Women’s Basketball Games of the Weekend
The Big East, Big 12 and Big 10 all have interesting matchups this weekend as we head into the final few games of what has been an entertaining women’s basketball season. This weekend seems to be all about knocking off number one. Can Baylor lose? How about Connecticut? Will Ohio State recover from its treacherous past week in the Big Ten standings? We are a few weeks away from March Madness. Enjoy.
FLORIDA A&M at HOWARD (2 p.m. Saturday at Burr Gymnasium in Washington, D.C.)
Two of the top teams in the Mideastern Athletic Conference will square off in this game. Barring postseason tournaments, this is the only time the schools meet all season so the winner of this game could have the upper hand in MEAC play or play spoiler, depending on who wins. Florida A&M (17-5, 10-0) has gone undefeated in the league and has a 14-game winning streak following a lackluster start. Its last win was 68-63 against North Carolina A&T. Howard (17-7, 9-2) is a game and a half back of Howard and a half-game back of Hampton in the MEAC. The Bison’s two league losses came to Hampton, but Howard is on a four-game winning streak and its latest win was against Morgan State, 64-55.
ST. BONAVENTURE at DAYTON (2 p.m. Saturday at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio)
A late-season Atlantic-10 showdown marks the only regular-season meeting for these two clubs all season. St. Bonaventure (23-2, 10-0) has not lost in A-10 play and its only blemishes overall are to Delaware and Villanova. The Bonnies have won 12 in a row and can effectively wrap up the title with a win here. Dayton (16-5, 8-1) is tied with Temple for second place in the league, one and a half games back of St. Bonaventure. The Flyers’ lone league loss was against Temple, but Dayton has won six in a row since then.
CENTRAL ARKANSAS at McNEESE STATE (2 p.m. Saturday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles, Louisiana)
Control of the Southland Conference’s East Division is on the line as the top two teams in the division face off. Central Arkansas (19-4, 9-1) leads the East by a game and a half over McNeese State and could salt away the division title in the next couple games If it wins. Since losing to Stephen F. Austin on January 11, Central Arkansas has won eight in a row; its first meeting with McNeese State turned into a 71-70 double-overtime thriller. If the first game is any indication, this contest could be a classic. McNeese State (17-6, 7-2) just lost to Central Arkansas in its last game but has a fairly easy schedule remaining following this contest.
No. 10 GEORGETOWN at No. 3 CONNECTICUT (4 p.m. Saturday at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut)
Teams like Georgetown and St. John’s, which aren’t in the top two in the Big East Conference, likely have no hope of winning the regular-season title. For now, it’s about jockeying for position come tournament time. A win for the Hoyas in one of the toughest places to play would go a long way. Georgetown (19-5, 8-3) has losses to DePaul, Notre Dame and Louisville and has just four games remaining following Saturday’s contest. Of the four, only St. John’s will provide a legitimate challenge, so 20 victories shouldn’t be hard for the Hoyas to achieve. Sugar Rodgers’ double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds was key in Georgetown’s win over Seton Hall. Connecticut (22-2, 10-1)… well, it’s UConn. What more can be said? There are five games to go following the Georgetown contest, the last one of which is a big showdown against Notre Dame in prime time.
No. 15 TEXAS A&M at No. 1 BAYLOR (6 p.m. Saturday at Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas)
The Big 12 Conference race is just about over. A win for Baylor would put Texas A&M four games off the pace with six games remaining, effectively choking the life out of the competition until tournament time. Texas A&M (17-5, 8-3) has losses to Kansas State, Texas and Oklahoma State in league play, but it also has two games with Baylor remaining. That’s why a win is so important for the Aggies, who could make things interesting if Baylor loses Saturday. The tandem of Kelsey Bone and Karla Gilbert has been huge as of late, with both scoring 14 points in the last win over Kansas State. Baylor (24-0, 11-0)… well, like Connecticut, what more remains to be said? Brittney Griner shows up, punches the clock, scores big and handles the ball well (27 points, eight rebounds and eight assists against Oklahoma), and she goes home with the rest of the team.
PRINCETON at HARVARD (6 p.m. Saturday at Lavietes Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts)
The Ivy League race isn’t finished yet, but a win by Princeton will help close the door. Princeton (16-4, 6-0) has won nine in a row following a three-game losing streak earlier this season. The Tigers have two meetings with Harvard yet to go (including this one), so that’s why the Crimson (12-8, 5-1) definitely need to win. Princeton’s losses are to Delaware, Navy, DePaul and Stanford, so Princeton has faced some strong competition. Harvard has won its last four games, including a 66-52 victory over Penn. Yale, the team that stands in third place, defeated Harvard earlier in the season.
No. 22 VANDERBILT at No. 21 GEORGIA (2 p.m. Sunday at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia)
Three games back in the Southeastern Conference race and four games remaining… yes, that’s not the ingredient for an SEC title, but Vanderbilt and Georgia are still ranked in the CSM top 25 and can still play some spoiler. That is, when they are finished facing each other. Vanderbilt (19-5, 7-4) just got finished with a 93-79 win over Tennessee in an in-state rivalry game as Tiffany Clarke led the way with 23 points. The win extended the Commodore streak to five games following a three-game losing string earlier in the year. Georgia (18-6, 7-4) lost to Vanderbilt and Tennessee but rebounded for wins over Mississippi State and Alabama.
No. 5 MIAMI at No. 18 MARYLAND (2:30 p.m. Sunday at Comcast Center in College Park, Maryland)
Two of the top three teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference are set for a Sunday matchup. Miami (21-3, 10-1) has a 10-game winning streak that includes a 75-63 win over Maryland earlier this season. Assuming Miami beats Maryland, it will get one more chance at Duke and a possible ACC regular-season title. The Hurricanes have lost to Tennessee, Georgetown and North Carolina this season. Maryland (21-3, 8-3) has all of its losses inside the ACC, to Miami, Duke and Virginia Tech. The Terrapins also get one more shot at Duke, so the winner of this game will have a chance to knock off the Blue Devils and grab a share of the trophy.
No. 16 PURDUE at No. 9 OHIO STATE (5 p.m. Sunday at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio)
The last stop for the weekend is Columbus, where two of the Big Ten’s top teams are heading for a big contest. Purdue (19-5, 9-2) fell to earth a bit when it dropped back-to-back contests against Iowa and Nebraska, teams with Big Ten records above .500. It recovered for a 77-66 win over Illinois. The Boilermakers’ Sam Ostarello had a career high 21 points and 13 rebounds in the Illinois win. Ohio State (21-3, 8-3) has skidded as of late with two losses to sub-.500 teams Minnesota and Illinois. With Purdue, Penn State and Nebraska still left on the schedule, this could be an interesting finish for the Big Ten.
