O’Neill saves Huskies
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Washington coach June Daugherty had to take a deep breath after her team’s 73-69 opening round victory over Minnesota.
“What a game to be a part of,” she said.
Kristen O’Neill scored four points in the final minute, including a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 56.6 seconds left, and Washington advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001 when the Huskies downed Oklahoma.
Ninth-seeded Washington will play No. 1 seed LSU in the second round of the San Antonio Regional on Monday night.
“We went by what worked for us all year, out-working people,” Daugherty said. “Post defense and rebounding were the difference.”
Washington owned a 50-38 rebounding advantage and grabbed a season-high 23 offensive rebounds. The biggest of the game came in the final minute with the score tied at 67. Washington missed a shot, but Breanne Watson grabbed the rebound, and O’Neill knocked down a 3-pointer to give the Huskies the lead for good.
“I had confidence and wanted the ball in my hands,” O’Neill said.
It was an exceptionally close second half, with neither team leading by more than four points for the final 15:14. Minnesota had a chance to send the game into overtime trailing 71-69, but Brittney Davis turned the ball over on a drive with 5 seconds left.
Andrea Plouffe led Washington (19-10) with 15 points, while O’Neill finished with 10. Watson had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Cameo Hicks scored 10.
Jamie Broback, who led Minnesota in scoring during the year with 14.1 points per game, finished with just two points in 16 minutes and was benched for the final 18 minutes of the game by coach Pam Burton.
“I thought she was playing scared and tentative,” Burton said. “Jamie wasn’t getting the job done. This is the NCAA tournament. You have to get the job done.”
Kelly Roysland scored a career-high 23 points for Minnesota (19-10), which lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in six trips. The Golden Gophers had reached the regional semifinals in each of the past three seasons.
The loss ends a four-year run of 20-win seasons for Minnesota.
The Huskies hung in the game in the first half thanks to their rebounding. Washington shot just 34 percent from the floor, but had 13 offensive rebounds and a 9-0 run midway through the half, and trailed just 34-32 at halftime.
Minnesota’s Roysland scored 14 points in the first half.