Sweet Again: Sooners Beat Michigan State to Advance to 12th Sweet 16

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Sweet Again: Sooners Beat Michigan State to Advance to 12th Sweet 16

March 22, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score Highlights Postgame Press Conference Final Stats

By: OU Athletics Communications

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Raegan Beers had 18 points and 14 rebounds to help No. 4 seed Oklahoma beat fifth-seeded Michigan State 77-71 on Sunday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Aaliyah Chavez added 18 points and six assists for the Sooners (26-7), who advanced to play in the Sweet 16 of March Madness for the second straight year. They'll play the winner of Monday's matchup between No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 9 seed Southern California. Oklahoma defeated South Carolina in overtime during the regular season.

Rashunda Jones scored 20 points, Kennedy Blair had 14 points and nine rebounds and Grace VanSlooten added 13 points and seven rebounds for Michigan State (23-9). The Spartans were trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.

Michigan State led 42-37 at halftime behind 47.1% shooting. The Spartans held Oklahoma to 38.9% shooting and forced the Sooners into 14 turnovers.

Early in the second half, with Michigan State leading 42-39, Michigan State's Jalyn Brown was called for a flagrant foul. Chavez made both free throws. Moments later, Beers scored in close, then made a mid-range jumper to put the Sooners up 45-42 and force a Michigan State timeout. The Sooners took a 57-54 lead into the fourth quarter.

Oklahoma started the final period hot. A 3-pointer by Payton Verhulst put the Sooners up 66-58. Michigan State got no closer than three points the rest of the way.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Fourth-seeded No. 10 Oklahoma (26-7) advanced to its second straight Sweet 16 and 12th in program history on Sunday with a 77-71 win over No. 20 Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament's second round at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman.

• The Sooners' back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances are the program's first since making three straight from 2009-11.

• Oklahoma has now beaten six top-25 teams and seven Quad 1 opponents this season. The Sooners also set a program record with 16 home wins and have won 19 straight non-conference games at Lloyd Noble Center.

• Sunday marked the final home game for seniors Raegan Beers, Beatrice Culliton and Payton Verhulst. Culliton, Oklahoma's lone four-year player, now has 102 career wins as a Sooner, as OU went 57-8 at Lloyd Noble Center over the last four seasons.

• The game featured 12 lead changes and eight ties, including nine lead changes in the first half, the most in any half of the 2026 NCAA Tournament entering the game per ESPN. Oklahoma is now 6-0 this season in games with eight or more lead changes.

• Oklahoma trailed 42-37 at halftime but improved to 4-6 this season when trailing at the break, with all four wins coming at Lloyd Noble Center. OU took the lead for good late in the third quarter and has now won 57 straight when leading entering the fourth.

• Four Sooners scored in double figures as Raegan Beers and Aaliyah Chavez led with 18 points each, while Zya Vann and Payton Verhulst added 12 apiece.

• Beers recorded her 67th career double-double with 18 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and two blocks. She now has 22 double-doubles this season and has posted one in all five of her NCAA Tournament games as a Sooner dating back to last year.

• Chavez finished with 18 points, six assists, five rebounds and one turnover. She became the first SEC player in at least 25 years to record 15 points and five assists in each of her first two NCAA Tournament games. Over the weekend, Chavez averaged 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists with just one total turnover.

• Oklahoma outrebounded Michigan State 45-36 and improved to 25-3 this season when winning the rebounding battle. The Sooners also tallied 21 assists on 28 made field goals, marking their 17th game with 20 or more assists, the most in the SEC.

• The Sooners will play in the Sweet 16 on Saturday, March 28 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif. Tip is set for either 4 p.m. CT or 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. OU will face either top-seeded South Carolina or ninth-seeded Southern California, who play on Monday afternoon in Columbia.