Duke Women's Basketball Advances to Sweet 16, Defeats Oregon 59-53

The No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils narrowly defeated the No. 10 seed Oregon Ducks 59-53 in the second round of the 2025 Women's NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year. Duke played without their leading scorer, Toby Fournier, who was sidelined due to illness, significantly impacting their offensive performance. Oregon initially took a five-point lead into halftime, but Duke rebounded with a strong third quarter, led by Ashlon Jackson, who scored 14 of her 20 points in that period. Despite Oregon's efforts, including a strong performance from Deja Kelly, the Ducks could not overcome Duke’s late surge. The Blue Devils will next face either No. 3 North Carolina or No. 6 West Virginia in Birmingham. Duke's victory highlights their resilience, especially in the absence of their star player.