How sweet it is

Oklahoma guard LaNeishea Caufield (pictured left) scored 30 points in the Sooners' 66-53 win over the Wildcats in an NCAA West Regional second-round game Monday in Norman. The Sooners advanced to their third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance with the win. (AP Photo/Jerry Laizure)

How sweet it is.

For the third straight season the Oklahoma women's basketball team have danced their way to the Sweet 16.

Playing in her final home game at the Lloyd Noble Center, senior guard LaNeishea Caufield saved her best for last scoring 30 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the Sooners' 66-53 win over Villanova in an NCAA West Regional second round game Monday in Norman.

Villanova lived by the three and died by the three in their comeback attempt. The Wildcats hit five straight three-pointers midway through the first half to cut the Sooners' 11-point lead to 28-27. Aside from that rash of three's, the Wildcats were only able to hit on three of their other 18 three-point attempts and were held to 37 percent shooting by OU's stingy defense.

Oklahoma answered the Wildcats three-point barrage with an 11-2 spurt of their own to close the first half with a 42-29 lead, and then blew the game open to begin the second half with a 7-0 run.

Caufield carried the Sooners in the early going, scoring 18 of her 30 points in the games' first ten minutes while helping Oklahoma build an early 24-13 lead. She was excellent from the free throw line hitting all 11 of her attempts and also hit 3-of-4 attempts from behind the arc.

With the win Oklahoma (29-3) extended their home court winning-streak to 23 games and broke the all-time single season win total set by last year's team.

The Sooners will play Texas Tech in the West Regional semifinal Saturday night in Boise, Idaho.

VILLANOVA (20-11) (53)
Davis 2-9 0-0 6, Baker 0-3 0-0 0, Druckenmiller 1-2 0-0 3, Riley 7-13 3-4 18, Juhline 4-11 0-0 11, Harris 1-1 0-0 2, Earl 0-0 0-0 0, Rediger 2-3 1-2 5, Mix 1-7 3-4 5, Hilgenberg 1-2 0-0 3, Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Nash 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-51 7-10 53.

OKLAHOMA (29-3) (66)
Hill 5-8 4-4 15, Talbert 1-3 1-4 3, Caufield 8-13 11-11 30, Dales 3-12 2-2 9, Ross 2-5 0-0 5, Luce 0-0 0-0 0, Simon 0-0 0-0 0, Shoush 0-0 0-0 0, Jackson 2-2 0-0 4, Selmon 0-0 0-0 0, Scott 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-44 18-21 66.

Halftime-Oklahoma 42-29. 3-point goals-Villanova 8-23 (Juhline 3-6, Davis 2-8, Hilgenberg 1-2, Riley 1-1, Druckenmiller 1-1, Mix 0-2, Baker 0-3), Oklahoma 6-13 (Caufield 3-4, Dales 1-3, Hill 1-3, Ross 1-3). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Villanova 24 (Rediger 6), Oklahoma 34 (Caufield 7). Assists-Villanova 11 (Juhline, Riley 3), Oklahoma 12 (Dales 6). Total fouls-Villanova 13, Oklahoma 11. A-11,245.