Cream of the crop: Women's basketball update

Each week, the Chronicle will report on the top teams in women's college basketball that No. 2 Duke will either play during regular season play or possibly face during the NCAA tournament. Following a victory against Alabama Sunday afternoon, the Blue Devils will play Vanderbilt at Cameron Indoor Stadium Thursday night.

Similarly to the men's basketball schedule this time of year, women's basketball begins a stretch of mismatches in which top-ranked teams will take on unranked opponents. This past week had no major upsets, but there were some important games to highlight.

No. 1 Connecticut handled a series of tests this week, starting first with a victory against No. 3 Stanford Monday 76-57. The Huskies looked to be clicking even without leading scorer Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, who injured her elbow against the Cardinal and is out indefinitely. Mosqueda-Lewis was a crucial piece of this Connecticut team and without her one would begin to wonder about Duke's chances of upsetting the Huskies come mid-December. The Huskies also lost guard Morgan Tuck to knee surgery this week, but they still have guard Bria Hartley and forward Breanna Stewart to guide them forward. Against a top ACC opponent in No. 8 Maryland Friday night, Connecticut won 72-55, lead by Stewart who had 26 points. The Huskies finished out their week against No. 13 Penn State with a 71-52 victory. Though Connecticut certainly has weaknesses now, the still have one of the most talented, well-coached teams in the nation. They will continue to be Duke's main opponent this season for a national title run.

Transitioning to the ACC, No. 6 Notre Dame defeated No. 19 Michigan State 81-62 and finished out the week crushing a Valparaiso team by 50 points. No. 12 North Carolina also had a strong showing this week defeating UCLA by 10 points Sunday following a 16 point loss to No. 4 Tennessee. The disparity between the top schools and average programs in women's college basketball becomes apparent during this stretch of the season. Most teams—including Duke—will face a slate of unranked opponents and will be expected to win by more than 10 points in each game. There is little chance for an upset, but if one were to occur, there would be a serious shakeup at the top of the rankings. Connecticut and Duke remain the two primary players in the game right now as Stanford, the next team in the rankings, was easily handled by the Huskies. The Blue Devils pose a serious threat to Connecticut. Rest assured, December 17 at Cameron Indoor is circled on every coach's calendar when both of these teams will match up for the first and only time during regular season play.

Game to watch: No. 2 Duke vs. Vanderbilt. Thursday, 6:30 P.M.

Key ACC Matchup: No. 5 Lousiville vs. Florida State. Sunday, 2:00 P.M.

Upset Alert: Coastal Carolina over No. 12 North Carolina. Thursday, 6:00 P.M.
Maybe lightning will strike twice, and the other Tar Heel program will be upset.