Oklahoma Hosts Iowa For Spot in Sweet 16

NORMAN – No. 11 Oklahoma (26-7) looks to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013 when it hosts Iowa in the second round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship on Monday at 3 p.m. CT inside Lloyd Noble Center.

The third-seeded Sooners have reached the second round in each of head coach Jennie Baranczyk's four seasons at the helm, but will need to get past No. 6 seed Iowa (23-10) to dance into next weekend. The winner moves on to face either No. 2 seed UConn or No. 10 seed South Dakota State in Spokane, Wash., next Saturday (March 29).

Winners of 10 of its last 11, Oklahoma is the No. 3 seed in the Spokane 4 Region and is hosting first- and second-round games at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. This marks the Sooners' eighth time hosting and their second under head coach Jennie Baranczyk (2022). The No. 3 seed is OU's highest since its Final Four run in 2010. Historically, the Sooners are 21-7 when seeded third or higher and 6-2 as a No. 3 seed.

Tip is set for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN, with Kevin Fitzgerald (play-by-play) and Kim Adams (analyst) on the call from Lloyd Noble Center. Brian Brinkley (play-by-play) and Tyler Neal (analyst) will call the action on the Sooner Sports Radio Network (107.7 FM The Franchise; Varsity Radio App).

No. 11 Oklahoma vs. (RV) Iowa
Date: Monday, March 24
Tip Time: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Norman, Okla.
Arena: Lloyd Noble Center

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FAN INFO

• Tickets are on sale now for the NCAA Tournament in Norman, and doors will open at 2 p.m. CT. University of Oklahoma students get in for free at the north entrance of the arena by showing their student ID.

• A "Know Before You Go" page has more information for fans.

NOTES TO KNOW

• Oklahoma head coach Jennie Baranczyk will face a familiar opponent on Monday, as the former Hawkeye starred at Iowa from 2000-04. A native of Des Moines, Baranczyk played under current Iowa head coach Jan Jensen, who was an assistant during her time in black and gold. Before taking over at Oklahoma, Baranczyk spent nine seasons leading Drake in her hometown, compiling a 1-8 record as a head coach against the Hawkeyes. Her lone win came during Drake's 28-5 campaign in 2016-17, when they defeated Iowa 81-76. Two current Sooners – Sahara Williams (Waterloo West HS) and Aubrey Joens (Iowa City HS) – were five-star recruits from the Hawkeye State.

• OU has navigated the nation's 19th-toughest schedule and ranks 10th nationally in Quad 1 wins with seven. The Sooners are 15-6 against top-100 teams, the 14th-most top-100 wins in the country, and remain unbeaten in Quad 2-4 games (19-0) – one of just 11 teams with a perfect record in those matchups. Monday's matchup would be a Quad 1 game as Iowa is No. 24 in the NET – Oklahoma is 26-2 against teams outside of the NET's Top 10.

• Oklahoma junior center Raegan Beers earned All-America honorable mentions from the AP and USBWA after becoming the first player in at least 25 years of women's college basketball to average 17.5 PPG and 8.5 RPG, shoot 65.0% or better and play less than 23.0 MPG. OU has now produced an All-American in each of Jennie Baranczyk's first four seasons. Beers also earned All-SEC First Team honors, while Payton Verhulst was named to the All-SEC Second Team, as voted by the league's 16 coaches.

• OU's non-conference slate featured four teams that made the NCAA Tournament – Duke, Louisville, Michigan and Southern with three of those four wins counting as Quad 1 victories. The Sooners won at Louisville, a feat matched only by No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 8 UNC and No. 9 NC State. They also routed UNLV by 30 in Vegas, snapping a 13-game home winning streak and beat then-No. 20 Michigan by double digits on a neutral floor.

A WIN WOULD...

• Advance the Sooners to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013 and 11th time in program history.

• Secure Oklahoma's 11th win in 12 games.

• Secure Oklahoma's 27th win of the season, the most of the Baranczyk era and the most for the Sooners since the 2010 Final Four team won 27 games.

• Improve the Sooners to 11-10 in second-round games and 33-8 vs. lower seeds in the tournament.

• Give Baranczyk her first appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It would move her to 2-8 all-time against her alma mater.

LAST TIME OUT

• Raegan Beers had 25 points and 18 rebounds, and No. 3 seed Oklahoma dominated the fourth quarter to beat 14th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast 81-58 in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The Sooners led 55-48 entering the fourth, then outscored the Eagles 26-10 in the final period. Beers, a 6-foot-4 center, towered over a team with no starter taller than 5-9. She helped the Sooners outrebound the Eagles 72-35 - setting an NCAA Tournament record for team rebounds.

SERIES HISTORY

• Monday marks the fourth all-time meeting between the Sooners and Hawkeyes, but first in the NCAA Tournament.

• Iowa holds the all-time series lead, 2-1, but the Sooners won the last meeting in 2005.

• Oklahoma head coach Jennie Baranczyk is 1-8 when facing her alma mater as a head coach.

UP NEXT

• With a win, Oklahoma would move on to the Sweet 16 for the 11th time in program history but first since 2013. It would play the winner of No. 2 seed UConn and No. 10 seed South Dakota State in Spokane, Wash., next Saturday.