Sooners Open March Madness Saturday vs. Portland

LOS ANGELES – The Big 12 regular season co-champion Oklahoma tips off its 23rd NCAA Tournament at 8 p.m. CT Saturday when it travels to Los Angeles to take on West Coast Conference champion (12) Portland as the No. 5 seed in the Greenville 1 Region.

Oklahoma's first-round contest will air on ESPNU with Ann Schatz and Meghan McKeown on the call.

The Sooners look to improve to 2-0 in first-round games under head coach Jennie Baranczyk, as Oklahoma advanced to the 2022 NCAA Second Round last season. The winner of the Sooners' matchup with the Pilots, which tips at 8 p.m. CT at Pauley Pavilion, will take on the victor of the game between (4) UCLA and (13) Sacramento State on Monday at a time to-be-determined.

THE FAST BREAK

One of the most consistently dominant women's basketball programs since 2000, the Oklahoma Sooners are set to appear in their 23rd all-time NCAA Tournament and 21st since the turn of the century. The Sooners are 34-22 all-time in NCAA Tournament games and have won at least one game in 18 of the program's 22 previous appearances. Oklahoma has been to 10 Sweet 16s, three Elite Eights and three Final Fours, finishing as the national runner-up in 2002.

Oklahoma's No. 5 seed marks the second consecutive top-five seed under Baranczyk, as the Sooners were a No. 4 seed last year. It's the third time (2015 and 2000) that OU was placed on the No. 5 seed line, with the Sooners going 3-2 all-time as the fifth seed. OU has won 12 straight first-round games as the higher seed, with the only loss coming in 2005 as a No. 8 seed.

The Sooners rank in the top two nationally and lead the Big 12 in both points per game (84.5, 2nd NCAA) and assists per game (21.0, 2nd NCAA). The Sooners have four players that score in double figures, led by Madi Williams' 15.5 points per game. The Sooners have scored at least 88 points 15 times this season and are 21-0 when eclipsing 80 points. Additionally, the team's 79.0 possessions per 40 minutes are the third most in the country.

SERIES HISTORY

Saturday night's meeting will mark the second all-time contest between Oklahoma and Portland, with the Sooners winning the lone meeting, 83-70, in 1987. OU is 11-3 all-time vs. the West Coast Conference.

LAST TIME OUT

Oklahoma's run at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship ended Saturday when the No. 2-seeded Sooners were downed 82-72 by third-seeded Iowa State at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. The loss sent No. 14 Oklahoma (25-6, 14-4) home early, and head coach Jennie Baranczyk's team now awaits the NCAA Selection Show, which will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. CT Sunday, March 12. A spot in the NCAA Tournament would mark Oklahoma's 21st appearance in March Madness since 2000 and the second straight to open the Baranczyk era.

UP NEXT

With a win, Oklahoma advances to Monday's NCAA Second Round, where it would play the winner of (4) UCLA vs. (13) Sacramento State, which tips following the conclusion of Saturday's Oklahoma game. The second-round game time will be announced later, as well as the TV designation.