Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma Basketball: Sooners a Six Seed in NCAA Women’s Tournament

By Chip Rouse

Mar 6, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Gioya Carter (25) drives to the basket in front of Baylor Bears guard Alexis Jones (30) in fourth quarter during the women's Big 12 conference tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Gioya Carter (25) drives to the basket in front of Baylor Bears guard Alexis Jones (30) in fourth quarter during the women's Big 12 conference tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Unlike their male counterparts, the Oklahoma basketball women are making their 18th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Sooner women are headed to the far Northwest as the No. 6 seed in the Oklahoma City Region. They will play the No. 11 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle on Saturday.

The 20th-ranked Sooners finished the regular season with an overall record of 22-9 and third place in the Big 12 with a record of 13-5. Gonzaga, OU’s first-round opponent, is 26-6 on the season and, like the Zag men, champions of the West Coast Conference.

OU’s streak of 18 straight appearances in the NCAA Women’s Championship is the fifth longest active streak among Division I schools and the longest active streak in the Big 12.

Oklahoma should be favored in the opening round, and should the Lady Sooners advance to the second round on Monday they will play the winner of the first-round matchup between the third-seeded Washington Huskies (27-5) and Montana State 25-6), the 14 seed in the Oklahoma City region.

“It never gets old having the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament.” –Sherri Coale, OU women’s coach

The Sooners have played Washington in two of the last three seasons, but not the in current one. OU won by 10 two years ago in a game played in Norman, and by three points a year ago.

“It never gets old having the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament,” said OU head coach Sherri Coale when the team learned of its selection and seeding in this year’s tournament.

A pair of wins in Seattle will send the Sooners back home for the Sweet 16 round, which will be played in Oklahoma City. If the brackets play out true to form, OU is likely to face No. 2 seed Mississippi State (29-4). The Lady Bulldogs are ranked seventh nationally in the most recent ESPN/USA Today poll.

Another team from the Big 12, conference-champion Baylor, is the No. 1 seed in the Oklahoma City Region. Oklahoma and Baylor have met twice this season, with the Bears prevailing in both games by an average of 36 points.