Sooners No. 1 seed in West region

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A season of firsts continued for the Oklahoma women's basketball team Sunday when the Sooners were made the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West regional. <br><br>The fourth-ranked Sooners

Sunday, March 10th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A season of firsts continued for the Oklahoma women's basketball team Sunday when the Sooners were made the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West regional.

The fourth-ranked Sooners (27-3), who won their first Big 12 tournament title on Sunday, will play 16th-seeded Hartford in Norman on Saturday. Hartford (16-14), coached by former Connecticut star Jennifer Rizzotti, earned the NCAA berth by winning the America East Conference tournament.

The other first-round game in Norman has No. 8 seed Pepperdine (23-7) playing ninth-seeded Villanova (19-10).

The first-round winners will play on March 18.

The Sooners are among seven Big 12 teams in the tournament. The others are Baylor, Kansas State, Iowa State, Texas, Texas Tech and Colorado, none of which was seeded lower than fourth.

Villanova reached the semifinals of the Big East tournament, where it lost 83-39 to No. 1 Connecticut. Pepperdine, winner of the West Coast Conference tournament, is making just its second NCAA tournament appearance.

Oklahoma was the No. 2 seed in the West last year and won its first two games in Norman before losing to Washington in the round of 16. It was the Sooners' second straight trip to the Sweet 16.

Oklahoma is one win short of tying the school record for victories, set last year.