Oregon now waits
for postseason bid
■After a strong showing
in the Pac-10 Tournament,
the Ducks hope for a ninth
straight trip to the Big Dance
By Hank Hager
Oregon Daily Emerald
On the heels of the Ducks’ Pacif
ic-10 Conference season-ending
loss to Arizona State comes a ques
tion: What’s next for Oregon?
Do the Ducks, who finished 17
12 overall and 10-8 in Pac-10 regu
lar season play, have an invitation
to the NCAA Tournament extend
ed to them, or do they fall to the
Women’s National Invitational
Tournament, possibly hosting a
first round game?
The answer to that question will
come next week, but Oregon is al
ready looking ahead.
“We wanttogo forward,
and we want to play.”
Bev Smith
Oregon head coach
“I’m looking forward to it and
the opportunity to play in front of
these fans again,” junior Shaquala
Williams said about the possibility
of starting the WNIT at McArthur
Court. “I think we have a young
team and a lot of people coming
back next year, so (we have) the
opportunity to play again and
maybe improve for next year. I’m
looking forward to it.”
A year ago, Oregon finished 17
11 after the completion of Pac-10
play but was defeated in the first
game of the NCAA Tournament
by Iowa, 89-82.
With two wins in the inaugu
ral Pac-10 Tournament this sea
son, Oregon hopes the NCAA
Tournament selection committee
takes notice.
“We want to go forward, and we
want to play,” said first year head
coach Bev Smith.
After taking out an overmatched
Washington State team, 85-67 on
Friday, the Ducks took on a tough
Washington squad, seeded No. 2 in
the tournament, a day later.
The Huskies, who advanced to
the Elite Eight of last season’s NCAA
Tournament, were well versed with
the pressures of playing in a single
elimination tournament.
But so were the Ducks, who for
the last eight seasons have made it
to the Big Dance. Oregon abruptly
ended the Huskies’ Pac-10 season,
78-64, and went into the Arizona
State match with momentum.
But it was not to be, with Ari
zona State earning a victory over
the Ducks for the third time this
season. Arizona State now takes on
Stanford, winners over Oregon
State, in the Pac-10 Championship
at McArthur Court tonight.
The winner of that game re
ceives the conference’s automatic
bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Oregon, who failed to make it to
the championship face-off, now
awaits its playoff fate.
The Ducks finished as the sev
enth seed in the conference but
were only two games behind No.
2-seed Washington. They hope the
powers that be in the NCAA Tour
nament selection will look down
on Oregon with golden eyes.
“I think given the way we’ve
played, we’re open to the possibili
ty, and if that were to happen, it
would be a great, great thing for
us,” Smith said about the team’s
tournament chances.
The WNIT may be a more like
ly destination, but Oregon does
not plan on squandering its
chance should the team make it
to the field of 64 for the ninth
straight season.
“We will wait and keep working
hard and take advantage of what
ever opportunity presents itself,”
Smith said.
E-mail sports reporter Hank Hager .
at hankhager@dailyemerald.com.
* Adam Amato tmerald
Oregon’s Shaquala Williams (3) battles for a loose ball with Washington’s Giuliana Mendiola in the Ducks’ 78-64 win on Saturday.
Women’s
continued from page 7
After being held in check in the
first half, Arizona State guard Aman
da Levens rattled off 11 points, in
cluding two deep three-pointers, in a
13-0 run that put the Sun Devils
ahead 53-47 with 5:19 to play.
“Amanda Levens hit a lot of tough
shots,” said Oregon guard Shaquala
Williams, who had a game-high 21
points. “Some of her shots were
three or four feet behind the three
point line. Against most players, you
don’t have to defend that. We just
caught on to her a little too late and
let her get into a rhythm. ”
A layin by senior guard Edniesha
Curry brought Oregon within two at
57-55 with less than two minutes
left, but ASU hit 7-of-10 free throws
in the final minute to secure the win.
All of Oregon’s starters played at
least 29 minutes (with Williams
playing 38 minutes and freshman
Andrea Bills 35), whereas Arizona
State substituted frequently.
“(Oregon) got some good shots
down the stretch, but they couldn’t
put them in, and I like to think that
was because our defense wore them
down,” Arizona State head coach
Charli Turner Thome said.
Said Williams: “I think our team
had plenty of energy and I think we
could’ve played a whole other game. ”
Oregon 78, Washington 64
Just a week after the Huskies de
feated the Ducks in Seattle, Oregon
found its revenge Saturday and sent
No. 2-seed Washington home after
its first game.
Washington has not won at Mac
Court since Jan. 23,1993.
Williams torched the Huskies for
26 points and five assists, but not
before some controversy.
On more than one play in the sec
ond half, Williams tangled with
Washington twins Giuliana and Gio
conda Mendiola. Williams was el
bowed in the jaw by Gioconda late in
the game, but officials did not see the
play. Moments later, during a time
out, Williams elbowed Mendiola in
the arm as she walked by. Again, the
referees did not see the exchange.
“The Mendiolas are tough kids,
and they kind of have a chip on their
shoulders when they play, but I
think I do, too,” Williams said. “But
when I’m on my home court, I’m not
going to back down from anybody. If
they take cheap shots, I’m going to
throw them back. ”
“But they’re going home, so I don’t
really have to worry about that. ”
Oregon 85,
Washington State 67
The dismal Cougars, the first
team to finish 0-18 in Pac-10 play,
put up a good fight in the first half
against the Ducks in the first game
of the Pac-10 Tournament.
Oregon led 36-31 at the break,
but pulled away early in the sec
ond half as five Ducks scored in
double figures.
Washington State had career
games from Brittney Hawks (27
points, eight rebounds) and Jessica
Perry (21 points, four assists, four
steals).
E-mail sports editor Adam Jude
at adamjude@dailyemerald.com.
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