It may not have been the tournament that the Oregon women’s basketball team wanted, but it’s clear the Ducks made the most of the WNIT.
The Ducks rattled off four wins to reach the semifinals, but stumbled on Wednesday night the University of South Dakota in a 88-54 loss. Jacinta Vandenberg set a career-high with 17 points and Lexi Bando added 15 points in the defeat.
The Coyotes (31-6) were 15-of-21 from 3-point range and held the Ducks to 5-of-14 from beyond the arc.
“This team got everything out of what they had to give,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said in a postgame interview with Oregon IMG. “I’m really proud of them. We met a better team tonight. We played like a team that was tired physically and mentally.”
The Coyotes — who shot 54 percent from the field — advanced to the WNIT championship game on Saturday. South Dakota used a big third quarter, outscoring the Ducks 29-7 to take a commanding lead of 68-32.
“Their posts started hitting short corner shots and the elbow shots,” Graves said. “Everybody was shooting it tonight. It happens. They’re playing at home and getting energized by their crowd.”
Kelly Stewart and Abigail Fogg each had 14 points for South Dakota, which advances to the WNIT championship game on Saturday. In addition, the Coyotes outrebounded the Ducks 38-21 before 5,060 fans.
“I think the kids coming back are going to be inspired by the run this year,” Graves said. “They should be excited about the future, as should the fans.”
Graves said Vandenberg’s WNIT performances can be a good launching point into her senior season in Eugene.
“I’m an optimistic guy by nature, but in no scenario did I have us 24-11,” Graves said. “They far exceeded my expectations.”
Oregon (24-11) finished one win shy of tying the program record for wins, set in 1980-81 and again in 1998-99.
“The way we kind of reinvented ourselves in the postseason is really admirable for these kids,” Graves said. “They play with a lot of heart. I’m really proud of them.”
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne