NORMAN – It will be a rematch for Oklahoma women’s basketball in the Sweet 16.
The No. 4 seed Sooners (26-7) will face No. 1 seed South Carolina (33-3) for the second time this season. But both teams have looked different since OU’s overtime win on Jan. 22.
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The Gamecocks topped their first two opponents in March Madness with a 103-34 loss of No. 16 seed Southern and a blowout 101-61 victory over No. 9 seed USC on Monday.
“It’s not like we played a perfect game when we played South Carolina and it’s not like they played a perfect game and we just beat them,” Sooners coach Jennie Baranczyk said Sunday. “That game was a long time ago. We’re both different. We’ve both grown a lot in this moment.”
Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks will surely have revenge on their minds.
OU-South Carolina will be the Gamecocks’ 16th NCAA Tournament rematch against a regular-season opponent in the Staley era. The previous 15 games had the same result as the previous game.
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Here’s what you need to know about the Sweet 16 March Madness game on Saturday, March 28 in Sacramento, California.
REQUIRED READING: Jennie Baranczyk raises ‘base standard’ for OU women’s basketball in March Madness
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Oklahoma vs Michigan State in NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma’s Caya Smith (4) steals from Michigan State’s Grace Vanslooten (14) during a second-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan State Spartans at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Michigan State in NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma’s Caya Smith (4) steals from Michigan State’s Grace Vanslooten (14) during a second-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan State Spartans at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Michigan State in NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Michigan State’s Kennedy Blair (35) and Oklahoma’s Zya Vann (3) fight for a loose ball during a second-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan State Spartans at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Michigan State in NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Michigan State’s Rashunda Jones (1) celebrates a 3-point basket during a second-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan State Spartans at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Michigan State in NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers (15) goes up for a basket as Michigan State’s Grace Vanslooten (14) defends during a second-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan State Spartans at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Michigan State in NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers (15) goes up for a basket as Michigan State’s Grace Vanslooten (14) defends during a second-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan State Spartans at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Michigan State in NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez (2) celebrates a 3-point basket during a second-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan State Spartans at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Michigan State in NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez (2) shoots a basket during a second-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Michigan State Spartans at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Sunday, March 22, 2026.
South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards dominates USC
Joyce Edwards led all scorers with 23 in the Gamecocks’ smothering of the Trojans.
Edwards was 8 of 12 from the field and 7 of 10 from the free throw line, while grabbing 10 rebounds.
Edwards, one of the top sophomores nationally, is averaging 25 points and nine rebounds in two tournament games so far.
South Carolina ‘didn’t do enough to win’ last time against Oklahoma
Staley offered a “simplistic” reason for South Carolina’s loss to the Sooners.
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“We ran into a team that really wanted to win more,” Staley said after the Jan. 22 loss.
OU outrebounded the Gamecocks 54-39 and scored 12 points off 13 South Carolina turnovers.
“They made winning plays,” Staley said, “we didn’t.”
MUSSATTO: Aaliyah Chavez and Raegan Beers form a terrifying March Madness tandem for OU women’s basketball
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Oklahoma vs Idaho in the NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma Sooners forward Sahara Williams (6) dribbles alongside Idaho Vandals guard Ana Beatriz Passos Alves da Silva (23) during a first-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners and the Idaho Vandals at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Friday, March 20, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Idaho in the NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma Sooners forward Sahara Williams (6) dribbles alongside Idaho Vandals guard Ana Beatriz Passos Alves da Silva (23) during a first-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners and the Idaho Vandals at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Friday, March 20, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Idaho in the NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma Sooners center Raegan Beers (15) makes a shot between Idaho Vandals forward Lorena Barbosa (10) and Idaho Vandals guard Kyra Gardner (3) during a first-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners and the Idaho Vandals at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Friday, March 20, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Idaho in the NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma Sooners forward Sahara Williams (6) celebrates after a basket during a first-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners and the Idaho Vandals at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Friday, March 20, 2026.
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The best photos from the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments in Oklahoma
Oklahoma players celebrate behind coach Jennie Baranczyk during a first-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners and the Idaho Vandals at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Friday, March 20, 2026.
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The best photos from the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners guard Aaliyah Chavez (2) dribbles alongside Idaho Vandals guard Hope Hassmann (4) during a first-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners and the Idaho Vandals at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Friday, March 20, 2026.
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The best photos from the men’s and women’s NCAA tournaments in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners guard Payton Verhulst (12) reaches for the ball alongside Idaho Vandals forward Debora Dos Santos (9) during a first-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners and the Idaho Vandals at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Friday, March 20, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Idaho in the NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma Sooners guard Payton Verhulst (12) dribbles alongside Idaho Vandals guard Hope Hassmann (4) during a first-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners and the Idaho Vandals at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Friday, March 20, 2026.
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Oklahoma vs Idaho in the NCAA women’s basketball first round game, see photos
Oklahoma Sooners guard Aaliyah Chavez (2) drives to the basket during a first-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the University of Oklahoma (OU) Sooners and the Idaho Vandals at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma, Friday, March 20, 2026.
Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez scored 15 points in overtime in upset win over South Carolina
Sooners freshman Aaliyah Chavez took over for the Gamecocks in overtime.
After missing six of his first seven shots in the first half, Chávez scored 15 in overtime, making four 3-pointers.
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Chávez arrives at Saturday’s contest with a good streak. He finished with 18 points, six assists, five rebounds and a turnover in OU’s second-round win over Michigan State.
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 turnover.
Oklahoma vs South Carolina March Madness Prediction
South Carolina 78, Oklahoma 68: The Sooners remain competitive from the start behind Chavez. But the Gamecocks’ size and depth prove too much in the fourth quarter.
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Do you have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton’s work and that of other Oklahoma journalists by purchasing a digital subscription at subscribe.oklahoman.com today.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma vs South Carolina March Madness Sweet 16 Prediction, Pick & Odds
