Oregon women's basketball celebrate crushing win over Vanderbilt in first round of March Madness 2025

The No. 10-seeded Oregon Ducks beat the No. 7-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Friday evening. Despite leading by 19 points in the third quarter, the Commodores mounted a comeback and forced overtime which was narrowly edged by the Ducks.

The star of the show by the Ducks was senior Deja Kelly, who transferred from the North Carolina Tar Heels last year. She tallied 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals. She was especially effective in the second half and overtime, where she scored 14.0 points.

In a clip posted on the team's Instagram page after the thrilling first-round game, the Ducks celebrated the upset passionately in the dressing room as they were congratulated by their coaches for the win.

During her postgame news conference, Kelly revealed how the Ducks managed the game despite the Commodores' stunning comeback.

"It's March," Kelly said. "So I think that that's what these games are about. There's lots of ups and downs. I think for us, we were all just so dialed in. I'm really proud of our fight, even when things weren't going our way and when Vanderbilt had their little stretch of turning us over and scoring off those baskets, which that's what they are really known for. We were composed."

Oregon coach celebrates team's big win

For the first time since the 2021-2022 season, the Oregon Ducks advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. They finished the season with a 19-11 overall, 10-8 record in what has been an inconsistent season underscored by some big wins that punched their ticket to the Big Dance.

During her postgame news conference, Ducks coach Kelly Graves revealed her joy at her team's big win despite the shortcomings of the past few years.

"It means a lot," Kelly Graves said. "The last couple years, we just weren't the program that we'd been for a variety of reasons. That's why this has been so sweet, honestly. I've been re-energized. This team has made me, even at 62 years old, feel a lot younger, and they've been fun to coach.

"I was thinking to myself, when does a win feel like a loss, feel like a win. I think we, you know, our emotional gamut hit all phases today. I'm just really proud of our team."

The Oregon Ducks will face the No. 2-seeded Duke Blue Devils in the next round of the NCAA Tournament for a chance to score another upset and reach an unlikely Sweet 16.