BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Oklahoma women’s basketball has only played three games in the past three weeks. The Sooners last played nearly two weeks ago, suffering a loss in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals to Iowa State on March 11. Their two games before that came on March 9 and March 2.

But this time of year, that’s just how coach Jennie Baranczyk likes it.

The Big 12 changed the schedule for its women’s basketball conference tournament this season. Instead of playing the weekend leading up to Selection Sunday, the tournament is now the week before, aligning with the Big Ten, Pac-12, and ACC women’s tournaments.

That extra week off was crucial for Baranczyk to get back to the fundamentals in practice.

“Coaches love practice,” Baranczyk said. “This is the first time that I have ever had, as a head coach, a whole week in between the selection and the conference tournament … it was really nice for us to go back and have a week where you literally can't really focus on an opponent. because you don't know who you're going to get to play. So, you get to focus on all the things you want to work on.”

After a week of fundamental practice, No. 5-seeded OU learned its opponent in No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast, and its location of Bloomington, Indiana.

Sure, there could still be rust heading into the game, Baranczyk said, but she’s confident in her team’s ability to shake it off quickly. The Sooners were still able to get some rest heading into the most crucial part of the season.

More: How Payton Verhulst's transfer to OU women's basketball paying off on and off court

Working on fundamentals

The main thing the Sooners worked on during that week of generalized practice is team defense.

After OU lost to Iowa State, 85-68, in the tournament semifinals, the Sooners’ defensive effort left a sour taste in their mouth. The Sooners allowed the Cyclones to shoot over 57% from the field throughout the game, including a 52% mark from beyond the arc.

“I think it's something we've improved on this entire year, and that we're going to keep improving on,” Payton Verhulst said. “I think, after our Iowa State game, that was something that we for sure wanted to start working on, and we did for the last week and a half.”

OU currently ranks last in the Big 12 in scoring defense, allowing a league-worst 68.9 points per game. The Sooners are sixth in the league in scoring margin, however, winning games by an average of eight points.

More: What OU women's basketball coach Jennie Baranczyk said about facing FGCU in March Madness

Defending FGCU’s shooters

No player on Florida Gulf Coast’s roster is listed as a guard. Or a forward. Or a center. They all have the same position: shooter.

“That's because they shoot,” Baranczyk said.

FGCU has attempted approximately 200 more 3-point shots than OU has this season, averaging 9.5 made 3-pointers per game on a 31.4% clip. OU averages 8.2 3-pointers per game.

FGCU’s versatile shooting will force the Sooners to stretch the floor defensively even more than they have before — a big change from what they are used to in the Big 12.

“When you're looking at this game, there's going to be some kind of a challenge,” Baranczyk said. “It will really stretch our defense. We have to think completely different than we have, especially in the last few weeks where we've really played dominant inside presence players. So that is something that we will have to adjust. You can't just sit in the paint. You have to guard everybody, and everybody has to guard.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Oklahoma women's basketball on fundamentals, defending FGCU shooters