NCAA Game 2: Gophers v Ducks (3-18-17)

This game should help Graves’ recruiting efforts with Bueckers.

Gophers won the 4th quarter! Hopefully this game makes Stollings want to play some defense and get an efficient post.

Wagner will be missed. It was a great career.

Lost to a very good Oregon team, as was said in a previous post didn’t need home cookin from the refs for the Ducks to win. I think Wagner was playing her best of her career the past month or so, said to see her go. This team has some good pieces to build around and hope next year the not only strive to get into the tournament but to actually host the first 2 rounds. Could be possible if the can get Bello some help in the post and win some tough non conference games.

Well, it was a fun season. Kudos to the ladies. This team got better as the season progressed, although really overmatched against the talented Ducks. Really sad to see that this was the end of Wagner's Gopher career. She had a very solid career. Gophers made some progress defensively as the year went on, but lots more work to do. And they need to get a lot better at the post position, offensively and defensively. I'm optimistic that this team will have a chance to revisit the NCAA tourney again next year. Really, really hoping for a grad transfer post player or a power forward. Still think Bello can be a good contributor next year, once her role is better defined. Go Gophers!

http://registerguard.com/rg/sports/...th-rout-of-minnesota-golden-gophers.html.csp#


“Oregon is a tremendous team,” coach Marlene Stollings said after her Gophers ended their season with a 24-9 record. “I would be shocked if they’re not playing in the Final Four and going for a championship.”...


...Against Minnesota, the sophomore guard finished with 29 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in 29 minutes. Ionescu set the Pac-12 single-season assist record (284 and counting) in the first half and rested on the bench for most of the fourth quarter.

“She’s dialed-in, she’s rock-solid. I mean, right now she’s, I don’t know what term I’d use … can’t use killer,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said of his superstar. “She’s just a great basketball player right now and a good leader. She’s doing it all right. There’s extra motivation going on there, and it’s sure fun to watch.”...

...“That’s high-level offensive basketball,” Graves said after Oregon set program NCAA Tournament records for made three-pointers (11) and field-goal percentage (60.9 percent). “I remember at the media timeout in the second quarter we talked about just the first team to make a three-minute defensive stand was going to separate themselves from the other. That’s what we got.”