves against Oregon.
I’m not going to lie. I have personal reasons to want Oregon to continue playing deep into March. The opportunity to cover the NCAA Tournament doesn’t come around that often, with some teams going years without an appearance.
Oregon has an opportunity, so here’s hoping the Ducks don’t pack it in for the offseason, but instead begin packing for March Madness.
Gunderson returned this season to try to return to the tournament, but also play at McArthur Court again, and she wants to go out a winner.
“We have to kind of treasure the fact that, yeah, I’m only going to step out on that court in a uniform four more times,” Gunderson said. “It’s kind of hard to take, but at the same time I’ve had a good five years and I have to appreciate that I got the opportunity to be here.”

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