The Oklahoma Sooners will take on the Michigan State Spartans in a thrilling second-round matchup of the women”s NCAA Tournament on Sunday. This game is expected to be a high-scoring affair, reminiscent of a track meet, as both teams rank among the nation”s top scorers.
The fourth-seeded Sooners come into this game with an impressive average of 86.8 points per game, while the fifth-seeded Spartans are close behind, averaging 82.5 points. These figures placed them third and eleventh in the nation, respectively, after their first-round performances. In their opening game, Oklahoma dominated Idaho with a score of 89-59, showcasing their rapid tempo and offensive prowess.
“It”s going to be really up-and-down,” remarked Michigan State center Grace VanSlooten. “They”re not the type of team who uses most of the shot clock.”
Michigan State secured its first-round victory in a less typical fashion, edging out Colorado State 65-62 in a game that saw a slower tempo. VanSlooten acknowledged the challenge ahead, stating, “Yeah, they”re a great team, super physical, and it”s going to be a really competitive and big game.” The Spartans usually favor a faster pace, distributing shot opportunities among their players effectively. Five athletes from Michigan State, including VanSlooten, Kennedy Blair, Rashunda Jones, Jalyn Brown, and Theryn Hallock, each average double figures in scoring.
“They”re just a really well-balanced team,” said Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk. “They move so well on the offensive end, and they share the basketball. They play a ton of ball screens and get up and down in transition.” Oklahoma also boasts a balanced attack, led by freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez, who averages 18.3 points per game. Four other Sooners—Raegan Beers, Sahara Williams, Payton Verhulst, and Zya Vann—contribute at least 10.5 points each.
While Oklahoma aims to reach the Sweet 16 for a second consecutive year, Michigan State seeks to advance this far for the first time since 2009. Coach Robyn Fralick has consistently reminded her team of the opportunities presented throughout the season. “You can lose track of that, especially in a really challenging Big Ten schedule and the NCAA Tournament because the task at hand is still a great challenge,” she said. “We know that. We know the history, the tradition, the opportunity ahead of us, and the challenge.”
In a notable matchup, Beers and VanSlooten, both former McDonald”s All-Americans, will face off once again. The two centers have a history, having previously played against each other when Beers was at Oregon State and VanSlooten at Oregon. They were also teammates on the USA AmeriCup team that won gold last year. Currently, Beers stands at 6-foot-4, averaging 15.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game with a shooting percentage of 61.6%. VanSlooten, 6-foot-3, contributes 15.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, shooting at 50.1%. “They”re so different, and yet, they both impact the game so greatly, especially for their respective teams,” Baranczyk noted. “We are a much better team with Raegan Beers on the floor, and they”re a much better team with Grace VanSlooten on the floor.”
Chavez, the freshman guard, demonstrated poise in her NCAA Tournament debut, scoring 15 points with five assists and no turnovers while pushing the pace effectively against Idaho. She will need to replicate this performance to help lead Oklahoma past Michigan State and into the Sweet 16. “Obviously seeing last night how everybody was able to get involved, everybody was able to get different looks, easy looks,” Verhulst commented. “I think that”s something—when we do that, we”re really good.”
