OU cruises past Idaho in first round of NCAA Tournament
OU women’s basketball cruised past Idaho in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night at the Lloyd Noble Center.
The fourth-seeded Sooners beat 13th-seeded Idaho 89-59, advancing to the second round where they’ll face fifth-seeded Michigan State on Sunday. Oklahoma dominated Friday’s game from start to finish, taking a commanding 57-35 lead into halftime. It finished off the Vandals in the second half, outscoring them 19-3 in the third quarter to seal the victory.
OU was led by its three veterans. Senior center Raegan Beers led all scorers with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Sahara Williams added 17 points and 10 rebounds. And senior guard Payton Verhulst had 14 points and seven rebounds.
“I thought we came out really hungry to start. I thought the pace of the game was really fun to start,” coach Jennie Baranczyk said. “I think obviously, Idaho is a really good basketball team. I think Payton really settled us this. I thought Raegan did a great job of just really setting a tone, and I think you can just see the energy and the enthusiasm that just exudes from Sahara Williams. To be able to watch them, and also Beatrice Culliton gave us really good minutes tonight as well. So you have to go as your upperclassmen go, and that’s how we went tonight.”
Oklahoma’s youth also showed up, with freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez totaling 15 points and sophomore guard Zya Vann adding eight points. The Sooners had nine different players score in the game.
- 1
Ed Orgeron returns to LSU on Lane Kiffin's staff
- 2
Judge recused in Brendan Sorsby eligibility case
- 3
NewAhmad Hardy speaks on rehab, Mizzou return after shooting
- 4
Lane Kiffin reveals NFL-like 'fine system' for players
- 5
Bryce Underwood back for Round 2
Get the On3 Top 10 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
As a team, OU dominated on the boards and points in the paint. The Sooners outrebounded the Vandals 54-44 and outscored them in the paint 38-14. OU also shot better from 3, going 7-of-22 (32%) compared to Idaho’s 10-of-46 (22%).
“I think we’re setting the tone for how we want to play going on into March,” Williams said. “Just coming out and having fun was a big thing. Obviously you play hard and want to win every possession. When we have fun, I wouldn’t say a win is guaranteed, but we play a lot better when we have fun and have a smile on our face and we rebound and we score and we assist the ball. So it was just important setting the tone for going the rest of the way in the tournament.”
The Sooners will now face the Spartans in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan State beat Colorado State 65-62 on Friday to advance. OU and Michigan State will tip off at a time that is yet to be determined.
