Women’s Basketball Game Breakdowns 11/14 – 11/17
NO. 10 MIAMI (FLA) AT NO. 3 TENNESSEE (6 p.m. Tuesday at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee)
The week begins with a matchup of Atlantic Coast and Southeastern Conference women’s powers, as the Hurricanes make the trek up I-75 to take on Pat Summitt’s Tennessee squad. Miami is off to a strong start this season with easy wins over Barry (exhibition) and Texas Pan-American. In the Texas game Shenise Johnson just missed a triple-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, including an 8-for-8 effort from the free-throw line. Tennessee, which lost to Notre Dame in last year’s regional finals, is used to playing against tough competition, and the fact the Lady Vols didn’t lose a home game at all a year ago should tip the contest in Tennessee’s favor. This will be a tough test.
NO. 7 LOUISVILLE AT NO. 6 TEXAS A&M (4 p.m. Tuesday at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas)
The second of three top-25 matchups on the early week agenda pits two powerhouse programs against each other. Louisville is coming off a 22-13 season and a regional-semifinal loss in last year’s NCAA tournament and a two-week layoff following a 118-41 exhibition win October 30 against Lindsey Wilson. In that game six Louisville players scored in double figures, led by Cierra Warren with 18 points and six rebounds. Texas A&M is coming off Saturday’s season-opening 83-58 win over Lamar, led by 22 points from Tyra White. The Aggies (1-0) haven’t lost a non-league game at home since December 2003, a span of 44 contests.
NO. 9 GEORGETOWN AT NO. 14 LSU (7 p.m. Wednesday at Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
The Big East meets the Southeastern Conference as the Hoyas travel to Louisiana to face an LSU squad that should be among the top teams in the SEC this season. Georgetown got off to a good start in its season opener, beating Longwood 56-45 as Sugar Rodgers scored 13 points and Alexa Roche added 10 points. The Hoyas will need to pump up their offense a little bit against an LSU squad that scored 62 points per game. This is the first regular-season home game for new coach Nikki Caldwell; the Tigers beat Xavier, La., 102-42, in an exhibition game on November 2.
NO. 13 FLORIDA STATE AT FLORIDA (5:30 p.m. Thursday at Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida)
One team may be much better than the other, but it doesn’t matter when it comes to the fierce in-state rivalry between Florida and Florida State. This SEC/ACC non-conference game gives Gator fans a chance to see a Florida State team that won its first two games against South Florida and Minnesota. The Seminoles averaged 65 points a game in those wins, with the duo of Alexa Deluzio and Chasity Clayton combining for 33 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Florida lost its first game of the season, 69-66, to Michigan. Florida picked up 21 points from Jordan Jones and 11 points from Lanita Bartley, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Wolverines from winning.
OLD DOMINION AT NO. 5 STANFORD (10 p.m. Thursday at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, California)
Old basketball powerhouse meets new in this clash of women’s programs. Old Dominion is not the power it once was in the 1970s and 1980s, but the history of the program can’t be ignored here. ODU still has a competitive program, as evidenced by its 77-65 loss to Virginia Tech that opened the season. Ashley Betz-White paced Old Dominion with 22 points and Tia Lewis added 18 points and eight rebounds. Stanford held firm against Texas, 72-59, in its opener thanks to Chiney Ogwumike’s double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds.
