Women’s Basketball Games of the Weekend 12/9 – 12/11
Big East Conference play marks the weekend’s women’s basketball action, including what should be an easier game for Connecticut (but you never know, right?) Also featured this weekend are rivalry matchups across the Great Lakes, as teams face off in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The weekend closes with Tennessee’s latest challenge against a tough DePaul squad.
No. 3 CONNECTICUT AT SETON HALL (7 p.m. Friday at Walsh Gymnasium in South Orange, New Jersey)
This game is of importance for two reasons. First, it is the Huskies’ opener in Big East Conference action and it is a chance for a team to beat UConn away from the cozy confines of its home courts. Connecticut (8-0) is the last of the unbeaten teams remaining in the Big East when it comes to overall records, and the Huskies just destroyed Texas A&M 81-51 in a recent matchup. Tiffany Hayes and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis each had 14 points, two of six girls to finish in double figures. Connecticut has eight days off following this game, but the next one – Baylor on December 18 – is going to be a big test. Seton Hall (5-4) has lost its last two games to Hofstra and Wake Forest by an average of 18 points. Jasmine Crew and Brittany Morris each scored 11 points in the Wake Forest loss.
No. 2 NOTRE DAME AT No. 12 PURDUE (12 p.m. Saturday at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana)
Easily the biggest college basketball game of the weekend, all eyes will be focused on west-central Indiana as the Fighting Irish travel to Boilermaker country. Since losing 94-81 last month to Baylor, Notre Dame (8-1) has rattled off five wins in a row, including a narrow victory against Duke and more recent wins against Creighton and Marquette. Kayla McBride led Notre Dame with 19 points as the Irish scored a surprisingly easy 95-42 win in the Marquette game. Notre Dame gets a seven-day break following this game before it is back in action against Kentucky. As for Purdue (7-1), it is at the end of a very tough three-game stretch with games against ranked teams. Purdue lost 64-53 to Duke but recovered for a 60-51 win over Texas A&M. The Boilermakers have a game against Central Michigan on Sunday but have six days off afterwards. Courtney Moses and Brittany Rayburn combined for 29 points in the A&M win.
NORTHWESTERN AT LOYOLA (ILL.) (3 p.m. Saturday at Joseph Gentile Arena in Chicago, Illinois)
It isn’t a matchup of ranked teams, but it is nevertheless a rivalry game between two of Chicago’s universities and that should get the fans motivated. Northwestern (6-1) suffered its lone loss against DePaul in the fifth game of the season but has beaten North Carolina State and Missouri since then. In the 74-70 win over the Tigers Kendall Hackney had 20 points and seven rebounds. Loyola (4-4), out of the Horizon League, has dropped its last two games by an average of four points a contest. The Ramblers lost 70-65 to DePaul and then fell to LaSalle 48-45.
CINCINNATI AT MARSHALL (7 p.m. Saturday at Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, West Virginia)
These guys were formerly annual rivals but the rivalry has since cooled thanks to being in different conferences. That said, look out as the Bearcats travel down US-52 for this latest installment. Cincinnati, out of the Big East, carries a 6-1 mark into this game, the only loss coming in the last game against crosstown rival Xavier (which won 69-60). Dayeesha Hollins had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Cincinnati. As for Marshall (5-2), out of Conference USA, the Thundering Herd are on a four-game winning streak that contains victories against Nebraska-Omaha, Chicago State and Evansville.
No. 22 DePAUL VS. No. 7 TENNESSEE (1:30 p.m. Sunday at Madison Square Garden in New York)
DePaul rides a five-game winning streak into a special game at Madison Square Garden, but that streak could come to an end against a Tennessee team determined to right the ship. The Blue Demons (7-1) have beaten Northwestern, Loyola-Chicago and St. John’s and have a game against SIU-Edwardsville Friday night (so the winning streak might be a moot point by the time the Tennessee game is played). Keisha Hampton’s 21 points led the way against St. John’s. Tennessee (4-2) is in the early stages of a stretch of four games in five against ranked opponents (Texas, DePaul, Rutgers and Stanford). Shekinna Stricklen’s 20 points and eight rebounds were key as the Volunteers beat Texas.
