Third-seed Sooners playing at their best as NCAA Tournament begins

NORMAN — Coaches often say they want their teams to peak as the postseason begins. Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk would certainly echo that sentiment.

With the way the Sooners have played the last few weeks, she could say that with confidence as the NCAA Tournament begins.

The Sooners enter the Big Dance as a No. 3 seed, earning their spot as a host site for the first two rounds of the Tournament. They'll host No. 14-seeded Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday (1:30 p.m. ESPNU) at the Lloyd Noble Center, and if they win they'll play Monday against the winner of No. 6 Iowa and No. 11 Murray State.

They earned that three seed based, in large part, on their recent play. The Sooners won their final seven games of the regular season, then picked up their eighth and ninth consecutive wins at the SEC Tournament against Georgia and Kentucky before losing to South Carolina in the semifinals. Before that nine-game winning streak, the Sooners had lost three out of four and had appeared to be teetering.

But that winning streak proved a lot to Baranczyk, who likes the way her team is playing.

“I feel like the connection of our team has been really incredible," Baranczyk told OUInsider after Sunday's Selection Show. "I like the balance of our team. I like that we’ve had to find ways to win differently. We’ve had to play different types of opponents. Playing Georgia is different than playing Kentucky, that’s different than playing South Carolina, so it stretches you.

"There are so many good teams in the SEC... I really think this conference has stretched us, and you really hope you get to see that strength as you head into the NCAA Tournament. I couldn’t be more proud of the way we’re going in."

The Sooners were dominant during that winning streak. Seven of those wins came by double digits, and they outscored their opponents by an average of 15.7 points during that stretch. The defense was particularly impressive, as they held opponents to just 66 points per game.

A big reason for that has been the play of Reagan Beers, who averaged 23.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game over the final six games of the winning streak. But for Baranczyk, it's really been about the chemistry has developed throughout the entire roster.

“It’s not just about the winning," Baranczyk said. "It’s how you’re playing. It’s how your team’s connected. It’s how they want it for each other and they push each other and they still show up every day. I feel the same way about our men’s team. I think our men’s team has played really well. I think they’re really connected. I think they’re playing hard. The really unique thing here is we really get to support each other.”

The Sooners hope their recent play can translate into success in the tournament. This is the second time the Sooners have been a host site, but they've yet to advance past the Round of 32 in each of the past three years.

But the makeup of this year's team is certainly different. Now, they're hoping that their recent success proves to be a difference-maker, too.

"I think our connection this last half of the season has been just different and phenomenal," OU forward Skylar Vann said. "When we won nine games in a row, that’s not easy, especially in the SEC… This time of the year, this is when you want to playing good, you want to be feeling good, feeling the most connected and we’re doing that right now.”

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Third-seed Sooners playing at their best as NCAA Tournament begins

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