Sure, there’s USC-UCLA, but there are six other games between ranked teams this weekend. It must be March!
Saturday’s matchup between the Big Ten’s best, No. 2 UCLA and No. 4 USC, headlines the weekend’s women’s schedule, but it’s far from the only game worth watching. Both Notre Dame and LSU are looking to bounce back after being upset, established SEC powerhouse South Carolina takes on a rising program in Kentucky and the nation’s No. 1 scorer, Ta’Niya Latson, again is looking to put on a show for Florida State.
No. 25 Louisville at No. 3 Notre Dame, Sunday, Noon, ESPN: Since ascending to the AP No. 1 ranking two weeks ago, Notre Dame has lost twice, first to No. 9 NC State, then to No. 24 Florida State on Thursday. The last time Notre Dame lost back-to-back games was at the end of November, and the Irish followed it up with arguably their best win of the season, an 80-70 victory over now-No.1 Texas. To do that again, Notre Dame needs to get back to its identity. The Irish boast two creative guards in 5-foot-6 sophomore Hannah Hidalgo and 5-foot-10 junior Olivia Miles, who thrive when they can manufacture opportunities for each other and their teammates. In its two losses, Notre Dame has relied on one-on-one ball and it hasn’t worked. Louisville has a special guard of its own in 5-foot-10 freshman Taj Roberts, who leads the Cardinals in scoring at 13.4 points per contest. She needs to have a big game if the Cardinals want to add a win over Notre Dame to their résumé.
Michigan at Illinois, Sunday, 1:30 p.m., BTN: Michigan and Illinois are middle-of-the-pack Big Ten teams, but they also are capable of playing with anyone. And both are capable of pulling an upset in March. Illinois likes to slow the pace, taking away possessions from its opponents, while relying heavily on 6-foot-2 senior forward Kendall Bostic. She leads her team in points (15.5), rebounds (11.2) and blocks (1.0) per game. For Michigan, it’s all about the freshmen, which is why the Wolverines have been so inconsistent. But the future is bright. Freshman guards Olivia Olson, who is 6 feet 1, and Syla Swords, who is 6 feet, lead the team in scoring with 15.9 points per game each and 5-foot-10 freshman guard Mia Holloway is first in assists at 4.1 per game.
No. 15 Kentucky at No. 6 South Carolina, Sunday, 2 p.m., ESPN: Kentucky is coming off its best performance of the season, an 82-58 win over No. 11 Tennessee. Bigs Clara Strack, a 6-foot-5 sophomore center, and Teonni Key, a 6-foot-4 junior forward, controlled the game. Each had a double-double, which helped UKoutrebound Tennessee 52-31. The Wildcats will need a similar performance against a South Carolina team with its own talented bigs. In their recent win over Ole Miss, the Gamecocks were powered by a trio of post players. Chloe Kitts, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, had her most complete game of the season with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, while 6-foot-3 senior forward Sania Feagin led the team with 22 points and 6-foot-3 freshman forward Joyce Edwards came off the bench to contribute 10 points.
No. 20 Alabama at No. 13 Oklahoma, Sunday, 2:30 p.m., SECN+: After getting its best win of the season, 88-85 in overtime against No. 7 LSU, finishing the conference schedule by knocking off Oklahoma would be huge for Alabama. It would give the Crimson Tide a massive confidence boost heading into the postseason, and it also could mean a No. 4 seed and the chance to host during the opening weekend of March Madness. But beating Oklahoma is no easy task. After UCLA’s Lauren Betts, 6-foot-4 junior Raegan Beers is the best true center in the country, averaging 17.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, and shooting 67.7 percent from the field.
Ole Miss at No. 7 LSU, Sunday, 4 p.m., SEC Network: After the Tigers lost to Alabama, 5-foot-10 junior guard Flau’Jae Johnson took responsibility on social media, posting, “I’m playing my worst basketball.” Johnson is LSU’s leading scorer, but had just six points against Alabama before fouling out. She is too skilled to have another game like that; expect her to bounce back in a big way against Ole Miss. When she’s playing well, Johnson is one of the country’s most electric guards and now she feels like she has something to prove. In other words, you won’t want to miss this.
No. 12 Ohio State at No. 19 Maryland, Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Fox: The one-two punch of 6-foot junior forward Cotie McMahon and 5-foot-7 freshman guard Jaloni Cambridge has led Ohio State to a 24-4 record and third place in a stacked Big Ten, behind USC and UCLA. In her first two seasons, McMahon was known for her strength going to the rim and her execution in the midrange; now, she’s added the three-point shot to her arsenal, making 36.8 percent of her attempts. Cambridge is one of the best guards in the country, and uses her quickness to average 16.3 points and 4.0 assists per game. Maryland started the season strong, but injuries have hampered the Terps down the stretch. Third-leading scorer Bri McDaniel, a 5-foot-10 junior guard, is out with a torn ACL, 6-foot-2 senior point guard Shyanne Sellers has missed time with a knee sprain and 6-foot-2 junior guard Saylor Poffenbarger is day-to-day with a lower leg injury. It’s going to take a massive performance from leading scorer Kaylene Smikle, a 6-foot junior guard, and her supporting cast if the Terps want to avenge their 74-66 loss to Ohio State from Jan. 23.
No. 16 Duke at No. 24 Florida State, Sunday, 6 p.m., ACC Network: If you haven’t seen Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson play, it’s time to remedy that. Latson, a 5-foot-8 junior guard, leads the country in scoring at 26.0 points per game and is coming off a 23-point, 9-assist, 5-rebound performance that led the Seminoles past Notre Dame. If Florida State were a bigger contender on the national scene, Latson would be a player of the year candidate. Her Seminoles will take on a Duke team that is riding high after beating archrival North Carolina on Thursday, thanks to 23 points from 5-foot-11 senior guard Reigan Richardson. That’s a great sign for Duke heading into the postseason. Richardson is a capable scorer, but she’s struggled to score in the second half of the season. If she can regain her consistency, Duke will get a major boost.
No. 10 TCU at No. 17 Baylor, Sunday, 6:30 p.m., FS1: Thanks to TCU’s recent win over West Virginia and Baylor’s victory over Kansas State, this game is for first place in the Big 12; both are 15-2 in the conference. Baylor has rallied around 6-foot-3 senior center Aaronette Vonleh since leading scorer and rebounder Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, a 6-foot-1 wing, went out with a knee injury Feb. 15. She remains day-to-day. In Baylor’s 79-62 win over Kansas State on Monday, Vonleh had season-highs in points (24) and rebounds (12). It will be up to 6-foot-7 senior center Sedona Prince to defend Vonleh, while Baylor must contend with 5-foot-9 senior guard Hailey Van Lith and her 17.7 points, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
