SAN ANTONIO, TX (KELO) – The Oregon Ducks took advantage of a strong start and stingy defense to drive past USD women 67-47 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Oregon took the lead 15-8, 3:14 in the first quarter.
“Certainly we were shocked at the beginning of the game and didn’t take care of the ball,” said USD head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. “Only a difficult first half for us offensively.”
After that, the Coyotes missed their next 25 shots, scoring just one point in the next 13 minutes and 14 seconds, while Oregon scored 19 points. This was 34-9 at halftime.
HALF-TERM: Oregon 34 @SDCoyotesWBB 9. @ Kelosports
Sjerven hits 2 free throws … USD has beaten 19-1 in the last 13 minutes.
Oregon shoots 59% from the field and 44% from the depths.
USD has missed its last 25 shots, shooting 9% out of the field and 0% (0-11) from deep.
– Grant Sweeter (@KELOSweeter) March 23, 2021
“It wasn’t due to a lack of effort on the part of our players. We have a lot of joy and passion in the way we play, ”said Plitzuweit. “We just didn’t get good chances and when we did that in the second quarter we didn’t make them fall.”
“It’s difficult to get the game going when your shots don’t go off,” said Hannah Sjerven, USD senior citizen. “It only took us a while to change that.”
In the second half, the USD began to thrive on offensive when they scored 13 points in four minutes, but Oregon hit the first five shots of the half and kept the Ducks in the lead 44-22.
“We shifted a little and put Hannah on the high post. We shot a few shots and found a rhythm from there, ”said Plitzuweit.
Although the Coyotes scored more points in the third quarter (20) than they did in the first half, after three quarters they were still between 50 and 29 behind.
During the fourth quarter, the coyotes continued to struggle, but they just had too much mountain to climb.
The USD shortened the lead to 16, but Oregon would retreat from there for the 67-47 win.
The Coyotes’ shortcomings did not come from senior striker Hannah Sjerven, who led the team with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds.
Chloe Lamb, the most valuable player in the USD Senior and Summit League tournaments, finished the 2-12 shooting with just 6 points. Liv Korngable added 15 for USD.
The Ducks were led by three double-digit players, including top scorer Erin Boley, 22. Nyara Sabally added 17 while Sedona Prince graduated at 12.
Oregon will now face Georgia on Wednesday, March 24th.
USD ends its season with a 19-5 record and a championship in a Summit League tournament.
“Our team faced some challenges this year as we had to replace three of our top six players from last year. We also lost Monica (Arens) earlier this year and that was tough for us,” said Plitzuweit. “When we started the season, we didn’t get a lot of home games. Our children have faced many adversities and I am proud of the way they have faced them. “
