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Oklahoma Basketball: Previewing Women’s NCAA Matchup With Washington

By Chip Rouse

Apr 3, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Huskies guard Kelsey Plum (10) dribbles the ball around Syracuse Orange guard Cornelia Fondren (11) during the third quarter at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Huskies guard Kelsey Plum (10) dribbles the ball around Syracuse Orange guard Cornelia Fondren (11) during the third quarter at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /
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With a solid 75-62 win over Gonzaga on Saturday, Oklahoma basketball is making its 11th appearance in the last dozen years in the second round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Mar 5, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Peyton Little (10) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma State Cowgirls guard Brittney Martin (22) in the fourth quarter during the women’s Big 12 conference tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Peyton Little (10) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma State Cowgirls guard Brittney Martin (22) in the fourth quarter during the women’s Big 12 conference tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

The No. 6-seeded Sooners and No. 3 Washington Huskies (28-5) will square off Monday night in Seattle in second-round action in the women’s edition of March Madness.

The winner of the game will punch its ticket to the Sweet 16, which for this region will be in Oklahoma City, serving as an added incentive to survive in the Far Northwest and return home to continue its tourney journey.

Here are a few things you might like to know about the Sooners and the Huskies, as provided by the University of Oklahoma athletic department, heading into Monday’s NCAA Tournament showdown:

The Sooners and Huskies have met three times in the last three seasons. Oklahoma has won the last two games between the two schools, the most recent one a year ago in Seattle.

  • Washington is ranked 11th in the most recent USA Today Coaches Poll and 12th in the Associated Press Top 25. The Oklahoma women are 2-5 this season playing teams ranked in the AP poll.

    • Oklahoma is just one of 10 teams in Division I men’s or women’s basketball with an active streak of 18 or more consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. Among women’s teams, only four other schools (Tennessee, 36; Stanford, 30; Connecticut, 29, and Notre Dame, 22) have made more consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

    Kelsey Plum of Washington leads Division I women’s basketball with a scoring average of 31.6 points per game this season. Recently, Plum became Division I women basketball’s all-time leading scorer, with 3,460 career points. That is just 208 points shy of Pete Maravich’s career record on the men’s side.

    Washington’s Plum has scored at least 20 points in every game this season. She has averaged 37.5 points in her two previous games against Oklahoma.

    Chantel Osahor of Washington in the top rebounder in women’s college basketball this season, averaging 15.4 boards per contest.

    Washington is shooting 47 percent from the field in 2016-17, fifth best in the nation, and the Huskies shooting percentage of 38 percent from three-point range ranks fourth nationally.

  • Three Oklahoma players are averaging 12 or more points per game: Maddie Manning (12.6), Peyton Little (12.4) and Vionise Pierre-Louis (12.1).

    • The Sooners are 7-4 as a six seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament.

    The Sooner women are 6-3 all-time playing in the state of Washington, and 1-1 when playing in the NCAA Tournament in the state.

    Oklahoma has won 30 straight games when it wins the rebounding and turnover battle against its opponent.

    OU is 19-0 this season when holding its opponent to under 70 points.

    Fourteen players on the Sooners’ roster have combined to play in 43 postseason games while at Oklahoma.

    Next: Sooners Hold Off Gonzaga to Advance in NCAA Women's Tournament