This piece was written by MITCH STACY, a writer for the Associated Press.

Reigan Richardson led the way for Duke as she put up 28 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Despite being down by 16 points in the first half, the No. 7 seed came back to defeat the No. 2 seed Ohio State 75-63 and secure a spot in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018.

Richardson made a 3-point basket from the wing, giving Duke a 59-57 lead with 5:21 remaining. This ignited a 13-2 scoring streak by the Blue Devils, which started to secure the outcome of the game.

Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair each contributed to the Blue Devils’ 22-11 score with 13 and 11 points respectively. They will head to Portland, Oregon for their next game, facing the victor of Syracuse and UConn.

Richardson, who had an average of 11.9 points per game this season, said, “We are incredibly proud of how our team performed today.” Despite being down by 16 points, they persevered and worked together to make a comeback.

The recent victory by Duke caused an upset as it was only the second instance in the tournament where a lower seeded team emerged victorious. In the opening round, the higher seeded teams had a record of 31 wins and only 1 loss.

Cotie McMahon paced the Buckeyes (26-6) with 27 points. Most of those were in the paint. Ohio State attempted just nine 3-pointers in the game and didn’t make one until there were 12.2 seconds left in the game.

Celeste Taylor, a former Duke player who joined Ohio State this season, only managed to score six points before being taken out of the game due to fouls at the 6:38 mark.

“Their performance was superior,” acknowledged Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff. “They earned the victory. Our team did not perform up to par today.”

Ohio State’s pressing defense caused problems for Duke early as the Buckeyes built a 16-point lead. But the Blue Devils came roaring back. A 12-2 run cut the Buckeyes lead to 36-32 at halftime.

Kara Lawson, the coach of Duke, praised her players’ determination and focus during the game. Despite a rough start where it seemed like they were falling behind, they never lost faith and stayed focused in the huddles. Each possession was important as they fought their way back into the game.

On Friday, Ohio State easily defeated No. 15 seed Maine with a score of 80-57. In the second half, Duke came back from behind to defeat No. 10 seed Richmond.

WHAT HAPPENED?

McGuff stated that the Buckeyes experienced a breakdown.

“At the beginning of the game, during the first quarter, we were successfully creating good scoring opportunities and displaying an energetic and disciplined approach to rebounding,” stated the speaker. “However, as the game progressed, our offensive coordination faltered, which was partly due to Duke’s strong defense. This also affected our ability to secure rebounds, leading to breakdowns in that aspect.”

MAKING ADJUSTMENTS

Lawson mentioned that her team was initially caught off guard by the intense defensive strategy of Ohio State, leading to a “shock factor.”

“It was a rough start for us,” she stated. “But once we found our footing and our momentum, and started scoring successfully, I believe we showed great composure and self-assurance. We were able to get to the necessary areas and I just hoped that the initial onslaught from Ohio State wouldn’t put us too far behind to make a comeback.”

BYE BYE BUCKEYES

Unfortunately, Ohio State’s season came to a disappointing end on their home court despite making it to the regional final in the previous season. This also marked the final game in Value City Arena for fifth-year player Sheldon, who had a total of 13 points. She maintained an average of 18 points throughout the season.

Sheldon expressed that he still hasn’t fully processed the situation. He feels disappointed because he believes they have many regrets and did not perform at their best during the game. Despite Duke playing a great game, it stings a little more knowing they didn’t give their all.

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Reword: The AP March Madness bracket and coverage can be found at the following links:
– https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/
– https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Source: wralsportsfan.com