Oregon women’s basketball (19-11,10-8 Big Ten) received the 10-seed in the Birmingham Region of the NCAA Tournament and will take on the 7-seed Vanderbilt Commodores (22-10, 8-8 SEC) in the round-of-64. The Ducks’ first game in March Madness will tip-off on Friday in Durham, North Carolina.
With a win, Oregon will face the winner between the 2-seed Duke Blue Devils and 15-seed Lehigh Mountain Hawks.
Oregon was blown out in the first round of the Big Ten Championship by the Indiana Hoosiers, but did plenty early in the season to earn itself a sure-fire ticket to the dance.
It might not be the perfect seeding for head coach Kelly Graves’ squad, but the Ducks have officially clinched their first berth in three seasons.
To beat those Commodores Oregon will need to improve its defensive intensity, an element that struggled in the Big Ten Tournament with the absence of Elisa Mevius.
Vanderbuilt will no-doubt be favored, but still, a stress-free NCAA Tournament bid for the Ducks is impressive for their first season in the conference.