Three Ranked Matchups Highlight a Full Sunday in Women’s College Hoops
Intriguing Sunday in Women’s College Basketball
It’s an intriguing Sunday of women’s college basketball ahead. This week has already brought upsets and really shown that January 1 is when things start to take shape, especially if your non conference schedule could not be trusted as a legit measuring stick of where you are as a team.
There are three ranked vs ranked matchups today, along with several others that are unranked pairings but could still bring real answers as the young conference season continues.
One thing I am watching closely is whether Nebraska can bounce back. The Huskers started 12-0, but have since dropped two straight to ranked opponents in USC and Iowa. They now face a Purdue team that has not started well but is also searching for answers after opening conference play 0-3.
My ranked matchup that I absolutely want to pay attention to is No. 5 LSU at No. 12 Vanderbilt. LSU is off to an 0-1 start in SEC play after falling to Kentucky on New Year’s Day. The Tigers were out-rebounded 45 to 29 in that game, and it ultimately cost them.
Kentucky finished with 18 second chance points compared to just four for LSU. The big question today is whether LSU can be more physical on the glass, and also find a way to slow up Mikayla Blakes, who dropped 35 points with eight assists against Arkansas in her last outing.
No. 8 Oklahoma comes in with just one loss on the year to UCLA back in November. The Sooners host an unranked Mississippi State team that is 14-1 and has not lost since November against Texas Tech.
Aaliyah Chavez leads OU in scoring at 19 points per game, while Raegan Beers continues to dominate inside with 17.6 points and 10.8 rebounds a night.
Mississippi State is a confident group under Sam Purcell and has the pieces to do something special. Five Bulldogs average double figures, with Favour Nwaedozi posting a double double and freshman Madison Francis shooting 50 percent from the field while averaging 13 points a game.
According to the ESPN Matchup Predictor, OU has an 86.4 percent chance to win, but games are not decided by computers. That one may be worth keeping an eye on.
Other Games to Check Out Today
Illinois at No. 24 Michigan State
No. 3 South Carolina at Florida
No. 15 Ole Miss at No. 2 Texas
No. 22 Baylor at No. 10 Iowa State
Stanford at No. 16 North Carolina
Conference races are still young, but weekends like this usually start to separate teams that are truly built for the long haul. Today should bring more clarity, and maybe another surprise or two.
Featured Image Credit: Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal
