Sooners Look For Bedlam Sweep in Stillwater

¹⁹ Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Wednesday, March 2, 2022 / 6:30 p.m. CT / Stillwater, Okla. / Gallagher-Iba Arena

NORMAN – Bedlam returns on Saturday when No. 19 Oklahoma heads north to Stillwater for a matchup with the Oklahoma State Cowgirls at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The 6:30 p.m. game features the Sooners (22-6, 11-5) as they'll look to get closer to clinching the No. 3 seed at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship with a win over the Cowgirls (8-17, 3-13).

The game will be streamable on ESPN+ and will also air on the Sooner Radio Network with Brian Brinkley on the call.

THE STARTING FIVE

The Sooners were tabbed as the No. 19 in the country by the AP Poll and the USA Today/WBCA Poll as well. More importantly, the NCAA Selection Committee named Oklahoma the No. 16 team in the land in the final Top 16 reveal before Selection Sunday. The country's top-16 teams all host first and second round games in the NCAA Championship.
The Sooners have two remaining games in the regular season. The Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship is slated for March 10-13 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. Selection Sunday is March 13 and will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. CT. No. 5 Baylor, who OU swept in the regular season, earned the Big 12's No. 1 seed for the Championship. Oklahoma is featured in scenarios that could land the Sooners anywhere from the No. 3 to the No. 5 seed. Two (2) OU wins paired with two (2) Texas wins this week would give OU the No. 3 seed via tiebreaker (winning % vs. No. 1 seed).
A win would give Oklahoma its ninth 12-win conference season all-time and first since 2016-17. Six of the previous eight 12-win teams made the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. It would also mark the 21st Bedlam sweep for the Sooners, but first since 2017.
The Sooners average 84.4 points per game in 2021-22, third highest in Division I. If OU is able to maintain that average, it would fall just short of the school record of 84.5 PPG set in 1984-85 and be the third-highest point total in Big 12 history. Oklahoma's 19.2 assists per contest rank fourth nationally and lead to 30 made field goals per game, eighth most nationally.2
The Sooners don't just rank near the top in 3-point offense, Oklahoma has been one of the nation's best 3-point teams defensively since entering Big 12 play. Over the last 16 games, the Sooners have held opponents to a Big 12-best 26.6% clip by allowing just 87 of their opponents 327 3-point attempts to convert. Oklahoma is the only team in the country to have made 250 3-pointers while holding opponents to 28.5% or worse from deep.

LAST TIME OUT

Taylor Robertson sunk a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the corner to give No. 20 Oklahoma a 72-69 win over Kansas State on Saturday in Norman. The win keeps Oklahoma (22-6, 11-5) in a tie for third in the Big 12 Conference, two games back of No. 5 Baylor and No. 9 Iowa State as the league enters the final week of the regular season. Madi Williams notched her eighth double-double of the season, and Robertson sunk all four of her 3-point attempts in the final frame to avenge an early-season loss to Kansas State. Oklahoma's leading three scorers all hit double-digit points Saturday as Williams, Robertson and Skylar Vann poured in 18, 17 and 10, respectively. Williams' double-double, aided by 10 rebounds, powered the Sooners on both ends of the floor.

SERIES HISTORY

Wednesday's rivalry marks the 112th all-time Bedlam meeting between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Sooners own a 64-47 advantage over the Cowgirls, but the two schools are tied 24-24 when playing in Stillwater. OU has only won twice at GIA in the last six years. The Sooners dominated the Cowgirls in Norman earlier this year, winning the Jan. 26 matchup 84-58. Liz Scott scored a career-high 22 points and Oklahoma held the Pokes to just 31.9% shooting from the field.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma closes its regular season on Saturday, March 5, when it hosts Kansas in Norman. The game is slated for a 2 p.m. tip on Bally Sports Oklahoma. The Sooners knocked off the Jayhawks in Lawrence on Jan. 8, 82-68.