NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT FIRST-ROUND GAMES

NO. 15 PEPPERDINE VS. NO. 2 OKLAHOMA (San Antonio Regional)

* Site: Denver. * Time: Today, 10 a.m.

* About Pepperdine: Winner of the West Coast Conference tournament, the Waves (14-16) are the lone team in the tournament with a losing record.

* About Oklahoma: The Sooners (29-4) are ranked seventh nationally and were unbeaten in the Big 12 regular season and tournament.

* Keys to the game: For Pepperdine, two words: Courtney Paris. Two more words: be afraid. Oklahoma’s 6-foot-4 freshman center, averaging 21.4 points and 15.1 rebounds, has set 36 team records, eight Big 12 records and two NCAA records. She is three rebounds shy of becoming the first NCAA player to record 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a season. Pay too much attention to Paris, and Erin Wiggins (Oklahoma’s career three-point leader) can hurt you. Pepperdine counters with its tri-guard attack of sophomores Shannon Johnson and Daphanie Kennedy and freshman Jessica Ross.

NO. 16 UC RIVERSIDE VS. NO. 1 NORTH CAROLINA (Cleveland Regional)

* Site: Nashville. * Time: Today, 5 p.m.

* About Riverside: The Highlanders (16-14) are in their first NCAA tournament. This is their fifth season playing in Division I. Their biggest moment to date: ending the nine-year run of UC Santa Barbara as the Big West Conference tournament champion.

* About North Carolina: The Tar Heels (29-1) are ranked No. 1 in the nation are No. 1 in a regional that is loaded with top-25 teams.

* Keys to the game: Riverside, with 11 freshmen and sophomores, comes up against a North Carolina team that has outscored foes by an average of 24.6 points. Riverside has a terrific 6-2 center in Kemie Nkele (16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds), who was the most valuable player of the Big West tournament. The Tar Heels are considered the fastest team in the women’s game, led by Ivory Latta, a 5-6 point guard who is their leading scorer (18.4).

NO. 5 UCLA VS. NO. 12 BOWLING GREEN (Cleveland Regional)

* Site: West Lafayette, Ind. * Sunday, approx. 11:30 a.m.

* About UCLA: The Bruins (20-10) won the Pacific 10 tournament title for the first time and are ranked 21st nationally. UCLA was second in Pac-10 scoring (78.2). Noelle Quinn ranked third in scoring (18.2) and third in rebounding (8.2). Lisa Willis was fourth in scoring (17.7) and led the Pac-10 in steals (3.70)

* About Bowling Green: The Falcons (28-2) are ranked 23rd nationally. They swept the Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles for the second consecutive year. Ali Mann is the team’s leading scorer (14.6) and rebounder (7.6). No team has scored 70 points or more against Bowling Green this season.

* Keys to the game: UCLA has been held under 60 points just once this season -- by Cal on Dec. 30. Bowling Green has to control the tempo.

NO. 8 USC VS. NO. 9 SOUTH FLORIDA (Bridgeport Regional)

* Site: Norfolk, Va. * Sunday, approx. 6:30 p.m.

* About USC: The Trojans (18-11) finished fifth in the Pac-10 regular season and reached the conference tournament semifinals. Yet USC is down to seven scholarship players who are injury-free. Eshaya Murphy is having her best year, averaging 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds.

* About South Florida: The Bulls (19-11) are making their first NCAA tournament appearance. Their one victory over a ranked team came early -- a 79-77 overtime win over then-No. 11 DePaul on Dec. 7. South Florida has Jessica Dickson, who is averaging 22.1 points.

* Keys to the game: Both teams come from conferences that are not shy about physical play, so it could get tough inside. With the Trojans, the question is the one they have faced for two years -- can they shoot well enough to win?

--MIKE TERRY