Women’s Basketball Games of the Week 12/5 -12/8
No. 13 RUTGERS AT No. 8 MIAMI (7 p.m. Monday at Bank United Center in Miami, Florida)
The night’s only matchup of ranked opponents promises to be a good one as the Big East’s undefeated team meets up with the ACC. The Scarlet Knights (8-0) have been quite impressive to start the season, and their past four wins over Georgia Tech, Arizona State, Temple and Florida have been strong. Rutgers hasn’t started off this well since 2005 and balanced scoring from Erica Wheeler, April Sykes and Monique Oliver is a big reason why. Miami (6-1) is certainly turning a few heads as well, with a five-game winning streak and a strong 76-60 win over Michigan State under its belt. Morgan Stroman was strong in the Spartans game with a 20-point performance.
No. 9 TEXAS A&M AT No. 3 CONNECTICUT (7 p.m. Tuesday at XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut)
The Jimmy V Classic isn’t forgetting about the women, either. While the men play two games in Madison Square Garden, the women have what should be a strong contest between two of the nation’s top powerhouses. Texas A&M (6-1) has beaten Louisville this year, but its six-game winning streak was just snapped with a 60-51 loss to Purdue. The Aggies had won 12 straight games up to this point, one win from the school record of 13 victories in a row. Adaora Elonu had 12 points for Texas A&M in the loss. The Huskies have what is for all intents a home game, and Connecticut (7-0) has certainly been strong this year. Its schedule has been devoid of strong tests, save for a 68-58 win over Stanford, but UConn women’s basketball is certainly iconic. Bria Hartley had 24 points in the Huskies’ 92-31 win over Towson.
MARQUETTE AT No. 2 NOTRE DAME (7 p.m. Wednesday at Joyce Center in South Bend, Indiana)
By no means is this a “gimme” game for the Fighting Irish as Big East play gets underway. Throw out Marquette’s 5-4 overall record. The Golden Eagles have played a very tough early-season schedule, including losses to Georgia Tech, Michigan and Green Bay. Marquette beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 84-36 in its last game, as Arlesia Morse led the way with 19 points. Notre Dame (7-1) lost to Baylor earlier in the season but did beat Duke, so it has proven it can top ranked schools. The Irish have wins against Penn and Creighton in their last two games, and Natalie Achonwa’s 20 points helped key a 41-11 start in a 76-48 win over Creighton.
No. 10 DUKE at No. 11 KENTUCKY (6 p.m. Thursday at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky)
This game does deserve to be at Rupp, but why the big Louisville-Kentucky showdown can’t be… oh well, that’s a discussion saved for another time. This is a big contest for both schools. Duke (6-1) is only two points from a 7-0 record, having lost 56-54 to Notre Dame, but the Blue Devils recovered with wins over Purdue and Pittsburgh. Duke’s win over the Panthers, 92-43, was particularly impressive. Chelsea Gray’s 14 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds were only the fourth triple-double in school history. Kentucky (8-0) is coming off a very strong 74-54 win over in-state rival Louisville, which started a streak of three out of four games played against ranked opponents (Kentucky faces Notre Dame later in the month). A’dia Mathies led Kentucky with 20 points.
No. 20 GREEN BAY AT TOLEDO (7 p.m. Thursday at Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio)
The Phoenix have been quite strong in the early part of the season, with a 7-0 record that includes wins over Illinois, Georgia Tech, Marquette and Northern Iowa. Green Bay wants to win this game and go into a big 12-day break before its next contest on a positive note. Julie Wojta’s 26 points and 13 rebounds propelled the Phoenix in their 75-67 win over Northern Iowa. Toledo (5-2) has already played Green Bay once this season and lost, 84-68, despite 17 points from Courtney Ingersoll. The Rockets face Cleveland State on Dec. 10 and then have an eight-day layoff.
