NORMAN — With 6:12 remaining, Sahara Williams skipped to the bench.
Oklahoma’s junior forward wore a smile that rippled through Lloyd Noble Center, greeting each teammate with a leaping high five before finally settling into her seat. Her work was done.
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“You can just see the energy and the enthusiasm that exudes from Sahara Williams,” OU coach Jennie Baranczyk said afterward.
That energy has defined OU all season. The Sooners have gone as Williams has gone.
In her 100th career start, Williams powered No. 4 seed OU to an 89-59 blowout win over No. 13 seed Idaho in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament, setting the tone from the opening tip.
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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 Sooners (OU) and Idaho Vandals at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Friday, March 20, 2026.
With the win, OU advanced to the second round for the fifth consecutive season and will face No. 5 seed Michigan State on Sunday. Williams finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, knocking down all three of her attempts from beyond the arc and logging a +17 plus-minus in just 22 minutes.
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“I was really just allowing the game to come to me, just slowing down and being more steady,” Williams told The Oklahoman. “I was finding areas on the court that I feel like I could be effective from. So getting to the high post, getting my teammates the ball, going in there, rebounding and defending even when shots aren’t falling.”
She dictated the Sooners’ offense all night.
Williams attacked early, slicing to the paint and creating for herself and others, including star center Raegan Beers. OU’s veteran trio of Beers, Payton Verhulst and Williams combined for 49 points and 27 rebounds, overwhelming Idaho.
The Sooners’ youth followed the lead as freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez finished with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.
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Williams, the Waterloo, Iowa, native — who grew up just over 100 miles from Baranczyk’s hometown of Urbandale — was everywhere, crashing the glass and facilitating with the energy that fuels OU.
She seized full control in the second quarter, scoring 10 points and drilling two 3-pointers as OU built a 22-point halftime lead that effectively put the game away. She even buried a heave from beyond half court at the buzzer — a shot that barely didn’t count.
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“Sahara does a phenomenal job of setting that tone for our team,” Beers said. “Passing the ball, getting people open, knowing where people want it. There was a possession where I knew I was gonna get it from her, and she didn’t have the ball yet. But the way she was going to that high post I was like, ‘Oh, she’s throwing it.’
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“That’s what Sahara does.”
Right now, the Sooners are playing like a team that understands exactly who they are and Williams is at the center of it.
They’re locked in, but loose. Focused, but having fun.
Inside the locker room postgame, there was little indication this was a group that had just won an NCAA Tournament game by 30 points.
“Your team is a reflection of your staff,” Williams said. “Jennie does a really good job at making sure we know it’s basketball. You want to be good, but you want to have fun and you want to love each other while doing it.
“So we’re just having fun and working hard. When you put those two things together, a lot of good magic can happen.”
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More: OU women’s basketball ousts Idaho from March Madness with 30-point win
Oklahoma Sooners forward Sahara Williams (6) celebrates as she leaves the game during a first-round game in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Idaho Vandals at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., Friday, March 20, 2026.
Despite a late 9:20 p.m. tip, OU came out sharp and never let up. The Sooners controlled the glass and the paint, outrebounding Idaho 54-44 and outsourcing the Vandals 38-14 inside.
Baranczyk liked how her team settled in. She also knows what’s coming next.
“You’ve just got to get the rust off,” Baranczyk said. “Michigan State likes to get up and down. They’re just a well balanced team. “I’m very familiar with how good they are.”
“And we better be ready on Sunday.”
Williams will be.
If Friday night was any indication, OU will continue to go as she goes. And right now, she’s setting the tone for March.
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“Just coming out and having fun was a big thing,” Williams said. “Obviously, you play hard and want to win every possession.
“So it was just important to set the tone for going the rest of the way.”
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. 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 Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
OU vs. Michigan State
TIPOFF: 7 p.m. Sunday at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman (ESPN)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Sahara Williams energizes OU women’s basketball in NCAA rout of Idaho
