The Ducks capped their regular season with a 65-59 loss to No. 8 Stanford on Sunday, but remain confident in their abilities heading to the Pac-12 Tournament on Thursday.
Oregon finished the regular season 18-12, 8-10 Pac-12, good enough for the No. 6 seed. The Ducks were the No. 6 seed last year as well.
For head coach Kelly Graves, the result is both disappointing and motivating, given that the Ducks have started three freshmen for a majority of the season.
“We finished sixth, disappointed in that but at the same time, I really thought it was overall a good season,” Graves said. “And I think we’re going to be in a good place heading up to the tournament.”
The Oregon program hasn’t won a Pac-12 Tournament game since 2008. Last year, Oregon appeared poised for a win but a season-ending injury to Jillian Alleyne was too much to overcome. The Ducks will get a rematch from last year’s game in Seattle.
No. 6 Oregon will see No. 11 Arizona at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Ducks beat the Wildcats earlier this season, 79-65, in the only meeting between the two teams. Ruthy Hebard shined in the game with 22 points. Lexi Bando added 16.
“I’m really proud of what this team has done, considering our youth and overall inexperience, not just our freshmen,” Graves said. “I think we hit a wall a little bit, but I anticipate that we’ll be ready up in Seattle. … This is really extraordinary what they’ve done in the best conference in the country.”
Losses to Colorado, California and Stanford to finish the season have no-doubt left a sour taste on the regular season. But, the Ducks still appear on-track for their first NCAA appearance since 2005. Oregon entered the day No. 37 in the NCAA women’s basketball RPI rankings.
The cause for Oregon’s late-season stumble? Graves points to familiarity with Oregon’s defense.
“This time of year, teams are just too good defensively,” he said. “They know everything you run so if you have to play a 5-on-5, half-court game, it’s difficult.”
Graves said the Pac-12 Tournament comes at a nice time for the Ducks. He will treat it as a “reset.”
The Ducks said they need to mirror the same intensity they had coming out of the fourth quarter versus Stanford when they head to Seattle. Oregon opened the quarter with an 8-0 run.
“We need to be ready. … The Pac-12 Tournament comes down to who’s gritty and who’s going to play tough,” said Bando.
With a handful of freshmen experiencing their first Pac-12 Tournament atmosphere, the Ducks will rely on leaders like Bando and Jacinta Vandenberg to ensure the team is up for the challenge.
“A lot of us don’t know what it’s like to even go into the Pac-12 Tournament,” Sabrina Ionescu said. “So I think it’s a new beginning for us. The veterans are excited to show us around.”
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