FGCU women’s basketball heads to Oklahoma for NCAA Tournament

The Florida Gulf Coast women’s basketball team received a special sendoff as they head to Norman, Oklahoma, to begin their journey in the NCAA Tournament.

This marks Lauryn Taylor’s first experience with March Madness. This time last year, Taylor was in the transfer portal, watching the games.

“I was looking at all the women’s games,” Taylor said. “And I watched FGCU versus Oklahoma. And before it was over, I turned the TV off and was like FGCU is so good. They’ll never call me. The following Monday, my assistant coach called me and it was just a dream come true.”

The fourteenth-seeded Eagles are set to face the Oklahoma Sooners, the three seed, in the opening round. Last season, FGCU and Oklahoma clashed in a nail-biter that nearly went to overtime.

“It’s a rematch, you know,” said Dolly Cairns. “We’re looking forward to it. We I don’t know if we really expected it but when we found out we were super excited.”

This time, the game will take place on the Sooners’ home court, adding an extra layer of intensity. To prepare, the FGCU coaching staff has been blasting the Oklahoma fight song and “Boomer Sooner” chants during practices to simulate the atmosphere of a packed house.

“I mean the speakers we thought would get louder,” said head coach Chelsea Lyles. “But we’re just trying to get them in the mindset that it’s going to be loud. They’re going to have to communicate. They’re going to have to stick together but nothing will really prepare them for what it’s going to be like on Saturday.”

“It’s going to be very loud,” Cairns said. “But we just have to bring our own energy. And kind of embrace it and just take it all in and enjoy the moment and hopefully we can come out with a win.”

A victory would be historic for FGCU, as no 14 seed has ever defeated a three seed in the tournament.

“Everything’s impossible until it’s done,” said Lyles. “That 14 is just a number next to our name. We’re going out there and competing like we would any other game.”