Sooners Set For Top-15 Showdown in SEC Quarterfinal

NORMAN – No. 10 Oklahoma (24-6, 11-5 SEC) looks to secure a spot in the SEC semifinals on Friday, facing fourth-seeded No. 12 Kentucky (22-6, 11-5 SEC) in Greenville, S.C. The fifth-seeded Sooners advanced with a 70-52 win over Georgia in Thursday's second round, extending their win streak to eight.

The winner of OU's game will move on to face either top-seeded South Carolina or eighth-seeded Vanderbilt in Saturday's semifinal.

Tip at Bon Secours Wellness Arena is set for 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN, with Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst) and Holly Rowe (reporter) on the call. 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. 10 Oklahoma vs. No. 12 Kentucky
Date: Friday, March 7
Tip Time: 1:30 p.m. CT
Location: Greenville, S.C.
Arena: Bon Secours Wellness Arena (15,000)

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NOTES TO KNOW

• Oklahoma had two players named to the All-SEC teams, as selected by the league's 16 coaches. Junior center Raegan Beers earned All-SEC first-team honors, while Payton Verhulst was named to the All-SEC Second Team. The Sooners' two selections tied for the second most in the conference, trailing only LSU's three honorees. Under head coach Jennie Baranczyk, Oklahoma has now produced 13 All-Conference honors in the past four seasons – the program's highest four-year total since earning 16 from 2006-09.

• The Sooners head into postseason play ranked 10th in both the AP poll and WBCA Coaches poll, marking just the fifth time in program history that OU entered March inside the nation's top 10. Oklahoma has appeared in every AP poll this season, opening at No. 10 and climbing as high as No. 8. The team is currently on a 26-week streak appearing in the AP poll – the fourth longest in program history and the longest since a 40-week run from 2015 to 2017.

• Oklahoma is positioned to host first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games for the second time in four seasons, ranking as the No. 13 overall seed in the NCAA selection committee's latest reveal on Feb. 27. The Sooners sit at 13th in the NET rankings, boast six Quad 1 wins – the eighth most nationally – and own the highest-ranked Quad 2 win in the country, a 30-point road victory over UNLV (46th in the NET). Entering the SEC Tournament, Oklahoma is projected as a No. 3 seed in the latest ESPN Bracketology.

• Oklahoma enters Friday afternoon on an eight-game winning streak, its longest of the season and best since a nine-game surge in Big 12 play last year. The Sooners' last loss came on Feb. 2 against Kentucky in Norman, 95-86, but since then, OU has outscored opponents by 17.1 points per game, with six wins by double digits and three by 20 or more. During the streak, OU's defense has held teams to 36.0% shooting with a +11.1 rebounding margin. All-SEC selection Raegan Beers has led the charge, averaging 21.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, with three other Sooners – Payton Verhulst (15.0 PPG), Skylar Vann (10.9) and Sahara Williams (10.3) – scoring in double figures.

• A member of the Big 8 Conference from 1982–1996 and the Big 12 Conference from 1996–2024, Oklahoma has been a cornerstone of women's basketball success since the program's inception in 1975 and now brings that pedigree to the SEC. The Sooners have won 13 conference titles, including four postseason championships (2002, 2004, 2006, and 2007), and secured back-to-back Big 12 regular season crowns in 2023 and 2024. Since 2000, OU has appeared in 22 NCAA Tournaments, advancing to the Final Four three times and reaching the Sweet 16 nine times.

A WIN WOULD...

• Advance Oklahoma to the SEC semifinals where it would face either top-seeded South Carolina or eighth-seeded Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon.

• Mark Oklahoma's ninth straight win, tying last year's nine-game surge for the longest winning streak of the Baranczyk era (2021-present).

• Secure OU's seventh Quad 1 win of the season and fifth top-25 victory. It would give Oklahoma its first win over a ranked opponent at a conference tournament since 2010 (lost five straight entering Friday).

LAST TIME OUT

• Raegan Beers had 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, and No. 10 Oklahoma extended its winning streak to eight games with a 70-52 victory over Georgia on Thursday in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Oklahoma's win sets up a rematch Friday with No. 12 Kentucky, which handed the Sooners their most recent loss on Feb. 2, 95-86. That victory proved to be a key tiebreaker, allowing the Wildcats to earn the last remaining double bye in the tournament over the Sooners after the teams finished tied for fourth in conference play. Liz Scott added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Sooners (24-6).

UP NEXT

• The winner of OU's game will move on to face either top-seeded South Carolina or eighth-seeded Vanderbilt in Saturday's semifinal on ESPN.