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SPORTS THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2018 College Basketball 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS Women’s NCAA Tournament Ducks ready for tournament run Former Condon/ Wheeler star named an All- American Emma Logan makes NCCAA Third Team East Oregonian Former Condon/Wheeler basketball star Emma Logan was recently named a National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Third Team All-American after her standout season for Trinity Bible College. Logan, a sopho- more from Fossil, led the entire NCCAA with a scoring average of 23.4 points per game Emma Logan and also finished top five in the NCCAA in rebounds per game (10.0, 5th in NCCAA), assists (5.3, 2nd), and steals (3.1, 4th). She was also the second-best free throw shooter in the country with a 78.5 percent success rate. Logan’s season-high points total was 38 that she scored on Jan. 20 at Providence-Manitoba. During the season, Logan broke Trinity’s single-game record for assists with 12 recorded on Jan. 17, breaking the previous record of 10 that was set nearly two years prior. Logan was also a NCCAA Student-Athlete of the Week as well. Trinity finished the season 15-11 overall and 12-4 in its conference, before ending its season with a loss to Maranatha Baptist in the NCCAA North Regional Tournament on Feb. 23. AP file photo In this March 2, file photo, Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) drives against Colorado guard Alexis Robinson, left, during the two teams’ Pac-12 Conference women’s tournament quarterfinal game in Seattle. Oregon, a No. 2 seed, begins march to a national championship on Friday By RYAN THORBURN The Register-Guard EUGENE (AP) — Even as a true freshman, Sabrina Ionescu set the locker room tone for the Ducks. With Oregon trailing top-ranked UConn by 25 points at halftime in the Bridgeport Regional final last March, the rising star put the inev- itable end to an otherwise thrilling NCAA Tournament run in perspec- tive for her young teammates. “We talked about it in the locker room and we were in there trying to figure out our mistakes, and then I said, ‘Guys, we should just live in this moment,’” Ionescu said after Oregon’s 90-52 loss to the powerhouse Huskies. “It doesn’t come around often, and just enjoy it. Enjoy playing against the No. 1 First Round #15 Seattle #2 Oregon Redhawks Ducks (18-14) (30-4) • Friday, 4:30 p.m. (TV: ESPN2) • at Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene team in the country. “And we’re going to try to do what they do because I think we can become the next UConn here at Oregon.” The Ducks would need to win 11 national championships to match Geno Auriemma’s tally at UConn. But Oregon coach Kelly Graves has already built a program capable of reaching the Final Four for the first time. The loss in the regional final fueled the tight-knit Ducks to improve during the offseason. Ionescu was named the Pac-12 player of the year after leading a talented nucleus to the program’s first conference title in 18 years and was voted most outstanding player at the conference tournament after scoring 36 points against Stanford in the championship game. “We’ve been playing loose and it’s not going to change,” Graves said. “Practices are looser. Every time we’re together it’s fun. That’s part of this team’s DNA. I don’t think that will ever change.” Oregon, the No. 2 seed in the Spokane Regional, will host No. 15 Seattle University in the first round of the NCAA women’s tournament on Friday at Matthew Knight Arena (approximately 4:30 p.m., ESPN2). The Ducks (30-4) are 16-1 at home this season and two of their four losses during the historic 2017-18 campaign were true road games at No. 1 seeds Louisville and Mississippi State. Oregon is 13-4 this season against teams in the 64-team NCAA bracket, including 8-2 against the other five Pac-12 teams in the field. “We’ve answered all those challenges this year,” Graves said of navigating a schedule designed to prepare his team for another deep NCAA Tournament run. “We’ve played two No. 1 seeds, we’ve played Texas A&M, a host team, a couple times. The Pac-12 prepares us. We got everybody’s best in the Pac-12, too. See DUCKS/3B Men’s NCAA Tournament Zags are back, this time hoping for one more win and a title First round action begins today First Round By EDDIE PELLS Associated Press #13 UNCG #4 Gonzaga Spartans Bulldogs (27-7) (30-4) • Thursday, 10:30 a.m. • at Boise, Idaho (TV: TNT) BOISE, Idaho — A handful of players from Gonzaga’s history-making Final Four team have moved on. As a program, though, the Zags are right where they expect to be: In the tour- nament, playing well and, as always, a threat to stick around for a while. Gonzaga is in March Madness for the 20th straight time, making it only the sixth program to accomplish that. Hoops fans have heard of the others: Kansas, North Carolina, Arizona, Duke, Michigan State. Despite losing four of their top five scorers, including lottery pick Zach Collins, to the NBA and other corners of pro basketball, the Bulldogs (30-4) rolled through the 2017-18 season, winning their conference regular-season and tourna- ment titles en route to a No. 4 seed in the West. Their path to the program’s second Final AP Photo/Isaac Brekken In this March 5, file photo, Gonzaga’s Zach Norvell Jr. (23) and Corey Kispert (24) react after scoring during the first half of a West Coast Conference tournament game against San Francisco in Las Vegas. Four starts Thursday against 13th-seeded UNC-Greens- boro (27-7), which last made the tournament in 2001, when Gonzaga was in Year 3 of its current streak. “Gonzaga is basically, like, almost an ideal blue- print for what a mid-major program aspires to be,” Spar- tans forward Jordy Kuiper says. Part of the sustained success involves not taking anything for granted, espe- cially this time of year. Junior guard Josh Perkins has been harping on the mantra “Little things matter in March” — a nod to the notion that every rebound and every loose ball could be the difference between going home early and getting to San Antonio for the Final Four. “We’re heading into the tournament with a little chip on our shoulder because of memories of last year,” senior Silas Melson said, referencing the 71-65 loss to North Carolina in the final. “I wouldn’t say it’s a burden. It’s more motivation than anything.” Coach Mark Few said he has walked the fine line between using last year — when the Zags finally made the Final Four after years of close calls — as fuel, without putting the burdens of the close call on a team that is fundamentally different. “I needed to take a step back and be fair to them,” Few said. “Holding them to the standard of last year’s team, it was probably very unfair for a couple of months there. I reached the point in January or February where I backed off and let them be who they are. They’ve definitely thrived with that.” See TOURNAMENT/3B Sports shorts Seahawks sign former first round pick Mingo to free agent contract RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks are turning to a former first-round pick to help fill one of the gaps on its defense. The Seahawks and free agent outside linebacker/defensive end Barkev- ious Mingo reached agreement on a two-year deal on Wednesday at the start of the new NFL league year. According to a person with knowledge of the deal, Mingo’s deal is worth up to $10.1 million and includes $3.2 million in Mingo guaranteed money. Mingo, 27, was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 draft by Cleveland, but after three underwhelming seasons with the Browns has bounced to New England and Indianapolis the past two seasons. He’ll likely be in the competition for the strongside linebacker spot in Seattle’s defense. “Just because I won here eight times doesn’t mean I’m going to win this week automatically. I’ve still got to do the work. I’ve still got to go through the process of getting myself in position.” — Tiger Woods The pro golfer is the betting favorite at 6-1 odds to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend at Bay Hill, a tourna- ment Woods has won eight times in his career. Extra innings to start with runner on 2nd in minors ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Extra innings throughout the minor leagues will start with a runner at second base. In addition, a 15-second pitch clock when there are no runners on base will be implemented at Triple-A and Double-A, the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues said Wednesday. The timer will remain at 20 seconds with runners on base, the same as it has been since 2015. Limited by the players’ association in changes at the big league level, Major League Baseball worked with the minor league governing body on the new rules. A runner who starts an extra inning at second shall be counted as reaching on an error for purposes of determining earned runs, but no errors shall be charged. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1869 — The Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first pro baseball team, is organized by George Ellard and Harry Wright. 1997 — North Carolina’s Dean Smith becomes the career victory leader when the Tar Heels beat Colorado 73-56. Smith, with 877 victories, passes Kentucky coaching legend Adolph Rupp. 2011 — John Baker, a 48-year-old musher from Kotzebue wins the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. He’s the first Alaska Native musher to win the world’s longest sled dog race since Jerry Riley did it in 1976. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com