SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ? This might surprise some of the estimated 30,000 people coming to the Alamodome for tonight’s NCAA women’s Final Four, but there are two games being played.

Most of the fan interest will be on the second game between Connecticut, the Mideast Region champion, and Tennessee, the Midwest Region champion.

But Duke and Oklahoma, champions of the East and West regions, are here, too. They play in the first semifinal game, and do not consider themselves an opening act.

“People may want to make Tennessee and Connecticut the de facto championship,” Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. “But unless I am wrong there is another game scheduled Sunday night. And that’s when they give the trophy. Either us or Duke will be competing for a championship. Once you get there, anything can happen.”

In some ways the Sooners and Blue Devils, both 31-3, may provide the more entertaining game. Both teams like a fast tempo and score lots of points; Duke averages 83.9 points, Oklahoma 77.6. Both use the motion offense, where players have a bit more freedom to create shots instead of grinding out a set play.

And both depend on excellent guard play. Oklahoma has a height and experience edge in seniors LaNeishea Caufield (17.6) and Stacey Dales (16.9). Duke’s backcourt of sophomore Alana Beard (20.2) and freshman Monique Currie (14.5) may be quicker and a shade more athletic.

“I’m not sure how you stop Alana Beard,” Coale said. “You try to take away the things she loves to do and make her do things maybe she likes to do. The thing that perplexes me the most about Alana is she’s such a great kid. It’s hard to find a chink in her armor.”

Duke coach Gail Goestenkors gushed about Caufield and Dales. “I think Oklahoma’s backcourt is, if not the best, one of the very best in the country. LaNeishea and Stacey complement each other so well. You can tell they’ve played together four years because they seem to know exactly where the other one is at any point in time.”

Connecticut (37-0) and Tennessee (29-4) also have top guard combinations. Husky senior Sue Bird (14.4) is the Naismith national player of the year and sophomore Diana Taurasi (14.4) has averaged 22.6 points in three games against the Vols. Tennessee’s Kara Lawson (15.2) and April McDivitt (5.1), both juniors, are respected for their defense.