Florida State 78, Virginia 74
What looked like a routine win for the Seminoles turned into a near-upset by the Cavaliers, who whittled a 17-point deficit to two points in the final minute. A steal by Paulisha Kellum on the inbounds pass and Virginia was in business to tie or win it, but Kellum was called for traveling. The teams traded baskets before Cierra Brevard sealed it with free throws, which were two of her 22 points. FSU nailed 20 of its 22 from the stripe. Much like the Maryland game, Virginia showed it could compete with the bigs in the ACC, but coming out with a win continues to elude the Cavaliers (13-12, 2-7).
Delaware State 66, Norfolk State 48
We thought this was NSU's chance to end its conference road futility, but when you go don't score for half the game, the winning doesn't come easy. The Spartans shot 23 percent in the first half and were outscored 32-19. Another drought in the second -- a lack of points for a total of 19 minutes, 18 seconds when it was all said and done -- doomed NSU against the Hornets. Neither team was pretty (the two combined for 15 assists and 42 turnovers), but Delaware State was more effective, sending the Spartans to 8-12, 1-9 in the MEAC.
Hampton 79, NC A&T 44
Go ahead. Find an Eagle who scored double digits. You can't against this fierce Pirates (17-6) defense that held its sixth opponent in 2011 to under 50 points. Keiara Avaira had career highs in points (17) and rebounds (9) and Jericka Jenkins produced a second straight double-double (17 points, 11 assists). Nice to say 10 points from freshman guard Nicole Hamilton, too. Speaking of streaks, HU has won five straight.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Virginia hosts Florida State; NSU (still) seeks MEAC road win
Monday's games
No. 19 Florida State (18-5, 6-2 ACC) at Virginia (13-11, 2-6 ACC), 7 p.m.
The Cavaliers are coming off one of their best overall efforts of the season Thursday against Wake Forest. But can they sustain something close to that level against a top-tier ACC foe? It helps that this one's at home, as Virginia has played particularly well at the JPJ. The Seminoles prevailed 61-51 when these teams met last month in Tallahassee, a game in which the Cavaliers shot just 32.8 percent from the field. They'll need to move the ball around better this time (just seven assists in that game) and keep Florida State off the free-throw line. Virginia has already given up one quality effort against a big-time ACC team (Maryland). We think they're due for another. Virginia 65, Florida State 61
North Carolina Central (2-20) at Hampton (16-6), 6 p.m.
The Lady Eagles have dropped 12 straight games since a 50-48 win over (gulp) Liberty on Dec. 18. The outcome shouldn't be doubt here, but it will be interesting to see the Lady Pirates can get freshman scorer Nicole Hamilton untracked. Hampton 70, N.C. Central 40
Norfolk State (8-11, 1-8 MEAC) at Delaware State (6-15, 2-7 MEAC), 5:30 p.m.
We think this is the one, the Spartans' first MEAC road victory since January, 2007. We'd feel a little better about it if the Lady Hornets hadn't just scored 73 points - a season-high against a Division I opponent in regulation - in thumping North Carolina A&T. We don't think they can do that twice. But hey, Spartans, don't forget to guard DelState freshman Kianna Conner (a career-high 19 points, 5 3-pointers against A&T). Norfolk State 61, Delaware State 58
Sunday, February 6, 2011
James Madison alone atop CAA standings; George Mason, VCU also win
 |
| James Madison is alone atop the CAA. |
Seven games on Sunday (counting the Super Bowl) and we picked three of 'em wrong. Our apologies to George Mason, which topped Hofstra.......As for upsets, we sure would not have picked Georgia State over Wilmington, but the Panthers shot 54 percent to knock the Seahawks out of first. That means, as Eric Carmen would sing, JMU is "All by Myself" in first place in the CAA.
That's because........
James Madison 67, Old Dominion 58
Dukes (17-6, 10-1) control their own destiny in the CAA and seized control of the conference before 6,099 at the Convo Center. Dawn Evans had something to do with it, scoring 25 with 6 boards and 6 assists and nailing the free throws when ODU had whittled a 20-point deficit down to four. After the opening minutes, the Dukes looked like they owned this game and were on their way to a comfortable win but weathered an 18-5 Lady Monarch run that made it a 4-point game with 1:39 left. Evans was then called for a 5-second violation only to have ODU blow the opportunity when Jasmine Parker turned it over with 2 seconds left on the shot clock. Evans connected on a pair from the line, and ODU (15-7, 9-2) never scored again. Kquanise Byrd attempted two 3s that failed to fall and Evans blocked a Parker shot, leaving Parker without a field goal (0-of-8) in the game. Tia Lewis scored 18 for ODU, but where was everybody else? Eight straight wins for JMU, the defending champion in this conference tournament.
VCU 82, Northeastern 55
Courtney Hurt plus Andrea Barbour plus Sonia Johnson equals 21 plus 17 plus 16 -- that's already 54 for a Rams team that got better as the game went along. We know it's Super Bowl Sunday, but the attendance listed is 64. Guess folks in Boston are still interested in the Super Bowl minus Tom Brady.
Towson 66, William and Mary 55
Three players in double figures vs. two players in double figures. That's essentially what this came down to as the miserable season continues for the Tribe (2-19, 1-10 CAA). One day after her birthday, Taysha Pye scored 18 and the Tribe hit all six free throws, but they don't have enough offense to pick up wins.
George Mason 76, Hofstra 70
Heck of an offensive output by the Patriots (14-8, 6-5 CAA), who had four players in double figures led by Brittany Poindexter with 20. GMU, which has now won four of six, shot 47 percent and nabbed eight more rebounds.
Wake Forest 60, Virginia Tech 55
The Demon Deacons dominated the free-throw line and send the hapless Hokies (9-14) to an 0-9 conference mark in front of nearly 3,000 in Blacksburg. With an ACC sked that reads at Clemson, NC State, at Duke, at Maryland and Virginia, we're not confident in Tech producing a conference win this season.
ODU/JMU Super matchup today
Sunday's games:
Pittsburgh 28, Green Bay 19
We're not analyzing this; we imagine you can find analysis of this.
Wake Forest (11-13, 2-6 ACC) at Virginia Tech (9-13, 0-8), 2 p.m.
The Demon Deacons have lost 6 of 8, defeating only Boston College and yes, Virginia Tech (62-54) in that stretch. Poor free-throw shooting doomed the Hokies that day and just about everything else has gone wrong in a winless stretch that dates back to Dec. 30. This looks like the day Tech might pick up its first conference win of the season, but don't bet the house. Virginia Tech 64, Wake Forest 60
Pittsburgh 28, Green Bay 19
We're not analyzing this; we imagine you can find analysis of this.
Wake Forest (11-13, 2-6 ACC) at Virginia Tech (9-13, 0-8), 2 p.m.
The Demon Deacons have lost 6 of 8, defeating only Boston College and yes, Virginia Tech (62-54) in that stretch. Poor free-throw shooting doomed the Hokies that day and just about everything else has gone wrong in a winless stretch that dates back to Dec. 30. This looks like the day Tech might pick up its first conference win of the season, but don't bet the house. Virginia Tech 64, Wake Forest 60
Old Dominion (15-6, 9-1 CAA) at James Madison (16-6, 9-1), 2 p.m.
This is the Super Bowl matchup of the conference (with apologies to Wilmington), a rematch of the conference tournament title game. ODU actually won in Harrisonburg a year ago and routed the Dukes 71-55 last month at the Constant Center, but JMU was without starter Lauren Jimenez (14.3 ppg). ODU is 5-0 in CAA road games this season but needed Jasmine Parker's buzzer beaten to beat George Mason on Thursday. This one should be frenzied (Duke Dog Reading Day packs the kids in), and in case you haven't heard, Kenny Brooks is 7-0 on Super Bowl Sunday. Add in Dawn Evans, and this one could be a classic. ODU needs to shoot the lights out to win here, and given that, we go with the Dukes. The winner here will likely be tied atop the league with Wilmington (at Georgia State on Sunday), so this one is a biggie. JMU 75, ODU 69
Virginia Commonwealth (12-8, 7-3 CAA) at Northeastern (8-13, 3-7), 2 p.m.
Today's Rams game is the 1,000th in program history, a stat that doesn't tell us much. What is revealing is VCU is shooting 54 percent from the field in its last three games, though fell in OT on the road to Wilmington in the last game. VCU has won eight straight in this series; the Huskies have lost three of four. Behind the usual suspects, Courtney Hurt and Andrea Barbour, we think this will be all Rams. VCU 81, Northeastern 60
Hofstra (10-11, 4-6) at George Mason (13-8, 5-5), 2 p.m.
Hofstra has won three straight in this series, but the Patriots are playing inspired ball and nearly upset ODU on Thursday. Rather than hang their heads, the Patriot should ideally bounce right back and feed off nearly upsetting the conference leader. If that's not the case, GMU could get blitzed by the high octane Pride led by Shante Evans (17.2 ppg, 11.1 rpg). GMU has won three of its last five; these teams have not met this season. Hofstra 60, George Mason 57
William and Mary (2-18, 1-9 CAA) at Towson (7-14, 1-9), 2 p.m.
Towson has lost its last six, including a heartbreaker to Drexel in OT on Thursday. The Tigers did win 63-60 earlier this season in Williamsburg. W&M's lone CAA win was over George Mason, but we think the Tribe will sneak one out today. W&M 66, Towson 61
Towson has lost its last six, including a heartbreaker to Drexel in OT on Thursday. The Tigers did win 63-60 earlier this season in Williamsburg. W&M's lone CAA win was over George Mason, but we think the Tribe will sneak one out today. W&M 66, Towson 61
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Liberty seizes Big South lead, Richmond outduels the Bonnies
Saturday's results
Richmond 56, St. Bonaventure 50: It's tough to win on the road anywhere, particularly in a league the caliber of the Atlantic 10, so kudos to the Spiders for doing it twice in a four-day span and especially getting this one against the tough Bonnies. Consistent offense remains elusive for the Spiders (15-8, 6-3 Atlantic 10), but they did an excellent job of neutralizing St. Bonaventure's primary threats. And while the Spiders didn't make many 3-pointers (5), most of them were well-timed. Brittani Shells' 3-ball to close out the first half sent the Spiders into intermission tied at 23, and back-to-back triples by Abby Oliver and Kara Powell to open the second half gave Richmond the league it nurtured throughout the final 20 minutes. Oliver scored all 14 of her points in the second half and added a career-high 12 rebounds. Shells led Richmond with 18 points, and Crystal Goring chimed in with 10 rebounds and 8 points.
Liberty 58, High Point 57: Devon Brown blocked Erin Reynolds' layup attempt with 3 seconds remaining to preserve the victory and boost the Lady Flames (14-8, 8-1) ahead of Radford and into first place in the Big South. Avery Warley's jumper with 2:02 left put Liberty in front 56-55, and Warley made it a 3-point lead with a rebound and stickback of a Brown missed layup with 1:12 left. High Point's reigning Big South Freshman of the Week Cheyenne Parker cut Liberty's advantage to one with a layup with 44 seconds left, setting the stage for Brown's heroics. Warley finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds for her 7th double-double in 9 Big South games. Brown added 15 points, Tolu Omatola 12 rebounds and Jelena Antic 10 points for the Lady Flames, who won their fifth straight and 10th in their last 11 games.
UNC Asheville 70, Radford 60: It used to be we were surprised (pleasantly, of course) when the Highlanders won. After the way they've played since January, we're now surprised when they lose. This one isn't hard to figure out, though. The Bulldogs seem to solve Radford's defense better than any other Big South team. The 70 points are the most the Highlanders (10-12, 7-2 Big South) have surrendered to a conference foe, one more than the 69 the Bulldogs put up when these teams met on Jan. 3. Radford has held everyone else except Winthrop to 56 points or less in regulation. The Highlanders prevailed in that first meeting 81-69 by shooting a season-high 53 percent from the field. But Radford shot just 32 percent Saturday. The Bulldogs also enjoyed a commanding 58-35 rebounding advantage. But 44 of UNC Asheville's total came on the defensive boards, a natural outgrowth of Radford missing so many shots.
Hampton 77, South Carolina State 57: A stat-stuffer's delight for the Lady Pirates. Quanneisha Perry went for 25 points and 16 rebounds, Choicetta McMillian scored a career-high 22 points and Jericka Jenkins dished out a career-high 17 assists, the second-most in school history as Hampton (16-6, 9-1 MEAC) maintained its one-game lead over Morgan State in the MEAC standings. Two mild areas of concern for Hampton. While the Lady Pirates led by double digits most of the way and by at least 20 throughout the final 10 minutes, 4 of Hampton's 5 starters still logged at least 33 minutes. Hampton's key players will take a lot of mileage into the postseason. Also, freshman Nicole Hamilton, who gave the Lady Pirates a terrific offensive spark early in MEAC play, went scoreless in 11 minutes Saturday and has scored just 16 points in her last four games combined. Of course, this didn't hurt them Saturday. Neither did South Carolina State.
Maryland-Eastern Shore 72, Norfolk State 49: Yet another conference road loss - 37 straight since January, 2007 - for the Spartans (8-11, 1-8 MEAC), who trailed by just four points early in the second half before getting blitzed by a 16-6 run from which they couldn't recover. We've had Monday's game at Delaware State circled for weeks as NSU's best opportunity to leave another MEAC team's gym winners. On Saturday, DelState snapped a six-game losing streak by upsetting North Carolina A&T. No matter. We still believe the Spartans will get it done.
Winthrop 54, Longwood 46: Hard to believe the Lancers (5-16) could do anything less successfully than they managed last weekend at mighty Maryland, but Longwood actually shot slightly better against the Terrapins than the measly 25.9 percent from the field they produced Saturday at Winthrop. Chelsea Coward scored 19 in defeat.
Richmond 56, St. Bonaventure 50: It's tough to win on the road anywhere, particularly in a league the caliber of the Atlantic 10, so kudos to the Spiders for doing it twice in a four-day span and especially getting this one against the tough Bonnies. Consistent offense remains elusive for the Spiders (15-8, 6-3 Atlantic 10), but they did an excellent job of neutralizing St. Bonaventure's primary threats. And while the Spiders didn't make many 3-pointers (5), most of them were well-timed. Brittani Shells' 3-ball to close out the first half sent the Spiders into intermission tied at 23, and back-to-back triples by Abby Oliver and Kara Powell to open the second half gave Richmond the league it nurtured throughout the final 20 minutes. Oliver scored all 14 of her points in the second half and added a career-high 12 rebounds. Shells led Richmond with 18 points, and Crystal Goring chimed in with 10 rebounds and 8 points.
Liberty 58, High Point 57: Devon Brown blocked Erin Reynolds' layup attempt with 3 seconds remaining to preserve the victory and boost the Lady Flames (14-8, 8-1) ahead of Radford and into first place in the Big South. Avery Warley's jumper with 2:02 left put Liberty in front 56-55, and Warley made it a 3-point lead with a rebound and stickback of a Brown missed layup with 1:12 left. High Point's reigning Big South Freshman of the Week Cheyenne Parker cut Liberty's advantage to one with a layup with 44 seconds left, setting the stage for Brown's heroics. Warley finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds for her 7th double-double in 9 Big South games. Brown added 15 points, Tolu Omatola 12 rebounds and Jelena Antic 10 points for the Lady Flames, who won their fifth straight and 10th in their last 11 games.
UNC Asheville 70, Radford 60: It used to be we were surprised (pleasantly, of course) when the Highlanders won. After the way they've played since January, we're now surprised when they lose. This one isn't hard to figure out, though. The Bulldogs seem to solve Radford's defense better than any other Big South team. The 70 points are the most the Highlanders (10-12, 7-2 Big South) have surrendered to a conference foe, one more than the 69 the Bulldogs put up when these teams met on Jan. 3. Radford has held everyone else except Winthrop to 56 points or less in regulation. The Highlanders prevailed in that first meeting 81-69 by shooting a season-high 53 percent from the field. But Radford shot just 32 percent Saturday. The Bulldogs also enjoyed a commanding 58-35 rebounding advantage. But 44 of UNC Asheville's total came on the defensive boards, a natural outgrowth of Radford missing so many shots.
Hampton 77, South Carolina State 57: A stat-stuffer's delight for the Lady Pirates. Quanneisha Perry went for 25 points and 16 rebounds, Choicetta McMillian scored a career-high 22 points and Jericka Jenkins dished out a career-high 17 assists, the second-most in school history as Hampton (16-6, 9-1 MEAC) maintained its one-game lead over Morgan State in the MEAC standings. Two mild areas of concern for Hampton. While the Lady Pirates led by double digits most of the way and by at least 20 throughout the final 10 minutes, 4 of Hampton's 5 starters still logged at least 33 minutes. Hampton's key players will take a lot of mileage into the postseason. Also, freshman Nicole Hamilton, who gave the Lady Pirates a terrific offensive spark early in MEAC play, went scoreless in 11 minutes Saturday and has scored just 16 points in her last four games combined. Of course, this didn't hurt them Saturday. Neither did South Carolina State.
Maryland-Eastern Shore 72, Norfolk State 49: Yet another conference road loss - 37 straight since January, 2007 - for the Spartans (8-11, 1-8 MEAC), who trailed by just four points early in the second half before getting blitzed by a 16-6 run from which they couldn't recover. We've had Monday's game at Delaware State circled for weeks as NSU's best opportunity to leave another MEAC team's gym winners. On Saturday, DelState snapped a six-game losing streak by upsetting North Carolina A&T. No matter. We still believe the Spartans will get it done.
Winthrop 54, Longwood 46: Hard to believe the Lancers (5-16) could do anything less successfully than they managed last weekend at mighty Maryland, but Longwood actually shot slightly better against the Terrapins than the measly 25.9 percent from the field they produced Saturday at Winthrop. Chelsea Coward scored 19 in defeat.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
ODU, JMU, UNCW still tied atop CAA
Three teams began the night tied atop the Colonial Athletic Association standings, and one buzzer-beater, one overtime and a closer-than-expected result later, Old Dominion, James Madison and UNC Wilmington still share the conference lead. There was also another overtime game, and in Delaware, Elena Delle Donne reached the 1,000-point mark faster than all but one player in NCAA Division I history. It's going to be one heck of a CAA Tournament.
Meanwhile, in ACC play Virginia rolled over Wake Forest but Virginia Tech remained winless in the conference despite a valiant effort in a shootout at Boston College.
CAA standings
UNC Wilmington 17-4 9-1
James Madison 16-6 9-1
Old Dominion 15-6 9-1
VCU 12-8 7-3
Drexel 13-8 5-5
Hofstra 13-8 5-5
Delaware 12-9 5-5
George Mason 10-11 4-6
Northeastern 8-13 3-7
Georgia State 7-13 2-8
Towson 7-14 2-9
William and Mary 2-18 1-9
Thursday's games
UNC Wilmington 68, VCU 64 (OT): Treasure Johnson's 3-pointer with 5 seconds left in regulation forced the extra period, and the Seahawks controlled those extra five minutes to avenge their only CAA loss and notch their program-record 8th straight CAA victory. The Rams led by 11 at halftime by hitting virtually everything they threw up (72.9 percent from the field) in the opening 20 minutes, and they shot 52.9 percent for the game. But as we learned last month when the Rams visited ODU, when pressured - and someone even when they're not - the Rams will cough up the rock. On Thursday they turned it over 28 times, miscues the Seahawks converted into 30 points. Andrea Barbour led VCU with 17 points, but Courtney Hurt had a rare quiet night with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Hurt went for 35 points and 13 boards during VCU's 70-58 win over UNCW in Richmond last month. Martha White scored a career-high 27 points and Brittany Blackwell had 15 points and a remarkable 10 steals for the Seahawks.
Old Dominion 68, George Mason 67: Back in November in our "Gimme five!" preview series, one of our fearless predictions for 2010-11 was that Jasmine Parker would nail a buzzer-beater. Well, Parker delivered big-time Thursday, knocking down a cold-blooded 15-footer as time expired to allow the Lady Monarchs to escape Fairfax with their share of the conference lead intact. No one should be surprised that this one was ultra-close, and the fact that the Patriots played the Lady Monarchs to a four-point game in Norfolk last month erases the notion that this was simply a case of a team getting geeked up to play ODU on its home court. No, this team presents problems for the Lady Monarchs, especially guard Taleia Moton (20 points), who seems to be able to get wherever she wants with stunning frequency against ODU. Amber Easter also scored 20 points for Mason. Russia Voronina led ODU with 17 points and Parker added 13, including the knockout punch we told 'ya would be coming one of these days. The Patriots were no doubt heartbroken by Parker's dagger, but the fact that they came within a second of knocking ODU off in a way helps to validate them as a CAA threat. As for the Lady Monarchs, it's off to JMU and Sunday's Super Bowl Showdown with the Dukes.
James Madison 62, Georgia State 55: A successful but uneven performance from the Dukes, who kept distancing themselves from the Panthers only to be reeled back in. Credit the Panthers for digging in whenever JMU threatened to pull away. But the Dukes also shot a lot of blanks (27.8 percent for the game), several from close range. Dawn Evans scored 19 points but made just 3 of her 16 shots, and Lauren Jimenez had 11 points and 8 rebounds but played just 21 minutes because of foul trouble. Courtney Hamner added 11 points and hit 3 of 5 from 3-point range and Nikki Newman grabbed 10 rebounds, 5 on the offensive boards. Hey, a win is a win. But we're sure the Dukes are glad they got this performance out of their system before Old Dominion shows up on Sunday.
Hofstra 79, William and Mary 65: Unfortunately typical result for the Tribe, who were competitive for a half before ceding ground dramatically over the final 20 minutes. Shante Evans scored 19 to lead four Pride performers in double figures. Emily Correal and Taylor Hilton each had 15 points for the Tribe and Jaclyn McKenna added 14. But it was an especially tough night for William and Mary leader scorer Taysha Pye. Pye came in averaging 18.4 ppg but managed just 9 points while committing 8 turnovers in her 30-minute stint Thursday.
Other CAA scores
Delaware 52, Northeastern 37: Elena Delle Donne finished with 24 points and now has 1,008 in her career in just 38 games.
Drexel 65, Towson 59 (OT)
Virginia 73, Wake Forest 46: The Cavaliers haven't won many ACC games, but when they do prevail, they do it big - their other conference win was a 35-point pasting of Virginia Tech. Freshman Ataira Franklin and Telia McCall each scored 12 points, China Crosby added 11 and three others had at least 8 for the Cavaliers (13-11, 2-6 ACC), who shot 51 percent from the field, 20 percent better than they allowed Wake to shoot. In short, it was the type of all-hands-on-deck effort these Cavaliers have delivered in their most successful outings this season. We're not sure how well it holds up against the better ACC teams. Then again, they did give Maryland fits a couple of weeks ago. So let's hope the Cavaliers can build on this performance.
Boston College 76, Virginia Tech 71: Shanel Harrison scored a career-high 27 points for the Hokies (9-13, 0-8 ACC), who led by 7 early in the second half and popped back in front by a point with less than 3 minutes to go before giving way. Eagles senior Carolyn Swords, the nation's leader in field goal percentage (70.9), exceeded even her own lofty standards by going 11-of-11 from the field for 28 points. She also had 11 rebounds. The Eagles were also nearly perfect from the free throw line, hitting 22 of 24 for the game and going 6-for-6 in the final 51 seconds. Alyssa Fenyn added 16 points for the Hokies, who dropped their 9th straight game.
Meanwhile, in ACC play Virginia rolled over Wake Forest but Virginia Tech remained winless in the conference despite a valiant effort in a shootout at Boston College.
CAA standings
UNC Wilmington 17-4 9-1
James Madison 16-6 9-1
Old Dominion 15-6 9-1
VCU 12-8 7-3
Drexel 13-8 5-5
Hofstra 13-8 5-5
Delaware 12-9 5-5
George Mason 10-11 4-6
Northeastern 8-13 3-7
Georgia State 7-13 2-8
Towson 7-14 2-9
William and Mary 2-18 1-9
Thursday's games
UNC Wilmington 68, VCU 64 (OT): Treasure Johnson's 3-pointer with 5 seconds left in regulation forced the extra period, and the Seahawks controlled those extra five minutes to avenge their only CAA loss and notch their program-record 8th straight CAA victory. The Rams led by 11 at halftime by hitting virtually everything they threw up (72.9 percent from the field) in the opening 20 minutes, and they shot 52.9 percent for the game. But as we learned last month when the Rams visited ODU, when pressured - and someone even when they're not - the Rams will cough up the rock. On Thursday they turned it over 28 times, miscues the Seahawks converted into 30 points. Andrea Barbour led VCU with 17 points, but Courtney Hurt had a rare quiet night with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Hurt went for 35 points and 13 boards during VCU's 70-58 win over UNCW in Richmond last month. Martha White scored a career-high 27 points and Brittany Blackwell had 15 points and a remarkable 10 steals for the Seahawks.
Old Dominion 68, George Mason 67: Back in November in our "Gimme five!" preview series, one of our fearless predictions for 2010-11 was that Jasmine Parker would nail a buzzer-beater. Well, Parker delivered big-time Thursday, knocking down a cold-blooded 15-footer as time expired to allow the Lady Monarchs to escape Fairfax with their share of the conference lead intact. No one should be surprised that this one was ultra-close, and the fact that the Patriots played the Lady Monarchs to a four-point game in Norfolk last month erases the notion that this was simply a case of a team getting geeked up to play ODU on its home court. No, this team presents problems for the Lady Monarchs, especially guard Taleia Moton (20 points), who seems to be able to get wherever she wants with stunning frequency against ODU. Amber Easter also scored 20 points for Mason. Russia Voronina led ODU with 17 points and Parker added 13, including the knockout punch we told 'ya would be coming one of these days. The Patriots were no doubt heartbroken by Parker's dagger, but the fact that they came within a second of knocking ODU off in a way helps to validate them as a CAA threat. As for the Lady Monarchs, it's off to JMU and Sunday's Super Bowl Showdown with the Dukes.
James Madison 62, Georgia State 55: A successful but uneven performance from the Dukes, who kept distancing themselves from the Panthers only to be reeled back in. Credit the Panthers for digging in whenever JMU threatened to pull away. But the Dukes also shot a lot of blanks (27.8 percent for the game), several from close range. Dawn Evans scored 19 points but made just 3 of her 16 shots, and Lauren Jimenez had 11 points and 8 rebounds but played just 21 minutes because of foul trouble. Courtney Hamner added 11 points and hit 3 of 5 from 3-point range and Nikki Newman grabbed 10 rebounds, 5 on the offensive boards. Hey, a win is a win. But we're sure the Dukes are glad they got this performance out of their system before Old Dominion shows up on Sunday.
Hofstra 79, William and Mary 65: Unfortunately typical result for the Tribe, who were competitive for a half before ceding ground dramatically over the final 20 minutes. Shante Evans scored 19 to lead four Pride performers in double figures. Emily Correal and Taylor Hilton each had 15 points for the Tribe and Jaclyn McKenna added 14. But it was an especially tough night for William and Mary leader scorer Taysha Pye. Pye came in averaging 18.4 ppg but managed just 9 points while committing 8 turnovers in her 30-minute stint Thursday.
Other CAA scores
Delaware 52, Northeastern 37: Elena Delle Donne finished with 24 points and now has 1,008 in her career in just 38 games.
Drexel 65, Towson 59 (OT)
Virginia 73, Wake Forest 46: The Cavaliers haven't won many ACC games, but when they do prevail, they do it big - their other conference win was a 35-point pasting of Virginia Tech. Freshman Ataira Franklin and Telia McCall each scored 12 points, China Crosby added 11 and three others had at least 8 for the Cavaliers (13-11, 2-6 ACC), who shot 51 percent from the field, 20 percent better than they allowed Wake to shoot. In short, it was the type of all-hands-on-deck effort these Cavaliers have delivered in their most successful outings this season. We're not sure how well it holds up against the better ACC teams. Then again, they did give Maryland fits a couple of weeks ago. So let's hope the Cavaliers can build on this performance.
Boston College 76, Virginia Tech 71: Shanel Harrison scored a career-high 27 points for the Hokies (9-13, 0-8 ACC), who led by 7 early in the second half and popped back in front by a point with less than 3 minutes to go before giving way. Eagles senior Carolyn Swords, the nation's leader in field goal percentage (70.9), exceeded even her own lofty standards by going 11-of-11 from the field for 28 points. She also had 11 rebounds. The Eagles were also nearly perfect from the free throw line, hitting 22 of 24 for the game and going 6-for-6 in the final 51 seconds. Alyssa Fenyn added 16 points for the Hokies, who dropped their 9th straight game.
VCU, ODU face tricky tests on another CAA Thursday
Old Dominion, James Madison and UNC Wilmington will all try to maintain their status as Colonial Athletic Association leaders as the second half of conference play begins Thursday night. Also of note tonight - Delaware's Elena Delle Donne will try to become the second-fastest player in NCAA Division I history to reach 1,000 career points when the Blue Hens visit Northeastern. Delle Donne has 984 points in 37 games; Sandra Hodge of New Orleans (1981-84) got to 1,000 in 37 games.
Thursday's games
Thursday's games
Virginia Commonwealth (12-7, 7-2 CAA) at UNC Wilmington (16-4, 8-1 CAA), 7 p.m.
The game of the night in the CAA. On Jan. 6 in Richmond, the Rams handed the Seahawks their only conference loss, a 70-58 setback that featured perhaps the signature game in the remarkable season of VCU star Courtney Hurt. Hurt scored 25 of her school record-tying 35 points in the second half to rally the Rams from a 5-point deficit. Hurt's performance obscured the fact that, for much of the game, the Seahawks were getting pretty much what they wanted against the Rams. If it were a boxing match, you could argue that UNCW was winning on points before Hurt landed the knockout. But while we have the Seahawks' Kool-Aid in our mouths, here's why we haven't swallowed it yet - all 8 of UNCW's CAA victories have come against teams with losing conference records. The one time they met one of the big boys (ODU, JMU, VCU), they lost to these Rams. This doesn't mean they can't beat these teams. But before we go all-in on the Seahawks, we're going to wait until they do. VCU 67, UNCW 62
Georgia State (7-13, 2-7 CAA) at James Madison (15-6, 8-1 CAA), 7 p.m.
The Dukes are the highest-scoring team in the conference (CAA games only). The Panthers are the lowest scoring team in the conference. The Dukes average nearly 20 points per game more than the Panthers, who have been held to 48 points or less in three of their last four games. The team with the most points wins. Can't see how that won't be JMU. JMU 70, Georgia State 49
Old Dominion (14-6, 8-1 CAA) at George Mason (10-10, 4-5 CAA), 7 p.m.
Used to be the Lady Monarchs could view this trip to Fairfax as a mere speed bump on the road to Harrisonburg and Sunday's Super Bowl Showdown with JMU. Tonight, that attitude would get them beat. Not only have the Patriots won two straight - both on the road - and three of their last four, but they also gave the Lady Monarchs fits before bowing 70-66 in Norfolk on Jan. 6. Given how well both teams have been playing defensively of late, we don't expect a score that high tonight. The Lady Monarchs will no doubt focus more attention on Brittany Poindexter and Taleia Moton, who combined for 37 points against them in that first meeting. And the Patriots will likely do a better job of defending its interior - Tia Lewis went for 24 points and 10 rebounds and ODU scored 44 points in the paint. The wildcard is 3-point shooting. Neither team has shot from long range consistently well this season, but if an Ashleigh Braxton or a Jackie Cook can ring the deep-ball bell a few times, those shots should have a huge impact. The surging Patriots figure to be brimming with confidence, but we suspect a fully engaged ODU team will have just enough to prevail in a game that won't be pretty - or easy. ODU 58, Georgia Mason 53
William and Mary (2-17, 1-8 CAA) at Hofstra (12-8, 4-5 CAA), 7 p.m.
First of all, kudos to the Tribe for (finally) modernizing their official site. Nice. As for the team, because of injuries and a lack of depth, the Tribe simply haven't been able to go the distance. In their 9 CAA games, the Tribe have been tied or had the lead at halftime 4 times; they're 1-3 in those games. In 2 other games, both losses, they trailed by just 2 at halftime. And in the season opener against VCU, the Tribe trailed by just 2 with less than 9 minutes remaining, only to lose by 12. As a result, we're confident W&M can be competitive against the run-and-gun Pride. But can they finally finish? Hofstra 77, W&M 67
Wake Forest (11-12, 2-5 ACC) at Virginia (12-11, 1-6 ACC), 7 p.m.
The Demon Deacons are coming off their best performance of the season, an 82-64 victory over Boston College in which they shot a season-high 52 percent while holding the high-scoring Eagles to their season-worst shooting numbers. The Cavaliers are coming off one of the year's most deflating losses, an 84-74 setback at Clemson in which Virginia trailed by 19 in the first half and never fully recovered. We have no questions about the Cavaliers' effort from night-to-night, and they definitely have a lot of kids that can play. But while they have a plenty of good players, they have no one you can count on for a consistently high level of production. The result is a whole that is less than the sum of its parts. At home, the Cavaliers certainly have enough to take care of Wake (they're 60-3 lifetime against this team). But given the up-and-down nature of the individual performances, we're honestly not sure what to expect. Virginia 65, Wake Forest 58
Virginia Tech (9-12, 0-7 ACC) at Boston College (15-7, 2-5 ACC), 7 p.m.
The Hokies have lost 8 straight, but the Eagles haven't been much better of late. After starting the season 11-0, BC has gone just 4-7 since and enter this one on a 3-game losing streak. If this game were in Blacksburg, we'd be tempted to call for the upset. But the last time Tech went on the road, it lost to UVa. by 35. That's a tough image to get out of our heads. We do expect the Hokies to have better success scoring. Tech hasn't scored more than 58 points in any game during their losing streak, but these Eagles give up points by the bushel. Problem is, they usually score 'em by the bushel, too. Boston College 82, Virginia Tech 72
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Richmond, Longwood claim victories
Wednesday's results
Richmond 55, Fordham 42: In baseball when you're in a slump, it's not always a home run that snaps you out of it. Sometimes, a broken-bat blooper over the shortstop's head does the trick. That kind of describes the performance the Spiders turned in Wednesday afternoon, an off-the-end-of-the-bat effort that nevertheless snapped a three-game losing streak. Not sure if it was the noon start or the relatively empty (236 fans) Fordham gym, but the Spiders (14-8, 5-3 Atlantic 10) staggered through an opening 20 minutes marked by 32-percent shooting and a host of unforced turnovers that ended with Fordham ahead 19-18. Despite their record (10-13, 2-5), the Rams are on scholarships, too, and the longer the Spiders allowed them to hang around, the greater the chances the Richmond players might be standing around at the final buzzer wondering "What happened?" Finally, with about 13 minutes to play and the game tied at 26, the Spiders created some separation. A Brittani Shells jumper, a Shells steal and a layup and a Jumpin' Gen Okoro layup gave the Spiders a six-point advantage. Shells didn't shoot the ball great again, but she had a huge impact of this game with 7 assists and 5 steals to go with her team-high 14 points. Abby Oliver added 13 points and hit the Spiders' only 3-pointer, and Crystal Goring has 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. They're going to need a much better performance Saturday against St. Bonaventure. But after three straight losses, all they needed Wednesday was a win. No, it wasn't pretty, but slump-busters often aren't.
Longwood 77, Cal State-Bakersfield 65: Chelsea Coward and Krystal Garrison hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the second half to help the Lancers (5-15). Garrison led five Longwood players in double figures with 16 points. Coward and Crystal Smith (5 assists) each scored 13 points, Heather Tobeck added 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks and Brittanni Billups chipped in 10 points and 9 rebounds for the Lancers, who sealed the win by making 6-of-6 free throws over the final 1:32. Longwood made 19 of 24 from the line overall. Amber Williams scored 16 points to lead the Roadrunners, who will host Longwood on Feb. 19.
Richmond 55, Fordham 42: In baseball when you're in a slump, it's not always a home run that snaps you out of it. Sometimes, a broken-bat blooper over the shortstop's head does the trick. That kind of describes the performance the Spiders turned in Wednesday afternoon, an off-the-end-of-the-bat effort that nevertheless snapped a three-game losing streak. Not sure if it was the noon start or the relatively empty (236 fans) Fordham gym, but the Spiders (14-8, 5-3 Atlantic 10) staggered through an opening 20 minutes marked by 32-percent shooting and a host of unforced turnovers that ended with Fordham ahead 19-18. Despite their record (10-13, 2-5), the Rams are on scholarships, too, and the longer the Spiders allowed them to hang around, the greater the chances the Richmond players might be standing around at the final buzzer wondering "What happened?" Finally, with about 13 minutes to play and the game tied at 26, the Spiders created some separation. A Brittani Shells jumper, a Shells steal and a layup and a Jumpin' Gen Okoro layup gave the Spiders a six-point advantage. Shells didn't shoot the ball great again, but she had a huge impact of this game with 7 assists and 5 steals to go with her team-high 14 points. Abby Oliver added 13 points and hit the Spiders' only 3-pointer, and Crystal Goring has 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks. They're going to need a much better performance Saturday against St. Bonaventure. But after three straight losses, all they needed Wednesday was a win. No, it wasn't pretty, but slump-busters often aren't.
Longwood 77, Cal State-Bakersfield 65: Chelsea Coward and Krystal Garrison hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the second half to help the Lancers (5-15). Garrison led five Longwood players in double figures with 16 points. Coward and Crystal Smith (5 assists) each scored 13 points, Heather Tobeck added 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks and Brittanni Billups chipped in 10 points and 9 rebounds for the Lancers, who sealed the win by making 6-of-6 free throws over the final 1:32. Longwood made 19 of 24 from the line overall. Amber Williams scored 16 points to lead the Roadrunners, who will host Longwood on Feb. 19.
Richmond tries to rebound against Fordham
Wednesday's games
Almost one year ago to the day (Feb. 3, 2010), the Spiders snapped a 3-game losing streak in a noon game against Fordham by pressuring the Rams into 34 turnovers en route to a 61-48 decision. Hey, if it worked once.... Richmond 65, Fordham 55
Cal State Bakersfield (14-10) at Longwood (4-15), 7 p.m.
The first of two games between these Division I independents, as the Lancers will visit the Roadrunners on Feb. 19. CSUB has won five of its last six games and are coming in off a 71-66 victory at Cal State-Fullerton on Jan. 26. The Lancers had nothing for Maryland on Sunday (an 84-38 loss), but have generally been extremely competitive under interim coach Bill Reinson. The Roadrunners have the much stronger resume and have proven they can win on the road. But we're thinking - hoping? - that after experiencing Maryland, the Lancers won't find these Roadrunners quite so tough. If so, that might be the only competitive positive that came out of Sunday's trip to College Park. Longwood 78, CSUB 75.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Silent Majority rankings #13 (Feb. 1)
Previous rankings
1. Xavier (17-2, 6-0 Atlantic 10)
Last week: 1
The Musketeers could finally have their feet held to some A-10 fire Saturday at Dayton. Last month the Musketeers eked out a 63-59 win over the Flyers, a game in which Dayton trailed by just two points with 9.7 seconds left and would have had a chance to go for a tie or the win if they could have secured the rebound of a missed Amber Harris free throw. Xavier's smallest victory margin in their other five conference games has been 20 points.
On deck: Tuesday vs. LaSalle (6-15, 2-4); Saturday at Dayton (14-7, 5-2).
2. Marist (19-2, 10-0 MAAC)
Last week: 2
Monday's 60-30 rout of Siena, coupled with Duke's loss at UConn, left the Red Foxes with the second-longest winning streak in Division I at 15 games. Top-ranked Baylor's 16-game streak in the longest. On deck: Friday vs. Niagara (1-20, 0-10); Sunday at Fairfield (14-6, 7-3).
3. Green Bay (20-1, 9-0 Horizon)
Last week: 3
A tough win over up-until-then conference unbeaten Butler and a 69-50 dismissal of Valparaiso over a three-day span boosted the Phoenix win streak to 11 since their 63-60 loss at Marquette on Dec. 12. Senior Celeste Hoewisch earned Horizon player of the week honors for averaging 20 points and 4.5 rebounds in the two games. On deck: Thursday vs. Cleveland State (12-8, 5-4); Saturday vs. Youngstown State (3-17, 1-8).
4. Duquesne (18-3, 5-1 Atlantic 10)
Last week: 5
We continue to marvel at how well these Dukes play on the road. Last week's 61-53 decision at George Washington was their program-record 11th straight in an away game. The 11 road wins are more than any other Division I team. We also tip our caps to freshman Wumi Abunbiade, who earned A-10 all-rookie honors for the second week in a row and sixth time this season. Big showdown with Temple looming on Saturday. On deck: Wednesday at UMass (6-16, 2-5); Saturday vs. Temple (15-6, 6-0).
5. Princeton (14-3, 3-0 Ivy)
Last week: 6
No rust was evident from the Tigers, who came off a 20-day exams break to win at Brown by 22 points and at Yale by 25. OK, there was a little rust - Princeton trailed Yale by 5 early in the second half before kicking it into high gear. They'll likely need a full 40 minutes like that on Friday against a good Harvard team. On deck: Friday at Harvard (11-6, 3-0); Sunday at Dartmouth (4-13, 0-3).
Last week: 8
Remember the concern about scoring after the departure of, among others, West Coast Conference all-time scoring leader Heather Bowman? Well, a year ago at this point, the Bowman-led Bulldogs were averaging 80.7 points per game. This year, with Courtney Vandersloot, Katelan Redmon and Kayla Standish all averaging at least 16 ppg,, Gonzaga is scoring a Division I-high 85.0 ppg. The Bulldogs also lead D-I in assists (20.1) and assist-turnover ratio (1.42) while ranking second in field-goal percentage (49.0). On deck: Friday vs. Portland (12-10, 3-4).
7. Louisiana Tech (15-5, 7-0 WAC)
Last week: 9
Coach Teresa Weatherspoon has taken to the web to rally Lady Techsters Nation in advance of Saturday's showdown with Fresno State, a team LaTech nipped 94-92 in triple-overtime in a "Game of the Year" candidate last month in Fresno. Wrote Weatherspoon: "WE MUST PROTECT OUR HOUSE! We need your help Saturday night. I am urging all Louisiana Tech fans to come out in force this Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Thomas Assembly Center and become our sixth man.Paint yourself up in red and blue. Bring signs. Make noise. Be fanatical. Provide the home-court advantage that we need and show the Western Athletic Conference who has the best basketball fans around." Gotta hand it to T-Spoon. The woman thinks of everything. On deck: Saturday vs. Fresno State (15-6, 6-1); Monday vs. New Mexico State (10-11, 4-3).
Last week: 12
Down by 6 with less than 30 seconds to go, game's over, right? It wasn't for Houston Sunday against SMU, and the Cougars didn't even need overtime. Over an incredible final 27 seconds, Brittney Scott scored 9 points, the Cougars forced three turnovers and Houston wound up winning by 5 (62-57). "I've been doing this for a long time and that was one of the most incredible 30 seconds to a minute of basketball that I've ever been associated with, Houston coach Todd Buchanan said. "One" of the most? On deck: Sunday at Tulane (17-4, 6-2).
9. Temple (15-6, 6-0 Atlantic 10)
Last week: 19
The Owls added some explosive offense - a program-record 14 3-pointers - to their typically suffocating defense Saturday, and the result was an 84-56 rout of talented Richmond. Temple has now won 8 straight since their 7-point loss at Duke on Dec. 30, and the Owls are marching in lock-step with Xavier atop the A-10. On deck: Wednesday vs. St. Louis (7-14, 1-5); Saturday at Duquesne (18-3, 5-1).
10. Florida Gulf Coast (17-1, 10-1 Atlantic Sun)
Last week: 10
Redshirt freshman Sarah Hansen bagged her second A-Sun Newcomer of the Week award after averaging a team-high 17.5 ppg in victories over Lipscomb and Belmont. FGCU has a two-game lead atop their conference and can really separate themselves from the pack by winning these next two games. On deck: Saturday vs. South Carolina Upstate (12-9, 8-4); Monday vs. East Tennessee State (13-9, 10-3).
11. Old Dominion (14-6, 8-1 CAA)
Last week: 15
Lady Monarchs continue to grind opponents down with defense as they forced a season-high 27 turnovers Sunday in a 64-41 rout of Georgia State. Prior to the game, the Old Dominion retired the number (13) of former Lady Monarchs great Medina Dixon. On deck: Thursday at George Mason (10-10, 4-5); Sunday at James Madison (15-6, 8-1).
Last week: 16
The entire conference will be rooting for the Flyers to bring Xavier down to earth when Dayton hosts the Musketeers Saturday. But the Flyers had better not overlook Wednesday's trip to St. Bonaventure. On deck: Wednesday at St. Bonaventure (15-7, 5-2); Saturday vs. Xavier (17-2, 6-0).
13. Middle Tennessee State (17-5, 8-1 Sun Belt)
The Blue Raiders finally stumbled in conference, dropping a 62-59 decision at Florida International to snap an 8-game winning streak. On deck: Wednesday vs. Louisiana-Monroe (12-10, 6-3); Saturday vs. South Alabama (13-8, 5-4).
14. Fresno State (15-6, 6-1 WAC)
Last week: 21
Saturday's 72-51 win over Nevada was the Bulldogs' fourth straight and seventh in their last eight games. A very tricky road trip is looming later this week. On deck: Thursday at New Mexico State (10-11, 4-3); Saturday at Louisiana Tech (15-5, 7-0).
15. Hampton (15-6, 8-1 MEAC)
Last week: 18
MEAC teams continue to have no answers for Hampton's defense. The Lady Pirates held Delaware State and Maryland-Eastern Shore to 29 points apiece in convincing wins last week and have held four of their last seven opponents to 37 points or less. On deck: Saturday vs. South Carolina State (6-12, 2-6); Monday vs. North Carolina Central (2-19).
16. Tulane (17-4, 6-2 Conference USA)
Last week: 14
Last week's 74-70 overtime loss to Rice gave the Green Wave a rare two-game home losing streak. They got back on track Sunday by forcing 33 turnovers in a 69-63 win over UTEP. On deck: Thursday at SMU (10-10, 3-4); Saturday vs. Houston (17-4, 8-0).
17. Charlotte (17-5, 5-2 Atlantic 10)
Last week: 16
Nice road work by the 49ers, who pulled away at Richmond and rolled by 37 at St. Louis to keep themselves in the mix for a Top-4 finish - and first-round bye in the conference tournament - in the competitive A-10. On deck: Saturday at UMass (6-16, 2-6).
18. James Madison (15-6, 8-1 CAA)
Last week: 20
The Dukes made it six wins in a row Sunday by surging past Towson to maintain a share of first place in the CAA with Old Dominion and UNC Wilmington. Huge showdown on Super Bowl Sunday at home against Old Dominion; the Lady Monarchs rolled by 16 points when these teams met last month in Norfolk. On deck: Thursday vs. Georgia State (7-13, 2-7); Sunday vs. Old Dominion (14-6, 8-1).
19. Bowling Green (17-4, 5-3 MAC)
A 66-65 loss to Toledo followed by an especially surprising 11-point home loss to Western Michigan - a 6-15 team that came in on a 3-game losing streak - marked the first time the Falcons dropped consecutive MAC games in three years. The Falcons have now dropped 3 of their past 5 games in the ultra-competitive MAC. Strangely, three of Bowling Green's four losses have come by one point. On deck: Tuesday at Northern Illinois (9-12, 3-5); Saturday vs. Ball State (9-12, 4-4).
Last week: 22
The Seahawks continue to pile up convincing CAA victories, but they lost their only game against one of the conference's Top 4 teams with last month's 70-58 setback at VCU. They get those same Rams at home this week, and we're extremely interested to see how this one shakes out. On deck: Thursday vs. VCU (12-7, 7-2); Sunday at Georgia State (7-13, 2-7)
21. Richmond (13-8, 4-3 Atlantic 10)
Last week: 13
Not sure if it's just a shooting slump or if the better A-10 teams simply excel at focusing their defense on Spiders star Brittani Shells. Whatever the case, over her last three games - all Richmond losses - Shells is averaging 13.6 ppg on 28.6 percent shooting and is just 1-for-18 from 3-point range. In Richmond's four A-10 games before that - all victories - Shells averaged 21.3 points on 47.3-percent shooting. On deck: Wednesday at Fordham (10-12, 2-4); Saturday vs. St. Bonaventure (15-7, 5-2).
22: Wyoming (16-4, 6-1 Mountain West)
Last week: 23
Another big week for senior foward Hillary Carlson, who dropped a career-high 34 point on UNLV and earned MVC Player of the Week honors for the second straight week and third time this season. The Cowgirls have won four straight. On deck: Wednesday at BYU (14-7, 6-1); Saturday at Colorado State (11-9, 4-3).
23. Northern Iowa (15-5, 8-1 Missouri Valley)
Last week: 24
The Panthers have held their last three opponents to 39 points or less, and the 34 they allowed to Bradley Saturday marked the fewest UNI has surrendered in a game since 1974. The Panthers' 7-game winning streak has them one game ahead of Missouri State and Creighton atop the Missouri Valley. On deck: Friday at Wichita State (4-5, 10-10); Sunday at Missouri State (16-5, 7-2).
24. Arkansas-Little Rock (13-5, 7-0 Sun Belt)
Last week: 25
The Trojans delivered coach Joe Foley's 600th career victory with Saturday's 53-36 rout of Arkansas State. It was also UALR's 11th straight win this season and 20th straight at home. On deck: Wednesday vs. Denver (13-8, 5-3); Saturday at Louisiana-Lafayette (10-12, 3-6).
25. TCU (14-8, 6-2 Mountain West)
Last week: 11
The Horned Frogs' eight-game winning streak came to a crashing halt last week as they fell by 11 at home to New Mexico then blew an 11-point lead over the final 8 minutes in a 60-55 loss at Air Force. On deck: Saturday vs. San Diego State (8-11, 2-5).
Hey, what about us?
Toledo (7-1, 15-6 MAC) - Scored a rare win at Bowling Green, then followed up by knocking off Kent State.
Appalachian State (17-4, 11-2 Southern): Someone accused us of sleeping on the Mountaineers. App State has now won 7 in a row, so maybe they're right.
Lamar (16-4, 5-1 Southland): The Lady Cardinals, winners of 11 of their last 12, continue to inch up the RPI rankings and are now at No. 83.
Lamar (16-4, 5-1 Southland): The Lady Cardinals, winners of 11 of their last 12, continue to inch up the RPI rankings and are now at No. 83.
- Cal Poly (12-7, 8-0 Big West) - The Mustangs continue to rule the Big West, but Thursday's trip to UC Davis should be tricky.
- VCU (12-7, 7-2 CAA) - Courtney Hurt, Andrea Barbour and Sonia Johnson comprise a formidable Big Three.
- Missouri State (16-5, 7-2 Missouri Valley) - Got stung at Creighton as the MVC's contenders continue to beat on each other.
- St. Bonaventure (13-7, 3-2 Atlantic 10) - Quietly positioning itself for a high finish in the A-10. Next three games - vs. Dayton, at Richmond and vs. Temple - will tell us a lot.
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