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No, the SEC will not sweep this season’s ACC/SEC Challenge, as Syracuse escaped in overtime against Auburn to put one win on the board for the ACC.
A pair of other ACC teams also made things difficult for their SEC counterparts, with NC State pushing No. 9 Oklahoma to overtime, with the Sooners ultimately prevailing 103-98 behind 33 points from freshman point guard Aaliyah Chavez. A late layup from junior wing Talaysia Cooper allowed No. 19 Tennessee to hold off Stanford, 65-62.
Thursday brings nine more inter-conference contests, including four that featured ranked teams. Here’s a superlative for each of those ACC/SEC showdowns:
No. 11 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Texas: The pressure is a privilege
As the No. 2 ranked team and a recipient of 10 first-place votes, the pressure is on Texas to keep proving that they belong with No. 1 UConn at the top of the sport. Although a home loss to No. 11 North Carolina would not be disastrous, it would suggest that the Longhorns are not quite ready to operate in women’s college basketball’s brightest spotlight.
But with super senior guard Rori Harmon at the helm, junior wing Madison Booker dropping in midrangers, sophomore guard Jordan Lee swishing timely 3s and sophomore forward Justice Carlton hustling for every loose ball, plus head coach Vic Schaefer ripping off his suit jacket at the first hint of frustration, Texas should extend their winning streak at the Moody Center to 31-straight games.
No. 3 South Carolina vs. No. 22 Louisville: The worst schedule spot
Congratulations, Louisville! The No. 22 Cardinals have the advantage of hosting No. 3 South Carolina at home. Yet, they have the disadvantage of welcoming in the Gamecocks off a loss.
Expect head coach Dawn Staley’s squad to be highly-motivated and well-prepared to return to the win column, with the Gamecocks’ overall star power proving too much for the spunky Cardinals.
The Gamecock frontcourt, in particular, should be the difference maker. Sophomore forward Joyce Edwards has asserted herself as South Carolina’s best player, racking up buckets in transition, on the block and from her improving jumper to lead the team with almost 20 points per game. Senior center Madina Okot has become an absolute force, with a nation-leading six doubles-doubles to go with her more than two blocked shots per game.
No. 5 LSU vs. Duke: The overreactions will overflow
For the first time this season, No. 5 LSU faces off against a quality opponent, even though Duke’s quality has not been up to expectations.
If the Tigers experience struggles, with their 100-point scoring offense stalling out due to the Blue Devils’ defense, murmurs about LSU’s inflated stats due to their Mickey Mouse Mulkey schedule will surely percolate. Conversely, if the Tigers stroll into Durham and cross the century mark once again, the scrutiny on Duke and head coach Kara Lawson will intensify, with her status as the next head coach of Team USA inviting even more conversation about the Blue Devils’ ineptitudes.
Or maybe the outcome will prevent any clear conclusions, as often is the case in sports. Quite possibly, Duke can slow LSU for a half or so, but then, the Tigers’ offensive firepower will eventually overwhelm the Blue Devils, resulting in LSU not reaching 100 points, but still winning with relative ease.
No. 18 Notre Dame vs. No. 13 Ole Miss: The best matchup of them all
On paper, No. 18 Notre Dame’s visit to Oxford and No. 13 Ole Miss promises to be the most competitive matchup of the inter-conference event. It also should be an intriguing clash of styles.
The Rebels have run their record to an undefeated 7-0 behind their frontcourt tandem of senior forwards Cotie McMahon And Christeen Iwulala. After transferring from Ohio State for her final college season, McMahon was expected to be a star for Ole Miss—and she has been. She’s scoring more, and scoring more efficiently, than she ever did as a Buckeye, leading the Rebels with 17.7 points per game. Iwulala is more unexpectedly keeping pace with McMahon, going from a 16-minute per game player who averaged less than seven points and under five rebounds to an almost 29-minute per night contributor who is scoring 17.4 points and averaging nine rebounds.
Notre Dame, of course, is a Hannah Hidalgo joint, as junior guard strives to do, and nearly does do, everything for the Irish. Hidalgo is averaging 27 points per game, a mark that is all the more impressive considering her 3-pointer has been off this season, thus requiring her to score more inside the arc. At 5-foot-6, and with everyone on the court knowing her intention is to find a way to put the ball in the basket, Hidalgo is still finishing more than 60 percent of her 2-point attempts. She’s also grabbing more rebounds and swiping more steals than she has in her career.
After missing all of her junior season due to injury, senior guard KK Bransford has re-introduced her bullying style to the Irish backcourt, complementing Hidalgo with a strong, 5-foot-11 frame that helps her convert tough buckets around the basket.
Barring an outlier 3-point shooting night from either side, this contest should be a toss-up until the final seconds.
