Sooners Savoring Home Court for NCAAs

March 17, 2012

By Andrew Gilman | SoonerSports.com

NORMAN, Okla. -- When it comes to the postseason, Norman feels pretty good to the Sooners.

Feels good because the Sooners win here. A lot.

So, when OU takes the court at 6:30 p.m. Sunday against Michigan in the first round of the NCAA tournament, chances are Oklahoma will feel relaxed, at ease and as close to comfortable as possible.

"Obviously," guard Whitney Hand said. "You are more comfortable where you play a lot. The NCAA's are an eye-opening experience for those who haven't experienced it before, so it's nice to to be able to come home."

How nice?

Well, consider the numbers:

The Sooners have played host in Norman on five occasions and the result is a 7-1 record with the only loss coming in 2003 against Georgetown. Additionally, OU had virtual home games in 2009 when the Sooners played in Oklahoma City for the right to get to the Final Four, and OU won both those games.

Safe to say, being in the state eases OU's state of mind.

"It's not just a home gym, you're having this game in your home environment," coach Sherri Coale said. "There are places around the country that have home gyms and there are places that have an environment. We are very fortunate. It can prove be a decided advantage. If we do what we're supposed to when those fans show up, it can be a distinct advantage for us."

OU ranks 10th nationally in home attendance this season, averaging more than 7,100 fans per game.

And the numbers support the home team winning, too.

The Sooners will be the No. 6 seed against Michigan Sunday. The No. 6 seed is 51-21 all-time in games against the No. 11 seed. Couple that with the fact, the Sooners enter the postseason for the 13th season in a row and are 11-2 during that span in the first round. Meanwhile, Michigan is the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001.

"It's about us," Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth said. "It's about our opportunity to come here and play. It's about you answering and about you doing the things that you do well on the court better than the other team does what they do well, which is really where our prime focus is."

The winner between Michigan and OU will take on the winner between No. 3-seeded St. John's and No. 14-seeded Creighton. That game will at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"It's nice to be able to come home," Hand said. "With that being said, we lost our last game at home, so it's not a guaranteed win at all, but it's nice to play where you practice every day."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Related News

Related Videos

Sponsors