COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — It’s been 412 months since UCLA and Oklahoma last met on a basketball court. Both sides say what happened then has almost no bearing now.
But when the third-seeded Bruins (26-7) and sixth-seeded Sooners (23-10) renew old acquaintances Monday night in the second round of the NCAA women’s tournament at Ohio State’s St. John Arena, that Nov. 14 game still reverberates.
Before a hostile environment in Norman, Okla., the Bruins won 86-80. UCLA dominated the Sooners inside, scoring 46 points in the paint. Much of that damage was done on putbacks, with 23 points coming off a staggering 24 offensive rebounds.
So the lines have been drawn: UCLA wants to again outmuscle Oklahoma, and the Sooners are determined that it won’t happen this time.
