Virginia Tech will begin its postseason run against Oregon in the first round of the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament on March 20. The Hokies, who received an at-large bid and are seeded ninth in the Fort Worth Region 3 section, will play the eighth-seeded Ducks at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The game will be streamed live on ESPN2.
This matchup marks only the second time Virginia Tech and Oregon have met in women’s basketball. Their previous meeting was in November 1999 during the Pepsi Shootout, where Oregon won by a score of 73-53. In that game, Sarah Hicks led Virginia Tech with 20 points while Tere Williams recorded a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The Hokies are making their fourteenth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and their fifth in six years. Head coach Megan Duffy is leading Virginia Tech into her first postseason with the team but has prior tournament experience from her tenure at Marquette, having appeared in three previous tournaments as head coach there. Oregon’s head coach Kelly Graves brings significant postseason experience as well, marking his fifteenth trip to the tournament.
Oregon enters this year’s tournament with a record of 22-12 and finished eleventh in the Big Ten conference. The Ducks started their season strong with ten consecutive wins by an average margin of over twenty-seven points but went .500 for the remainder of regular season play. Notable victories included wins over ranked opponents USC and Maryland, as well as two wins during the Big Ten tournament against Purdue and Maryland.
Key players for Oregon include sophomore guard Katie Fiso, who leads her team with an average of 15.3 points per game and ranks second overall in assists within the Big Ten conference. Senior forward Mia Jacobs contributes both offensively and defensively, averaging over twelve points per game and leading her team at free throws. Sophomore Ehis Etute also stands out for her rebounding ability and defensive presence.
Both teams bring experienced coaches and standout athletes to Friday’s contest, setting up a competitive opening round matchup.
