Women’s Basketball Games of the Weekend 1/7 -1/8
It seems like someone forgot to include a lot of games on the Friday schedule, because there are only four games total. This light schedule sets the table for a strong weekend that includes a huge Big East matchup, a potential Big 12 sleeper game, and a few other contests worth taking a look at in the next two days. Who said men’s basketball had all the fun when it came to big games?
DAVIDSON AT FURMAN (12 p.m. Saturday at Timmons Arena in Greenville, South Carolina)
The teams have identical 8-5 records but they also share the same 4-0 mark in the Southern Conference. You guessed it. The winner of this game has sole possession of first place locked up, so expect both teams to be on their best offensive and defensive behavior. Furman comes into the game having lost two straight, to Georgia and Charlotte, and both those losses were by fairly wide margins. Davidson has won five of its last six games, with a 68-66 loss to Wake Forest the only blemish on that stretch. Appalachian State and Chattanooga enter Saturday with 3-0 records in the league, so the Southern is pretty competitive.
MICHIGAN STATE at NO. 24 PENN STATE (2 p.m. Saturday at Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania)
Somehow the Spartans are not ranked, and that is in part to early losses against top teams like Miami and Texas and unranked ones like Florida Gulf Coast. Despite MSU’s struggles, the Spartans have a 2-0 record in Big Ten play (10-5 overall). The Spartans beat Michigan 60-55 in their last game as Porsche Poole came off the bench for 13 points. Penn State (11-3, 1-1) has lost to Delaware, Texas Tech and Nebraska, the latter loss coming in league play, but the Lady Lions also have a convincing 82-49 win over Wisconsin to their credit. Maggie Lucas scored 18 points for Penn State in the victory. A win by Penn State would help gum up the works in Big Ten play, but if Michigan State wins it could take a share of first place should Purdue lose.
No.2 CONNECTICUT at NO. 4 NOTRE DAME (4 p.m. Saturday at Joyce Center in South Bend, Indiana)
Two of the nation’s powerhouse programs meet again in a highly-anticipated contest between two top Big East Conference schools. Connecticut (12-1, 2-0) is on a three-game winning streak following its loss to Baylor, having beaten College of Charleston, Fairfield and West Virginia. Five teams sport 2-0 marks in Big East play, so a win by either squad will help thin those ranks. Bria Hartley scored 18 points in a 79-60 win over West Virginia in a victory that extended the Huskies’ home win streak to 93 games. This game is on the road, however, so the Irish may have that Fighting chance, after all. Notre Dame (14-1, 2-0) also has the red badge of courage with a loss against Baylor, and the Irish have an 11-game winning streak riding into this game. Skylar Diggins led the way with 14 points in a 74-36 win over Seton Hall, in the team’s last game.
No. 15 TEXAS TECH at MISSOURI (5 p.m. Saturday at Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Missouri)
The first of two solid Big 12 Conference games on the day’s agenda puts Texas Tech (13-0, 1-0) and its unbeaten record on the line. The Lady Raiders opened Big 12 play with a 58-53 win over Oklahoma State thanks in part of Kierra Mallard’s double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. This was the second straight close call for Texas Tech, which won by one point over San Diego in the previous game. Missouri (10-2, 0-1) had an unfortunate fate in its league opener, falling to Baylor 90-46. Northwestern was the Tigers’ only other loss. BreAnna Brock had 14 points and six rebounds in the loss.
No. 6 OHIO STATE at MICHIGAN (5 p.m. Saturday at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan)
The Buckeyes are one of the nation’s unbeaten teams but don’t be surprised to see Michigan give Ohio State the proverbial run for the money. Ohio State (15-0, 2-0) topped Iowa 84-71 in its last game as Samantha Prahalis led the way with 30 points and seven assists. The Buckeyes also beat Wisconsin to remain perfect in Big Ten Conference play. Michigan (12-3, 1-1) has a loss to Maryland and hasn’t had the best of luck against teams in state (losses to Eastern Michigan and Michigan State as evidence). The Wolverines have back-to-back games against Ohio State and Penn State, so Michigan can’t take this game lightly at all.
No. 1 BAYLOR AT IOWA STATE (8 p.m. Saturday at James Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa)
The nation’s top-ranked team shouldn’t get much of a scare from the Cyclones on paper, but the way the basketball seasons have turned out this game is not a gimme by any stretch of the imagination. Baylor (14-0, 1-0) blasted Missouri in its Big 12 Conference opener, 90-46, as Brittney Griner had eight blocked shots and Odyssey Sims chipped in 22 points. Baylor has scored 90 points or more in each of the last three contests. Iowa State (9-3, 0-1) hasn’t been lucky against Big Ten opponents, with losses to Penn State and Michigan, and in its last game the team got 12 points from Chelsea Poppens in an 80-51 loss to Oklahoma.
No. 5 MARYLAND at NORTH CAROLINA (1 p.m. Sunday at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Maryland, North Carolina, Duke and Virginia Tech all have 2-0 records in the ACC entering Sunday, so the winnowing out process continues to determine the league’s leader with this big game. Maryland (15-0, 2-0) came dangerously close to losing Friday night, but it beat Georgia Tech 77-74 thanks to Alyssa Thomas scoring 18 of her 24 points in the second half. Maryland was down by 20 points, so the question is do the Terrapins have enough left in the tank to battle a strong North Carolina squad? As for the Tar Heels (12-2, 2-0), North Carolina’s losses have come against Penn State and South Carolina, but the Tar Heels have had two too close for comfort games as of late. North Carolina topped Miami 65-63 and then needed double overtime for a 78-73 win over Virginia.
BINGHAMTON at BOSTON UNIVERSITY (1 p.m. Sunday at Rose Hill Gymnasium in Boston, Massachusetts)
An early-season test for control of the America East Conference, this mid-major showdown sees Binghamton (8-7, 2-0) enter the game tied with Albany for the top spot in the league. The Bearcats are on a two-game win streak but have dropped four of their last seven games. Thankfully, wins over Maine and Stony Brook are righting the ship a little bit. Boston (8-6, 1-0) is a half-game off the top with plenty of basketball yet to play. The Terriers barely beat Vermont 61-60 in a game following one where their performance was nothing short of ugly (a 75-38 loss to St. John’s). A win for Binghamton would be big as the Bearcats do not face Albany until Jan. 25.
MEMPHIS at UTEP (1 p.m. Sunday at Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas)
The Conference USA schedule just began this week, and already an early-season test looms for these strong schools. Memphis (11-3, 1-0) recovered from a two-game losing streak to St. John’s and Missouri to beat Seton Hall and Tulane. If Memphis can win, upcoming games against East Carolina and Southern Methodist give Memphis a chance to get some breathing room in the league. UTEP (12-2, 1-0) also has two wins in a row after a two-game losing streak. After losses to UC-Santa Barbara and Arizona State, UTEP has beaten Texas State and Southern Methodist.
SOUTH CAROLINA at FLORIDA (2 p.m. Sunday at C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum in Gainesville, Florida)
It’s not a true conference showdown, but South Carolina and Florida are two teams to look out for in the Southeastern Conference and could be around at tournament time. South Carolina (13-2, 2-0) has lost to Penn State and North Carolina State and has topped Alabama and Vanderbilt to start SEC play. The Gamecocks got 19 points from Aleighsa Welch in the victory over Vanderbilt, which resulted in South Carolina’s first 2-0 league start in 10 years. Florida (11-4, 1-1) has losses to Michigan, Rutgers, Pacific and Kentucky, but Florida recovered to top Ole Miss 59-55 behind Jennifer George’s 18 points and 11 rebounds.
