OU women’s basketball left little doubt in its NCAA Tournament opener, overpowering No. 13 seed Idaho 89-59 Friday night at Lloyd Noble Center.
The fourth-seeded Sooners (25-7, 15-2 home) played with the confidence of a team looking to make a deep run, dismantling Idaho (29-6, 10-5 away) with balance, efficiency and a clear frontcourt advantage.
Coming off a 112-78 loss against No. 5 Louisiana State (28-5, 12-4 SEC) in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinal, OU had two weeks to prepare. The time off didn’t make an explosive Sooner’s offense go cold; instead, it kick-started it into another gear and showed why they are the No. 3 scoring offense in the nation with a dominant shooting display against the Vandals.
OU shot 51% from the field and held Idaho to just 25%, smothering one of the country’s hottest mid-majors before the game found rhythm. The Vandals came in on an 18-game winning streak, but against OU’s size and depth, they rarely found clean looks or second chances. The Sooners controlled the paint by rejecting nine shots and securing over half of the Vandals 61 missed shots with 43 defensive boards, limiting them to just 14 points inside.
Senior center Raegan Beers led the way, setting the tone early inside. She powered her way to 18 points and 10 rebounds, marking her 21st double-double of the season, the 66th of her career, and another notch atop her national lead among active players.
Freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez, who’s spent her debut season orchestrating one of college basketball’s top offenses, added 15 points and five assists. Even after her remarkable 62-free-throw streak ended in the first quarter, the freshman player of the year’s shot-making and vision kept the Sooners in constant motion. Junior forward Sahara Williams chipped in her eighth double-double, with 17 points and 10 rebounds, showcasing the athleticism that makes OU dangerous in transition and strong on the glass.
What was expected to be a high-scoring, competitive matchup never materialized. Instead, OU’s defense dictated the game, turning missed shots into fast breaks and creating clear separation by the final buzzer.
Head coach Jennie Baranczyk, now 5-0 in first-round games at OU, once again guided her team through March’s opening weekend without turbulence. The victory marked the Sooners’ 25th of the season and their fourth NCAA Tournament win in Norman under her tenure, another step in the program’s pursuit of a national championship.
The Sooners now turn their focus to No. 5 seed Michigan State (23-8, 7-3 away), which visits Norman for a second-round showdown at 7 p.m. Sunday on ESPN.
This story was edited by Laurie Jones.
