Big-time battle looms: UConn’s frontcourt will have hands full with Sooners star center

SPOKANE, Wash.

- The last two years, Jana El Alfy sat on the bench, watching her team in the NCAA Tournament.

The first year she was an early enrollee, not eligible to play, then last season, she was out with a torn Achilles, but remained of the biggest cheerleaders on the bench.This year is her first NCAA Tournament and El Alfy, a 6-foot-5 redshirt freshman center, will have a big role to play in UConns Spokane 4 Regional semifinal game against Oklahoma (5:30 p.m.) at Spokane Arena.Raegan Beers, the 6-4 transfer from Oregon State, has given third-seeded Oklahoma a different look this season and made the Sooners into one of the top rebounding teams in the country.

Beers leads the Sooners in scoring (17.5) and rebounding (9.3).In an 81-58 win over Florida Gulf Coast in a first-round game, Oklahoma had an NCAA Tournament-record 72 rebounds; Beers with 18.

In a 96-62 second-round win over Iowa, Oklahoma had 64 rebounds, with Beers contributing 13.Shes a really good player; shes a really good post, El Alfy said Friday.

We just got to make sure that we do a really good job on defense and make sure to block the rim and minimize her touches on the ball.

Playing against our practice players, we have some pretty good size.

They prepare us for whats coming or whatever matchup we have.While El Alfy will be able to match up with Beers size-wise, as will 6-3 reserve forward Ice Brady off the bench, 6-1 freshman Sarah Strong, the Huskies leading rebounder (8.5), will be another factor that Beers will have to deal with in the post and a difficult matchup for Oklahoma on the other end of the court.Certainly, the effect that shes had on their team has been tremendous, UConn coach Geno Auriemma said of Beers.

For us, its more significant when we go to our small lineup and people have to match up with Sarah playing in the middle.I wouldnt want to have to play three or four games guarding Raegan Beers, and Im not sure anybody wants to have to play against Sarah four games in a row, so it will be interesting.UConn forward Sarah Strong (21) is fouled by South Dakota State forward Mesa Byom, top, during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Monday, March 24, 2025, in Storrs, Conn.

(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)Strong said she was looking forward to the game and the matchup.Weve just got to be physical, she said.

Just rely on my teammates help.

Its going to be a team effort guarding her.

Just communicating and talking to my teammates.Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk spoke of how her players felt the need to elevate their game when Beers, who led Oregon State to its third ever NCAA regional final last year, transferred in.Sahara Williams one time talked about and Im paraphrasing her quote but she mentioned something about when Raegan came, it elevated a level of attention to our program, it elevated a level of play, and so she said, I got to get better, Baranczyk said.

I think thats what our team sees, is that everybody wants to elevate the level of our play, everybody wants to get better, and I think Raegans been a huge part of that without even knowing she was a huge part of that.It took a while for Beers to get used to Oklahomas fast-paced style of play.I think when she was on her visit, she kind of got to watch our practice, and I remember her mentioning like, Wow, you guys play really fast, Oklahoma senior guard Payton Verhulst said.Oklahoma won its last seven regular-season games and during that streak, Beers averaged 20.9 points and 9.3 rebounds.Oregon State ran lots of sets ...

so it was very different coming here where you have a coach that says, If it feels good, shoot it, Beers said.

It was a little not what I was used to, so I had to get comfortable with that.It was an adjustment, for sure, but I had a great group around me, supporting me to get over that hump, which eventually I did..

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