Saturday, November 19, 2011

Hampton, NSU, Radford look to remain unbeaten

Hampton (1-0) at Jacksonville (0-2), 1 p.m.
Still marveling over how the Lady Pirates held Pitt to just 37 points a week ago. And it doesn't appear as though this Pitt team simply can't score - the Panthers have averaged 71.5 points in their two games since facing Hampton. This Jacksonville team has struggled to score, though, as it is missing its top three points producers from the 2010-11 squad that upset a Hampton team missing star guard Jericka Jenkins. We'll be mildly surprised if these Dolphins break 45 points today. But here's hoping the Lady Pirates don't just rely on their defense and can string together some efficient offensive possessions as well. Hampton 62, Jacksonville 44

Norfolk State (2-0) at Wofford (2-0), 2 p.m.
The Spartans won by 14 when these teams met in Norfolk last year. Expect a bounce-back effort from NSU guard Rae Corbo, who was hampered by early foul trouble in Thursday's 60-43 victory over Chowan and finished with just 8 points on 1-of-8 shooting. Norfolk State 59, Wofford 51

Virginia Tech (1-1) at George Washington (1-1), 2 p.m.
Hokies coach Dennis Wolff wasn't pleased with how his team executed its game plan Wednesday against Charlotte, but Tech competed hard enough to extend a solid 49ers team to overtime. Assuming the Hokies can run their stuff better, even a slightly improved level of execution should yield success today. Virginia Tech 64, George Washington 54

VCU (1-1) at Missouri-Kansas City (2-0), 2 p.m.
Game scheduled in honor of Rams starters Jennifer Lane (a Wichita, Kansas native) and Robyn Hobson (from Leawood, Kansas). A victory would give VCU coach Beth Cunningham 150 for her career. When the schedule came out, our first thought was that this would be a relatively easy Rams win. But the Kangaroos return all five starters and got a jump on the 2011-12 season in August with 10 practices and a three-game tour of Costa Rica. The Rams, meanwhile, aren't operating at anywhere near peak efficiency. We still think VCU is a level above these guys, but the Rams will need to prove that on the court. VCU 67, UMKC 62

USC Upstate (0-3) at Radford (2-0), 3 p.m.
Through two games, the Highlanders have made 43 steals, forced 60 turnovers and outscored its opponents 44-4 on the fastbreak. Today we see how these numbers translate against Division I competition. Still, these Spartans don't appear to be the heartiest foe, either. The losses at North Carolina and Vanderbilt we get. But an 18-point loss at home to Division II North Greenville in the season opener?  Radford 54, USC Upstate 51

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