Women's NCAA Tournament Oklahoma City First Round Game Breakdowns
#1 Baylor vs. #16 Prairie View A&M (Waco, Texas)
Prairie View A&M is no stranger to the NCAA Tournament. They are no stranger to Baylor either. The Panthers have been dancing four of the last five years, but getting to the tournament is what it is all about for Prairie View A&M. This group will not be able to compete with Baylor on any level.
#8 Florida State vs. #9 Princeton (Waco, Texas)
If you like high scoring games, this is the game for you. Princeton averages 72.2 points per game and Florida State averages 76.8. The Seminoles can get up and down the floor, but they wait for their frontcourt. Forwards Chelsea Davis and Natasha Howard are just as good of scorers as guards Leonor Rodriguez and Alexa Deluzio. However, FSU has been stumbling a bit as of late and that leaves the door open for Princeton to get an NCAA Tournament win. This is a very experienced team who has been to the NCAA Tournament for four years in a row now. They have not found any success yet, but this is Niveen Rasheed’s senior season and she has the potential to take Princeton into the second round.
#5 Louisville vs. #12 Middle Tennessee (Louisville, Kentucky)
Louisville’s toughness, and home court advantage, should send the Lady Raiders home from the NCAA Tournament without a win for the fifth straight season. Middle Tennessee State usually does a very good job of taking care of the ball and getting good looks at the basket, but that will not be easy to do with Sara Hammond and Sheronne Vails roaming the paint. However, Ebony Rowe and Icelyn Elie are great forwards as well. That will likely mean whoever is shooting better and opening up space for the post players will have the advantage in this game. And when it comes to shooting, Louisville has been more consistent this season.
#4 Purdue vs. #13 Liberty (Louisville, Kentucky)
Purdue could be a very dangerous team in this group. Coming off a Big Ten Conference Tournament title, the Boilermakers are playing very well right now. KK Houser has done a great job running the show and Coach Sharon Versyp has plenty of scoring options. Liberty, the champions of the Big South, are a high scoring bunch and the best rebounders in the nation. The Flames have an amazing rebound margin of 17.1. They may not outrebound Purdue by that much, but those extra possessions could keep Liberty in this game. The Flames will need Devon Brown and Tolu Omotola to find ways to score, otherwise Purdue will triumph even in a low scoring affair.
#6 Oklahoma vs. #11 Central Michigan (Columbus, Ohio)
Oklahoma is always susceptible since they rely so heavily on the long ball. They knock down nearly eight per game and connect on 38.2 percent of their attempts. It is rare that Aaryn Ellenberg and company have an off day from beyond the arc, but it does happen. And when it does, the Sooners will have a game on their hands. Central Michigan will also do quite a bit of shooting from long range. Crystal Bradford is a superb all-around player for the Chippewas, but the talent level at CMU is not nearly as strong as it is at Oklahoma. But if Central Michigan is hitting shots and Oklahoma is not, this will be a very tight game.
#3 UCLA vs. #14 Stetson (Columbus, Ohio)
With a conference tournament win over California, UCLA is a pretty hot team right now. They have a great balanced scoring attack and rarely lose to teams that they should beat. That is bad news for Stetson. The Hatters have a relatively potent offense of their own, led by the backcourt duo of Victoria McGowan and Shanasa Sanders, but the Bruins are too athletic for Stetson to keep up with for long.
#7 Syracuse vs. #10 Creighton (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Live by the three and die by the three. For the most part Creighton has had great success with the long ball this season, connecting on over nine per game on average. This is not a high scoring team, but they certainly can be when those shots are falling. The Bluejays will head to Columbus, Ohio to face a struggling Syracuse squad. The Orange have lost four of their last six games. Prior to that they only lost three games all season. The Orange have quality depth, but they are also have a very young backcourt and that can cause a couple of problems. For one, they are tiring down at the end of a long season and secondly, their inexperience could be amplified during the NCAA Tournament.
#2 Tennessee vs. #15 Oral Roberts (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Tennessee may be relatively young, but this group has been through a tough slate in the SEC. Playing against Oral Roberts will not provide any trouble for the Lady Vols. However, the Southland Conference champions are a very good shooting team and that is always something that can go in the underdogs favor. It is highly, highly unlikely that the Golden Eagles are going to march into Knoxville and beat Tennessee, but Kevi Luper and Jaci Bigham can be extremely dangerous scorers.
Oklahoma City Regional Overview
Norfolk Region Game Breakdowns
Bridgeport Region Game Breakdowns
Spokane Region Game Breakdowns
Women's NCAA Tournament Central
