Notre Dame All-American Kayla McBride eyes a jumper Friday during practice. The undefeated and second-ranked Irish face Oklahoma State at home Saturday in the NCAA Tournament.

SOUTH BEND – All the comforts of home.

That’s what the undefeated Notre Dame women’s basketball team will enjoy this weekend.

The No. 2 Irish play host to the Notre Dame Regional in the NCAA Tournament Saturday and Monday.

Top-seeded Notre Dame takes its perfect 34-0 mark versus No. 21 Oklahoma State (25-8) in a semifinal game Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The noon opener Saturday pits No. 5 Baylor (31-4) versus No. 10 Kentucky (26-8).

The Saturday winners return to the Purcell Pavilion on the Notre Dame campus at 7:30 p.m. Monday to play for the regional title and a spot in the Final Four in Nashville April 6.

The Irish, in the Sweet Sixteen for the fifth straight year, enjoy home cooking to say the least.

Notre Dame has won 26 in a row in the 9,149-seat Purcell Pavilion since a loss to Baylor in December of 2012. The Irish are 15-0 at home this year, have won 52 of their last 54 and are 76-5 over the past five seasons.

The Irish are ranked fourth in the country in attendance with an average of 8,683 loyal fans per home game this season.

“It’s just really exciting and we’re really happy to be back home,” said Irish coach Muffet McGraw at a press conference Friday afternoon. “I’m thrilled that it’s a sellout Saturday.

“We really love our fans. They make us comfortable here and we want to win for them. I think the most pressure for us was to get back home to play. We are embracing where we are in the journey. It’s been one at a time for us all season.”

Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw talks to senior center Natalie Achonwa Friday.

The Irish, who have been in the Final Four each of the last three seasons, won their first two NCAA Tournament games in Toledo.

Notre Dame’s stellar senior class, which has set a program record for wins in their careers with an amazing 135-14 record, have no plans to lose on the home hardwood.

“Our goal  is to protect our home court,” said senior center Natalie Achonwa Friday. “Being at home just adds motivation for us. We just want to play good, Notre Dame basketball.”

Star guard Kayla McBride, one of the “Big Three” for the Irish with Achonwa and super sophomore Jewell Loyd,  says it’s all about a comfort zone at home.

“There’s a sense of comfort looking up here and seeing all that green,” McBride said on Friday prior to practice. “We don’t want to go out as senior losing on our home court.”

Loyd, a 5-10 guard,  leads the high-octane Irish offense at 18.4 points-per-game.  McBride checks in at 17.4, while the vastly-improved 6-3 Achonwa is at 14.5 and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per contest.

The Irish, who have never played Oklahoma State, boast a deep and talented bench too. Sophomore guard Michaela Mabrey averages 9.1 ppg. while 6-3 freshman Taya Reimer is at 7.6 and junior guard Madison Cable at 5.6.

“This team is very passionate and definitely fast-paced,” said McBride about the identity of the Irish this year. “This is the most mentally tough team I’ve been a part of. We focus on the little things and that is what has made us successful.

“The thing is that coach does not let us settle. With her competitive nature, she is always pushing us.”

Kayla McBride follows through on her shot Friday.

The Cowgirls of Oklahoma State are led by lightning-fast guard Tiffany Bias. The 5-6 senior, who injured her ankle during a 73-66 win at Purdue in the second round of the tourney on Monday night, averages 13.8 points and 6.1 assists per game. Both sophomore guard Brittney Martin (12.0) and junior forward Liz Donohoe (11.2) average in double figures for coach Jim Littell’s squad.

Notre Dame opened the tourney with wins over Robert Morris (93-42) and Arizona State (84-67) in Toledo. Oklahoma State topped Florida Gulf Coast (61-60 in overtime) and Purdue (73-66) to earn its first Sweet Sixteen berth since 2008.

Baylor and Kentucky will be hard pressed Saturday for an encore of their meeting earlier this season. Kentucky outlasted Baylor 133-130 in four overtimes in December in the highest-scoring women’s game ever. The contest featured a total of 80 fouls called, 112 free throws shot by the two teams and seven Baylor players fouling out.

Baylor, which won the national title in 2012 by beating the Irish 80-61 in the tourney finale, is led by star guard Odyssey Sims. The senior, who had 47 points versus Kentucky before fouling out in the first overtime in the December game, is second in the nation in scoring at 28.5 ppg.

Junior point guard Jennifer O’Neill, who had 43 points in the marathon win over Baylor earlier this season, leads the way for the Wildcats.

Notre Dame is 0-4 versus Baylor and 1-1 versus Kentucky all-time.

Irish star sophomore Jewell Loyd, the top scorer for her undefeated team, works on her game at practice Friday.