Ashlon Jackson leads Duke over Oregon 59-53 in 2nd round of women's NCAA Tournament

Ashlon Jackson leads Duke over Oregon 59-53 in 2nd round of women’s NCAA Tournament

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Duke guard Ashlon Jackson, center, is defended by Oregon guards Sofia Bell, left, and Ari Long (14) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Duke guard Ashlon Jackson (3) gets a pat from head coach Kara Lawson after she scored in the final minute against Oregon in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Duke guard Ashlon Jackson (3) drives against Oregon forwards Ehis Etute (35) and Alexis Whitfield, right, during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Duke forward Jordan Wood (13), guard Reigan Richardson (24) and guard Vanessa de Jesus (2) celebrate after they defeated Oregon in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Oregon center Phillipina Kyei (15) is defended by Duke guard Ashlon Jackson, left, and guard Jadyn Donovan (4) during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Oregon center Phillipina Kyei (15) and Duke forward Delaney Thomas, right, vie for the ball during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Oregon guard Deja Kelly, left, drives against Duke guard Reigan Richardson (24) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Oregon center Phillipina Kyei (15) and guard Sofia Bell, right, battle Duke forward Delaney Thomas, center, for the ball during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Oregon center Phillipina Kyei (15), Oregon guard Deja Kelly (25) and Duke forward Delaney Thomas (12) watch the ball bounce out of bounds during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Oregon center Phillipina Kyei, right, works against Duke forward Delaney Thomas, left, during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Duke guard Oluchi Okananwa (5) drives against Oregon center Phillipina Kyei, right, during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Duke guard Ashlon Jackson (3) tries to get around Oregon guards Peyton Scott (10) and Sofia Bell, center right, during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Duke head coach Kara Lawson yells instructions to her team during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Oregon, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Oregon head coach Kelly Graves applauds his team’s play against Duke during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Oregon guard Deja Kelly (25) reacts in the final moments of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Duke, Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Oregon forward Filippa Tilliander (13), center Phillipina Kyei (15) and guard Ari Long (14) react after they lost to Duke in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Duke head coach Kara Lawson, center, and her players celebrate after they defeated Oregon in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 23, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

By MITCHELL NORTHAM

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Ashlon Jackson scored 14 of her 20 points in the third quarter to power No. 2 seed Duke to a 59-53 victory over 10th-seeded Oregon in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

Duke (28-7) played without leading scorer Toby Fournier, the Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the year who averages 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Blue Devils’ coach Kara Lawson said the 6-foot-2 Canadian forward “wasn’t feeling well” and team doctors didn’t clear her to play.

“We found out right before the game. That’s the way it goes,” Lawson said. “So, I don’t have a diagnosis, or a timetable either.”

Jackson shot 5 of 9 on 3-pointers and had four rebounds in Fournier’s absence. Reigan Richardson added 13 points while Delaney Thomas scored 12.

In her eighth career game against Duke, former North Carolina guard Deja Kelly finished with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting for the Ducks (20-12). Phillipina Kyei had 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Oregon held a five-point advantage at halftime but came out cold in the second half, failing to make a field goal for the first six minutes of the third quarter. Meanwhile, Jackson had the hot shooting hand.

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Kansas State's Temira Poindexter (2) and Jaelyn Glenn, right, embrace after defeating Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament in Lexington, Ky., Sunday, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

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Oregon guard Deja Kelly (25) drives against Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes (1) during the second half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 21, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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Oregon guard Peyton Scott (10) celebrates as time runs out in the overtime period against Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 21, 2025, in Durham N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

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“I got tired of missing. It’s simple,” Jackson said. “But yeah, just seeing the ball go in, it was a great thing.”

Beginning with a 3-pointer off a feed from Jadyn Donovan, Jackson broke off an 11-0 run of her own to help Duke take the lead. She capped off a 16-1 run for the Blue Devils by connecting on her fourth shot from beyond the arc of the quarter, giving Duke a 10-point advantage.

“We just came up a little short today,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said. “Usually, the third quarter has been our quarter, and today Duke came out and just kind of put their foot down.”

Takeaways

Oregon: The Ducks’ defense kept them in the game, but their offensive struggles in the third quarter proved to be too much to overcome. They did trim the deficit to a single point in the fourth quarter.

Duke: The win for the Blue Devils marks the first time they’ve advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons since they went to four straight Elite Eights under former coach Joanne P. McCallie more than a decade ago, the last of those coming in 2013.

“It was a gritty game. It’s what we expected,” Lawson said. “It’s hard to go to back-to-back Sweet 16s. It’s not something that a lot of programs are able to do.”

Key stat

Duke scored 18 points off Oregon’s 17 turnovers. The Blue Devils rank 19th nationally in turnovers forced per game with 20.7. Thomas led Duke in steals with three, while Kelly turned the ball over five times for the Ducks.

Up next

Duke will play the winner of Monday night’s game between No. 3 seed North Carolina and No. 6 seed West Virginia in the Sweet 16 in Birmingham, Alabama.

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