TAMPA, Fla. — FOURTH QUARTER: Baylor wins 72-67
Oregon missed its final shot. Baylor advances to the national championship, as they defeated the Ducks 72-67.
Brown was fouled, and hit one of two free throws. Baylor leads 72-67 with 3.4 seconds left in the game.
The Lady Bears had a foul to give, and Landrum used it after five seconds went off the clock. Following the inbound, Ionescu tried to draw a foul on a three, putting up an ugly shot in the process. In the replay, Landrum clearly hit Ionescu in the face as she was fighting through a screen.
Cox was fouled, and the Lady Bears are now in the bonus with 18.7 left in the game. She hit both free throws, giving Baylor a four-point lead. Oregon calls a timeout. Score: 71-67, Lady Bears with the lead.
With one minute left, Ionescu drove and missed a layup. Baylor has the ball with 45 seconds left. Jackson made a clutch bucket, giving Baylor the lead 69-67. Oregon missed on their possession. Jackson was fouled, but Oregon had one to give.
At the two minute mark, Cox went off the dribble for an easy layup. Ionescu missed a three, then Sabally hit one right after an Oregon offensive rebound. Tie game, 67-67 with 1:10 left in the game.
Out of the Oregon timeout, Landrum blocked Ionescu. It stayed on Oregon's side, and Cox drew another block. Ionescu then missed a floater as the shot clock expired.
Around the four minute mark, Brown responded with a bank shot. Baylor led Oregon 65-64 with 3:30 left in the game. Oregon called a timeout with 2:49 left in the game.
Out of the Baylor timeout, Brown found Cox for an easy bucket, cutting the Ducks' lead to one. Brown nailed Hebard with her elbow, turning it over on an offensive foul.
Kim Mulkey called a timeout with 6:10 left after Cazorla nailed a three for the Ducks. Oregon is 11 of 27 from the arc. Score: 64-61 Oregon.
After a quick bucket by Landrum, Ionescu fed Hebard with a slick pocket pass. Ionescu has five assists on the game at the 7:30 mark of the fourth. Ionescu dished it to Boley, who hit a pull up jumper. Tie game: 61-61 with 6:40 remaining.
Jackson turned it over around the 9 minute mark, and Gildon snagged an offensive rebound off of a missed three by the Ducks, then flushed it down. Score: 59-57 Baylor.
To open the final quarter, Richards drew a foul on a layup, and she converted from the charity stripe. She had just returned to the game because she was in foul trouble. However, Richards immediately fouled Ionescu on the other end, bringing her to four fouls in the game.
THIRD QUARTER: Baylor leads 56-55
There have been 10 ties and 10 lead changes so far this game. Like Mulkey said before the game, it's been a great one so far. Get ready for an exciting finish.
Surprise: Boley hit a three for Oregon around the one minute mark. A mid-range jumper from Jackson rattled in, giving Baylor the lead to end the third. Oregon nearly made a prayer from half court, but the shot hit the front of the rim.
Ionescu hit a layup as she was fouled by Richards, and she of course converted the and-one. Richards went to the bench, since that was her third of the game. Brown was fouled on the other end, and hit one free throw of her own. Oregon rebounded her miss.
Around 3 minutes left in the quarter, Oregon nailed another three. Jackson responded with a jumper of her own. Cox fouled Satou Sabally on a three-point shot. She made two out of three to tie the game. Score: 49-49
Out of the timeout, Oregon hit a quick layup. The Lady Bears nailed a mid-range jumper to respond. Baylor was extending far on the three point line, so Ionescu drove, and dished it to Ruthy Hebard who flushed it down, drawing an and-one. She missed the free throw. There was 4:46 remaining the third.
Oregon took a timeout at the 5:57 mark after Baylor extended its lead to five. Score: 45-40 Lady Bears. At this point, Oregon was 8 of 18 from three-point land, while Baylor missed its only three-point attempt.
Brown grabbed an offensive rebound off a Jackson miss. She had a quick put back to extend Baylor's lead to three.
Oregon is still on fire from three, as Ionescu hit another one to take the lead 40-37. Brown hit a long 2 around the 7:40 mark to cut Oregon's lead to one. Ionescu missed a floater, and Brown snagged the board.
Baylor and Oregon traded baskets, yo-yoing the lead back and forth to start the second half. At the 9 minute mark, it was tied 37-37 after Lauren Cox nailed a mid range jumper.
SECOND QUARTER: Oregon leads 34-33
Richards fouled Ionescu on a three with about 10 seconds left in the half, and the Pac-12 Player of the Year still nailed the shot. She converted the four point play to end the half, giving Oregon the lead. Ionescu ended the first half with 12 points after going scoreless in the first quarter.
Cox had another swat inside with about 40 seconds left. Baylor's presence inside is very noticeable in this game, but Oregon's outside shooting ultimately gave them the lead at halftime.
Erin Boley hit another three for Oregon, her third of the first half, cutting Baylor's lead to one. Baylor missed inside on the following possession.
Ionescu nailed her next three, showing that she won't go cold or lose confidence after a miss. Cox responded with a mid-range jumper. Score: 31-27 Lady Bears.
Around the 3:00 mark, Ionescu missed a three as the shot clock expired. On the other end, Brown hit an easy layup. Lady Bears leading the Ducks 29-24.
Brown grabbed a few offensive rebounds and was fouled to get to the line at the 5:28 mark. She hit one to get regain the lead. Lady Bears up 25-24.
Cox swatted one of Ionescu's layup attempt, showing her prowess as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Oregon briefly took the lead back when Ionescu hit a three around the 7:45 mark, but Baylor responded inside immediately to take it back. Score: 23-22 Baylor.
FIRST QUARTER: Baylor leads 19-15
The Lady Bears were living off the free throw line as the first winded down. Brown hit two free throws after getting fouled inside, and DiDi Richards hit both her foul shots after she was hit off of a cut.
After turning it over on the first possession coming out of a timeout, the Lady Bears went on an 8-0 run to take their first lead of the game around the 2:30 mark in the first. Score: 12-10.
Coach Kim Mulkey used her first timeout with 4:59 left in the first quarter. This came after the Lady Bears turned it over on three possessions in a row, and a pair of threes from Oregon on the other end.
Score: 11-4, Oregon. The Ducks have done a good job of collapsing inside when Kalani Brown gets the ball in the low post. Lauren Cox assisted Brown early, but the Ducks are making it tough on Brown.
Both Cox and Brown picked up fouls early.
Ionescu assisted her teammate on a three point shot. The Lady Bears are extending to the three point line to keep Oregon honest on outside shots. Oregon is using a lot of screens, hand offs and off ball cuts to get open outside.
PREVIEW
It's the final Friday of the college basketball season, and the women's Final Four tips off the weekend. The Lady Bears' showdown against Oregon starts at 6 p.m. Central time at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
So far, the Lady Bears have imposed their will on opponents in the 2019 Women's NCAA Tournament, winning their games by an average of 38.3 points. In their last game, the Lady Bears defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes, led by AP National Player of the Year Megan Gustafson, 85-53.
Oregon's star player Sabrina Ionescu was also in the running for player of the year, and she received seven votes. The first team All-American holds the all-time NCAA record for men and women with 13 career triple-doubles.
Point is, she's a baller.
Sports director Nick Canizales said the key to success for Baylor is to shut down the Ducks' three-point attack. Even if the Lady Bears lock off Ionescu, threes will fly from three other Ducks averaging double figures.
Baylor's style is a stark contrast from Oregon's. Their strength is dominating with post play inside, which is why Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox both received All-America honors. Overall, Baylor has more size and length than Oregon.
"It's going to be a great basketball game," Lady Bears head coach Kim Mulkey said.
