BRIDGEPORT, Conn. -- First it was a nail-biter against Temple, then a head-turning upset against No. 2 seed Duke.
On Saturday afternoon, upset-minded Oregon continued its Cinderella run by knocking off No. 3 seed Maryland, ending the collegiate careers of Terps seniors Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough with a 77-63 win in the Bridgeport Regional semifinals.
The Ducks are headed to their first Elite Eight in program history.
Despite yet another double-double performance from Jones, the Terrapins could not move their offense outside of the paint or the free throw line against Oregon.
Here's a quick look at how the Ducks were able to knock off yet another powerhouse.
How the game was won: Despite a lagging first quarter for both teams, Oregon was able to pull away from Maryland largely because its guards became factors while the Terps' guard core could never find rhythm. With all of the shooting momentum on their side, the Ducks were able to spread the Maryland defense and find success inside and on the perimeter. The Ducks finished with five players in double figures, led by freshman Sabrina Ionescu's 21 points.
Player of the game: It took a quarter for her to get going, but Ionescu quickly emerged as the best player on the floor for the Ducks. A nine-point second quarter for Ionescu (all on 3-pointers) forced Maryland to spread its defense and step out on the Pac-12 freshman of the year, which allowed her to look for her teammates. She finished the game with six assists and seven boards, and shot 7-for-13 from the field, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
Turning point: Junior guard Lexi Bando hit critical back-to-back 3-pointers with 3 minutes to play in the third quarter to help stave off a surging Maryland team that started the third quarter on a 15-6 run. Bando's treys gave the Ducks a 12-point lead and forced Terps coach Brenda Frese to call a 30-second timeout.
Stat of the game: The Terrapins just couldn't find their shooting touch. In the first half, Maryland's guards didn't make a shot outside of the paint and went a combined 2-for-15 from the field. Maryland, which averages 6.4 3-pointers per game, went 0-for-6 from long distance on the afternoon.
X factor: While Ionescu led the Oregon backcourt, freshman forward Ruthy Hebard put in a strong performance in the frontcourt. Despite starting the game 1 of 6 from the field, she finished the game 6 of 13 and was a crucial piece in helping the Ducks spread the floor.
What's next: The Ducks advance to the regional final where they will play the winner of UCLA-UConn (ESPN/WatchESPN, 2 p.m. ET). Oregon has never played UConn in the NCAA tournament and is 0-2 in all-time meetings. The Ducks and Bruins split their regular-season series during Pac-12 play. Oregon defeated UCLA in their most recent matchup on Feb 10. behind a 25-point performance (5-for-7 on 3-point field goals) from Bando.