Spokane Region Sweet 16 Game Breakdowns
#1 Notre Dame vs. #4 Texas A&M
Notre Dame kept on rolling offensively in the second round as the Fighting Irish routed Villanova 98-72 to move on to Spokane. Kathryn Westbeld came off the bench in the second half to provide a big-time spark, which helped Notre Dame bust the game open and put away the Wildcats after being tied at halftime. Jessica Shepard, Jackie Young, and Arike Ogunbowale each scored over 20 points to lead the Fighting Irish offensively. The assists to turnover ratio was very good for Notre Dame as they had 13 assists and just seven turnovers. Rebounding and points in the paint were huge difference makers too as they outrebounded Villanova 48-19 and outscored them in the paint 56-22.
Texas A&M punched their ticker to Spokane thanks to a three-point shot by Chennedy Carter with 2.8 seconds left to beat DePaul 80-79. The Aggies had an uphill battle most of the way as the Blue Demons controlled the game for most of the way. Carter led the scoring for Texas A&M with 37 points and Anriel Howard added 18 points and 19 rebounds and will be a handful for Notre Dame to deal with. For the Fighting Irish to get to the Elite Eight, they are going to have to put the foot on the gas pedal in the first quarter and try and put the Aggies away early. If Notre Dame fails to put Texas A&M away early, then they could be in harms way late in the fourth quarter. For the Aggies, they need to play loose and get the ball in Carter’s hands, so she can knock down some perimeter shots to open the paint up for Howard to go to work. This game’s tempo should be fast paced with plenty of offensive fireworks.
#2 Oregon vs. #11 Central Michigan
Oregon left no doubt in the second round against Minnesota as the Ducks blew past the Golden Gophers 100-73 to return to the Sweet 16. Sabrina Ionescu scored 29 points and dished out 9 assists. Ruthy Hebard had a field day down in the paint. She had a double-double with 22 points and ten rebounds. Satou Sabally and Lexi Bando also scored in double-figures with 12 and 11 points respectively. The efficiency of Oregon offensively continued to impress as they shot 60.9 percent from the floor, including knocking down 50 percent of their three-point shots.
Central Michigan pulled off an impressive win 95-78 win over Ohio State in Columbus to earn a trip to Spokane and the Sweet 16. The Chippewas have played with a fearlessness in this tournament that has been very impressive to watch. Presley Hudson scored 28 points to lead Central Michigan offensively. She was able to attack the basket effectively and light up the Buckeyes from the perimeter. Cassie Breen and Tinara Moore also had big nights, combining for 42 points and Micaela Kelly chipped in 15 points as well. Defensively, the Chippewas were relentless, especially in the second quarter when they outscored Ohio State 25-6 to take control of the game.
Oregon is the clear favorite, but anything can happen in the Sweet 16 as Central Michigan comes into this game with a ton of confidence. Thus, for the Ducks they need to get rolling early offensively by knocking down quality shots to put the pressure on the Chippewas to advance to the Elite Eight. For Central Michigan, they need to continue to play fearless and attack Oregon offensively, so they can get open looks at the basket. Both teams are more than capable to score north of 80 points, which should keep this game interesting for a while.
