Success, it seems, is contagious.
Unwilling to be outdone by its McArthur Court
roommates – the Duck men’s team, which plays Kansas on
Sunday in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament – the
Oregon women’s basketball team advanced to the
championship game of the Women’s National Invitation
Tournament with a 65-54 victory Saturday over Michigan
State.
The Ducks (21-13) will play Houston at 7 p.m.
Wednesday for the WNIT championship at Mac Court.
“I don’t think it’s really hit me yet – this just
feels great,” Oregon first-year head coach Bev Smith
said. “Nobody can take the credit for this. This is
the entire team, and a great credit to the University
of Oregon.”
After facing two Pacific-10 Conference foes in the
first three rounds of the WNIT, Oregon got its first
glimpse of the Big Ten on Saturday before a crowd of
5,302 at Mac Court.
Oregon shot just 30.8 percent in the first half as
Michigan State (19-13) took a 29-25 lead into
halftime.
In the second half, though, it was the Spartans who
ended up shooting 30.8 percent.
Oregon Freshman post Andrea Bills hit an acrobatic
hook shot at the 16:00 to tie the game at 37. Oregon’s
defensive intensity led to easy scoring chances in a
17-6 run that put the Ducks ahead at 47-42. A minute
later, Michigan State’s Syreeta Bromfield scored five
straight points, including a three-pointer at the 9:30
mark, to knot the game at 47-47.
But Bromfield was called for traveling on the
Spartans’ next possession, and was issued a technical
foul on the other end of the floor after Oregon’s
Shaquala Williams hit a three-pointer. Bromfield was
arguing with an official that an illegal screen
created Williams’ open shot.
Williams sank the two free throws as a result of the
technical, capping off a five-point play that put the
Ducks ahead for good.
“I think we could’ve overcome that. It wasn’t one play
that really hurt us,” Michigan State head coach Joanne
McCallie said of the technical foul. “I’ve never had a
player get a technical foul.”
Said Williams of the technical: “That really took the
wind out of them. From that point, we pretty much
controlled the game.”
Four Ducks scored in double figures as the Oregon shot
53.8 percent in the second half. Williams led Oregon
with a game-high 21 points on 5-of-10 shooting from
three-point land. Cathrine Kraayeveld had 16 points
and 11 rebounds, her fourth straight double-double.
“We were playing to their strengths in the first
half,” said Oregon senior Jamie Craighead, who had 14
points on four three-pointers. “In the second half, we
tried to attack them more and get them on their
heels.”
After eight consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament,
the Ducks had to settle for the NIT this season – and
have made the most of it.
“It may not be the NCAA, but it’s the NIT and 32 teams
entered this tournament,” Williams said. “And to say
that you’re the best means something.”
Entering Saturday’s contest against the Ducks,
Michigan State averaged 78.6 points in three WNIT
games.
“Defense is the key,” Smith said. “We only allowed 25
points in the second half, and that’s going to be key
in the next game as well.”
The Ducks defeated Washington, 77-73, Wednesday in
Seattle to advance to the Final Four of the WNIT. They
beat Oregon State in the second round and St. Mary’s
in the first round, both played at Mac Court.
Email sports editor Adam Jude at [email protected].
Oregon women to play for WNIT championship
Daily Emerald
March 23, 2002
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