MARK AMBROGI (Associated Press)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Skylar Vann scored 24 points and fifth-seeded Oklahoma held off No. 12 seed Florida Gulf Coast 73-70 in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
Oklahoma (23-9) will face No. 4 seed Indiana (25-5) in the second round on Monday night.
Payton Verhulst gave the Sooners a 72-70 lead on a turnaround jumper in the paint with 48 seconds left. After an Eagles’ turnover, Vann hit one of two free throws with 15 seconds left to push the Sooners’ lead to 73-70.
Vann blocked Dolly Cairns’s 3-point shot with three seconds remaining. The Eagles got the rebound with a second left. Uju Ezeudu missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied it.
Sahara Williams scored 14 and Verhulst added 11 for the Sooners.
Emani Jefferson led Florida Gulf Coast (29-5) with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Jefferson was 8-of-22 from the field. Brylee Bartram scored 14 points and Cairns added 10 for the Eagles.
Oklahoma shot 45% while holding Florida Gulf Coast to 37%.
The Eagles opened the fourth quarter with 3-pointers by Scott and Jefferson to take a 56-53 lead. Oklahoma used a 9-0 run to take a 67-61 advantage with 2:59 remaining.
Cairns sank a 3-pointer as the Eagles scored the next seven points to regain the lead.
The Saratoga Springs high school graduate scored 10 points and recorded two rebounds on the afternoon.
Following a 3-pointer by Oklahoma’s Aubrey Joens, Jefferson’s layup tied it a 70-all. Jefferson was fouled but missed the free throw.
The Eagles led 35-33 at the half in the back-and-forth contest.
This is the third consecutive year the Eagles have been a No. 12 seed, previously beating Virginia Tech in 2022 and Washington State last year.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
![By EDDIE PELLS (AP National Writer) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gonzaga played a nearly perfect second half, busting open a back-and-forth game with a 15-0 run Saturday to pull away from Kansas for an 89-68 win and extend its nation-best streak of trips to the Sweet 16 to nine. Anton Watson shot 8 for […]](https://www.saratogian.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/NCAA_Gonzaga_Kansas_Basketball_90363.jpg?w=525 "By EDDIE PELLS (AP National Writer) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gonzaga played a nearly perfect second half, busting open a back-and-forth game with a 15-0 run Saturday to pull away from Kansas for an 89-68 win and extend its nation-best streak of trips to the Sweet 16 to nine. Anton Watson shot 8 for […]")
![By JOHN COON (Associated Press) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Caleb Love scored 19 points and second-seeded Arizona reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons, beating No. 7 seed Dayton 78-68 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The Wildcats (27-8), who also reached a regional semifinal in […]](https://www.saratogian.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/NCAA_Dayton_Arizona_Basketball_87484.jpg?w=525 "By JOHN COON (Associated Press) SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Caleb Love scored 19 points and second-seeded Arizona reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons, beating No. 7 seed Dayton 78-68 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The Wildcats (27-8), who also reached a regional semifinal in […]")
