Women’s Basketball Games of the Weekend 12/2 – 12/4
The eyes of women’s basketball may be on Texas, or at least three of Texas’ universities that have top games scheduled this weekend. Otherwise, Sunday is loaded with potential top-25 matchups, not to mention the women’s version of the war between the Kentucky schools. It promises to be an exciting weekend for the women’s game when all is said and done.
SYRACUSE AT ARIZONA (8 p.m. Friday at Cannon Activities Center in Laie, Hawaii)
These teams may not be ranked, but let’s just say the Hukilau Invitational contest should be a good one. Syracuse is off to a 6-0 start and has especially been good at beating B teams – not B-level teams, we’re talking Buffalo, Binghamton and Boise State – and Iasia Hemingway has been a large reason why. Hemingway dropped 30 points on Boise State to go with eight rebounds, so she will be a factor. Brigham Young just dealt Arizona (5-1) its first loss, 82-73, but the Wildcats still had four scorers in double figures. Davellyn White led the way with 19 points. A balanced offense like this could give Syracuse some problems, but both teams have plenty of talent.
No. 14 PENN STATE AT No. 22 TEXAS TECH (3 p.m. Saturday at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas)
The first of the top-25 matchups on this weekend’s canvas puts the Nittany Lions up against a Texas Tech squad that hasn’t lost yet this season. Penn State (6-1) has had an unstoppable offense as of late, with 103 points scored in each of its last two contests. The impressive thing about the second 103-point game is that it came against 15th-ranked North Carolina. Zhaque Gray and Maggie Lucas had 25 and 21 points for Penn State in this game, respectively. The Lady Lions’ lone loss was an 80-71 defeat to Delaware. Texas Tech (6-0) is coming off a stretch of four games in six days from Nov. 25-30 that includes wins against Missouri-Kansas City, Central Arkansas, Louisiana-Monroe and Texas State. Kierra Mallard led the way with 18 points.
No. 4 TEXAS A&M AT No. 16 PURDUE (12 p.m. Sunday at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana)
The Aggies are high up in the polls, with only elite schools in front like Baylor, Notre Dame and Connecticut, and this will be a chance to help them cement that status further. Texas A&M cannot look past this game because Connecticut is on the schedule two days after that, and this means the Aggies must be extra vigilant against Purdue. Texas A&M (6-0) has beaten Temple and Iowa in the last two games, and Sydney Carter scored 17 of her 21 points in the first half against Iowa. Purdue (6-1) is in the middle of a stretch that includes three ranked teams in a row (Duke, Texas A&M and Notre Dame). It was the Blue Devils that gave Purdue (6-1) its first loss, 64-53. Courtney Moses had 17 points in the loss.
No. 11 LOUISVILLE AT No. 13 KENTUCKY (1 p.m. Sunday at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky)
If ever there were a women’s basketball game that should be at Rupp Arena, this is the one. Memorial Coliseum seats 8,500 and is sold out for this contest, while Rupp seats 23,000. They could have sold all the tickets, given how crazy Kentuckians are for hoops. As for the game itself, this Big East/SEC clash has Louisville (7-1) coming in on a six-game winning streak following a 76-58 loss to Texas A&M. Louisville has scored 85 points or more in each of the last three games, including a 105-62 win over Murray State. Monique Reid scored 18 points in the win. Kentucky (7-0) has fed on the likes of Nebraska-Omaha, Sam Houston State and Mississippi Valley State, but this game and the next one against Duke will be big tests to see how Kentucky reacts to facing good competition. Bernisha Pinkett led Kentucky with 13 points in a 90-51 win over Mississippi Valley State.
No. 19 TEXAS AT No. 9 TENNESSEE (2 p.m. Sunday at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee)
Who would have thought Tennessee was two notches away from falling out of the top 10? That doesn’t happen very often in Tennessee basketball circles, but it has this season. Tennessee (3-2) has losses against Virginia and Baylor. In defense of the Volunteers, the Virginia loss was overtime and Baylor is the top team in the country, but if Texas puts Tennessee at the .500 mark the head scratching might begin in earnest. For now, Tennessee recovered nicely with an 82-43 over Middle Tennessee State behind 14 points and 10 rebounds by Cierra Burdick. Texas (5-1) has won five in a row since a season-opening loss to Stanford. Texas ran a gauntlet from Nov. 25-27 of wins against Virginia, California and Hawaii. Chassidy Fussell had 15 points against Hawaii.
No. 21 OHIO STATE AT No. 20 OKLAHOMA (3 p.m. Sunday at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma)
Another strong top-25 contest will be played in the nation’s heartland on Sunday as Ohio State (6-0) comes in to face the Sooners. Ohio State held off LSU and then survived overtime to beat Florida State in the last two games, and this is a chance for the Buckeyes to hold on to their status as the last undefeated team in the Big Ten. Tayler Hill scored 31 points in the win over Florida State, including a go-ahead layup with 31 seconds to play. Oklahoma (3-1) just lost its first game of the season when it fell 78-66 to Vanderbilt. Jasmine Lister and Christina Foggie combined for 45 points in defeat.
