With players hitting the books to take final exams, it was a light week with few games, but most teams returned to the hardwood for an exciting weekend
No. 6 Stanford Coach Tara VanDerveer notched her 900th career win, as the Cardinal cruised to a 73-45 victory against No. 23 Gonzaga. Stanford forward Chiney Ogwumike shot 50 percent from the field on her way to a 19-point, seven-rebound performance that propelled her team to its eighth win of the season. The Cardinal’s lone loss this season is to No. 1 Connecticut.
Other top 10 teams easily downed nonconference opponents.
No. 3 Tennessee routed Troy 103-64. No. 4 Notre Dame got off to a fast start against Michigan, leading 47-23 at the end of the first half and never looked back, beating the Wolverines 86-64.
No. 5 Kentucky remained undefeated on Sunday, winning their eleventh game this season with a 73-56 against East Tennessee State. Forward Samarie Walker and Guard Janee Thompson scored 12 points each, while the Wildcat bench refreshed the starting five and added 32 points. Kentucky will host No. 2 Duke on December 22.
Eight seems to be the magic number for No. 8 Maryland. The Terrapins exterminated any upset hopes for the Hornets of Delaware State, winning their eighth straight game 93-44. The victory came despite Maryland’s leading scorer, forward Alyssa Thomas, getting in to foul trouble early in the game. The two-time ACC Player of the Year still finished with a double-double—18 points and 10 rebounds. The Terrapins also had no trouble crossing the century mark earlier in the week, with a 105-49 victory over Siena on Monday night. Duke faces the Terrapins at home on February 7.
In a bizarre turn of events, No. 12 Penn State fell victim to an upset, courtesy of unranked North Dakota State. The Jackrabbits outscored the Nittany Lions 55-35 in the first half and then held off a ferocious Penn State comeback to win 83-79. The Nittany Lions returned home licking their wounds, but would bounce back, beating No. 24 Texas A&M 66-58. Guard Ariel Edwards lead Penn State with 14 points against the Aggies.
No. 1 Connecticut and No. 2 Duke both had the week off and are undoubtedly preparing for Tuesday night’s matchup at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Huskies will get two key players back in the line-up, as both Kaleena-Mosqueda Lewis and Morgan Tuck will return from injuries, according to the Hartford Courant. The game is attracting a good amount of attention and will be televised on ESPN2 as part of the Jimmy V Classic.
Game to Watch: No. 1 Connecticut at No. 2 Duke, Tuesday Dec. 17, 7 p.m. ESPN2.
Key ACC Matchup: No. 3 Tennessee at No. 6 Stanford, Saturday Dec. 21 4:30 p.m. PAC-12 Network.
Upset Alert: No. 22 California vs. No. 1 Connecticut, Sunday Dec. 22 1 p.m. ESPN. Regardless of Tuesday night’s result, the Huskies could be feeling a hangover and cannot overlook a Golden Bear squad that has won six straight.
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