After all the talk and all the speculation, it comes down to the Ducks and the Gaels.
Oregon failed to be included in the field of 64 for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years, despite reaching the semifinals of the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament a week ago. However, the Women’s National Invitational Tournament deemed the Ducks worthy of the postseason.
That postseason begins with a first-round game against St. Mary’s (Calif.) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at McArthur Court. It will mark the third time the two teams have faced off, the first time since 1995. The Ducks have won both previous match-ups against the Gaels (16-12 overall, 9-5 West Coast Conference).
Oregon’s invitation to the postseason marks the squad’s ninth straight year making it beyond Pac-10 play. The Ducks won the WNIT in 1989.
The Ducks (17-13, 10-8) showed some disappointment in not being named to the NCAA Tournament, but understood their 17-13 overall record most likely kept them out. The team’s rating percentage index of 103 was sixth in the Pac-10 and also played a factor.
“I think there are some games we’d like to have back that might have made a difference,” first-year head coach Bev Smith said. “We finished the season out well and there were some teams that we would be able to beat in the NCAA Tournament.”
Oregon went 1-7 against NCAA-Tournament-bound teams this season, losing three games to Arizona State, two to Stanford, and one each to Texas Tech and Wisconsin-Green Bay. Their only win against an NCAA-bound team came against Texas Christian in November at the Rose Garden in Portland.
The Ducks have had a bit more success against the teams they may face in the WNIT. If Oregon is able to defeat St. Mary’s, they could possibly face Oregon State, which takes on Hawaii in Corvallis on Thursday.
Because only Stanford and Arizona State were chosen for the NCAA Tournament from the Pac-10, the conference will be well represented at the WNIT.
In addition to the Beavers, USC and Washington will play in the WNIT, and if the cards are right, the Ducks and Huskies may meet for a fourth time this season in the third round. Oregon is 2-1 against Washington this year.
“I think that probably all of the Pac-10 teams would have liked to have been in a different bracket, trying to play different teams for your own benefit,” Smith said. “It looks like we’ll have to get by our Pac-10 opponents again. If we play those teams again, certainly we’ll get to know them a little bit better for next year.”
After a grueling season with a new coach and a new system, a berth in the WNIT can seem like a disappointment. But that’s not the case for the Ducks. Because the team is young, marked by four active freshmen, gaining postseason experience is a valuable opportunity.
The fact that the first game, and possibly more, will be at Mac Court makes the first-round game against St. Mary’s that much more special.
“Some people may look at it as a disappointment, but I feel like we have a young team who is trying to put together a rhythm for next year and what better way to do that than in a tournament like the WNIT,” junior Shaquala Williams said.
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