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With the Oregon State women's basketball team (19-15) set to face off with North Carolina (27-7) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, BeaversEdge previews the matchup!

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No. 14 Oregon State (19-15) vs No. 3 North Carolina (27-7)

WBB Opening Round

1:30 p.m.

Carmichael Arena - Chapel Hill, NC

TV - ESPNU

Radio - Varsity Network / 1240 Joe Radio

Stats - LINK

The Beavers will look to become the first no. 14 seed ever to knock off a no. 3 seed after being on the other side of a 14 vs. 3 game last season. The Beavs earned their spot by defeating top-seeded Gonzaga and second-seeded Portland in the WCC Tournament to win the league's automatic bid.

This will be OSU's 14th NCAA Tournament appearance and ninth under Scott Rueck. The Beavers are undefeated in first-round games under the 15th year head coach.

MORE: WATCH: WBB Previews North Carolina | WBB To Play North Carolina In NCAA Tourney | Beavers Land 2026 WR Cynai Thomas | Scrimmage Nuggets: Defense Wins

OLD SCHOOL POST

- Sela Heide developed into an offensive weapon off the bench over the course of the 2024-25 season. The daughter of former Oregon State posts Sissel (Pierce) Heide and Jason Heide, Sela is averaging career-highs in scoring (7.4ppg) on a team-high 71.6 percent shooting from the floor. The senior has a developed post-up game with a bevy of simple moves to get easy buckets for the Beavers.

THE CAPTA11N

- AJ Marotte's return to Corvallis buoyed Oregon State during a turbulent offseason and her play has done the same over the last 10 games. A team captain, Marotte averaged 12.8 points on 40.3% shooting and 36.5% shooting from three during the closing stretch.She scored in double figures in 8 of 10 games.

FLOOR GENERAL

- If there were an award for most improved player from Game 1 to Game 34, Kennedie Shuler would win it going away. The first-year starter at point guard had 32 assists to 41 turnovers to in her first 10 games. Over the season's middle 11 games, it was 30 assists: 29 turnovers. Then, in the final 10 games of the regular season, Shuler had 51 dimes with just 12 giveaways. During the final 10-game stretch, OSU went 7-3 with season-highs in scoring and assists as well as their three lowest-turnover games of the year.

- One of the best stories in college basketball, Oregon State, returns to March Madness on Saturday, battling North Carolina on the road in the first round

- The Beavers lost eight players to the transfer portal due to realignment and started 1-5 but won the WCC Tournament to secure a spot in the tournament

- Catarina Ferreira earned WCC Tournament MVP honors after leading the team in scoring for all three games, closing with a 16p, 12r double-double in the championship

- Kelsey Rees added All-WCC Tournament honors to her All-WCC First Team honors

- Rees, Marotte, Heide, Susana Yepes and Shuler are the five returners from the Elite Eight team a season ago; all average career-highs in scoring.

13: Oregon State simply does not foul. The Beavers rank 27th in the nation, committing just 13.9 fouls per game, even after 24 in the WCC Championship game.

44: Former walk-on freshman Ally Schimel is fully adjusted to the college game and shooting a scorching-hot 44% from three in her last 10 games.

34: The Beavers are holding opponents to just 34.8 percent shooting from the floor over their last 10 games, a mark that would rank in the top-five 34 nationally.

For the fifth straight season and the 32nd time in program history, North Carolina is going dancing with another trip to the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.• Hosting NCAA Tournament games in Chapel Hill for the 13th time, postseason basketball returns to Carmichael Arena for the first year since 2015. When hosting NCAA Tournament games, Carolina is 22-1 on its home floor.

Dating back to 1983, North Carolina is 52-30 in the NCAA Tournament. Making its 32nd appearance in program history, UNC is one of seven schools in the nation to make the big dance 32 times or more. Hosting for the 13th time, NCAA Basketball returns to Carmichael Arena for the first time since 2015.

The Tar Heels are 24-6 in their opening game of the tournament and 22-1 in games played in Chapel Hill.

Earning its highest seed since 2013 at No. 3 in the Birmingham 2 region, the Tar Heels are a top-four seed for the first time since 2015.

LAST TIME OUT

Running into a hot NC State team in the semifinals of the 2025 Ally ACC Women's Basketball Tournament, the Tar Heels could not overcome the Wolfpack, falling 66-55 in Greensboro.

Four Tar Heels came away with ACC accolades this season, with Alyssa Ustby, Maria Gakeng, Reniya Kelly and Lanie Grant garnering honors.

For the fourth straight season, Alyssa Ustby picked up a spot on either the All-ACC First or Second Team, being named ot the All-ACC First Team for the second time in her career.

Along with a First Team nod, Ustby also was named to the All-Defensive Team after leading the ACC in conference action with 7.64 defensive rebounds per game.

Earning its 25th win of the year at Louisville, the Tar Heels tied the most overall wins in the regular season in the Courtney Banghart era.

LET IT RAIN

Knocking down a total of 256 made threes this season as a team, Carolina has already hit the best mark in the Banghart era.

Carolina only needs 13 more triples to top the best mark in the 21st century of 268, set by the 2018-19 Tar Heels. Since 200, Carolina has only posted three seasons including this year with 250 or more made threes.

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