Oregon hopes to pack Pit by
reaching final 4
McArthur Court rocks as
10,000 fans leap to their feet.
A player takes the ball the
length of the court and puts it
in for two.
The fans yell loudly and clap
their hands in rhythm as the
crowd favorite sets up its
defense.
It would be a familiar scena
rio to Oregon women’s
basketball team if the Ducks
reach the "final four."
Familiar, because the AIAW
National Championships, alias
the "final four,” will be held
this year at the University’s
own Mac Court.
But for the Ducks to reach
the championship round at the
Pit, they will have to play top
basketball consistently for 40
minutes a game, throughout
the regional championships
Top 20
1. Louisiana Tech (27-0)
2. Long Beach State (24-5)
3 Tennessee (19-5)
4. Kansas (24-4)
5. Rutgers (25-4)
6. Old Dominion (23-5)
7. UCLA (25-5)
8. Cheney State (23-2)
9. USC (21-6)
10. Kentucky (22-4)
11. Texas (26-6)
12. Oregon (23-5)
13. Maryland (17-7)
14. North Carolina St. (20-8)
15. Minnesota (26-5)
16. Clemson (23-6)
17. Auburn (25-5)
18. Colorado (28-4)
19. Stephen F. Austin (21-9)
20. East Carolina (23-6)
and the three games which
precede the national cham
pionships.
"I would say we are defin
itely not favored to make it to
the final four,” says Oregon
Coach Elwin Heiny, who guid
ed his club to a 23-5 record
this season. "We are more of a
dark horse; we could sneak in
through the back door.”
The Ducks should know the
backdoor to Mac Court rather
well.
If Oregon manages to
venture through the Northwest
Women’s Basketball League
Regional Championships un
scathed, chances are they will
host a first-round AIAW playoff
game March 18 at 4:30 p.m.
“First of all we have to get
through the regional
tournament,” says Heiny.
“Then we can talk more about
a game here. We have to be
the favorite at the tourney
because we have beaten
everybody. But we have to win
those games first."
Oregon's opponent tor the
first-round playoff game,
which would be sandwiched
between the State Class AA
boys basketball tournament,
could be a team from the
Midwest, Heiny says.
“I'd anticipate playing som
eone like Minnesota or
Colorado in the first round
here,” he says. “The com
mittee will avoid trying to send
someone from the East Coast
out here.”
According to coaches
around the nation, the only
clear choice to reach the final
four is top-ranked Louisiana
Tech. The Lady Techsters
possess a 27-0 record and are
second in the nation in scoring
with a 90.3 average.
“Louisiana Tech is really the
only team I could list as the
favorite," says Joan Bonvicini,
coach of second-ranked Cal
State-Long Beach. “The rest
of the pack will really be a
dogfight."
Heiny agrees.
“Louisiana Tech is a great
team," he says. “ They do not
have as much height as I
thought, but they are good. I
really wouldn’t mind playing
them at home, but not there.
The same goes with Old
Dominion; I wouldn’t want to
play them at their place, but I
wouldn’t mind playing them
here.”
Of the top 20 teams in the
nation, the Ducks have played
five, losing four of those
games. The Ducks have
succumbed to Long Beach
(91-80), third-ranked Kansas
(69-62), sixth-ranked Old
Dominion (68-67), and ninth
ranked UCLA (92-88). Oregon
has beaten 20th-ranked
Stephen F. Austin 82-78.
With game experience like
this behind them, the Ducks
feel they can reach the final
four. But if teams like Loui
siana Tech and Old Dominion
are in the same bracket, the
Ducks may never get a chance
to realize their dream.
“I do not want to get in the
same bracket as Old Dominion
or Louisiana Tech,’’ says
Heiny matter-of-factly. “If we
don’t get in the same bracket
as those two we have an
excellent chance of reaching
the finals.
"I think that our team is
capable of playing with any
Photo by Steve Dykes
Old Dominion’s Ann Donovan, seen here shooting over Bev
Smith at the Giusti tournament, will be a powerful force in the
AIAW playoffs.
team in the nation.”
The guesswork for the final
four will be made much easier
after Sunday, when regional
championships are completed
and the 10 champs from the
regionals plus 14 at-large
teams will be seeded into the
championship bracket.
The top eight seeds will have
first-round byes, while the next
eight seeded teams will have
the home-court advantage in
the first round. The first three
rounds (March 18, 21 and 24)
will all be played at the home
court of the highest ranked
team.
After these rounds are
completed, the four survivors
will head to McArthur Court for
the championship.
And wouldn’t the Ducks like
to have the home court edge in
the national championships?
By Steve Turcotte
We re rolling
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