In a week with unexpectedly close games and unexpected blowouts, the Road to Tampa is definitely heating up.
Wednesday, No. 9 Duke lost its second game in a row against No. 12 Nebraska 60-54. Although the Blue Devils had more rebounds, points in the paint, and second chance points, the team just could not make the plays necessary during crunch time. In its second game of the week, Duke fell short in the final seconds of a nail-biter, losing 51-50 against No. 1 South Carolina. Blue Devil senior Elizabeth Williams made her first appearance after missing several games with an ankle injury, however she was only able to contribute five points. The Gamecocks were down one point with 1.8 seconds to go, but were able to pull ahead in the closing moments of the game with a put-back by freshman A'ja Wilson.
The most surprising storyline this week has to be the game between unranked Kansas and No. 10 California. The last time Kansas played against a ranked opponent this season, it was outscored 89-47. The Golden Bears were having a very strong season entering the contest, having won every game by at least 10 points. However, California was absolutely stunned, losing 62-39 against the Jayhawks. As the Golden Bears were only shooting 24.2 percent from the field, Kansas was locked in from deep, hitting seven of its 11 3-pointers.
After being upset by Stanford in its first game against a ranked opponent, No. 3 Connecticut was able to make a statement to the rest of the league, taking down No. 2 Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., in a rout 76-58. The Fighting Irish were coming off a strong showing against No. 15 Maryland, which they won 92-72, and were looking to convert that momentum into another win. Although Connecticut found itself down 10 early in the first half, guard Morgan Tuck led the winning side with a career-high 25 points.
No. 13 Kentucky was not one to miss out on an upset, finding a way to win against No. 7 Louisville in an interstate brawl, seeing the Wildcats victorious on the road 77-68. The Cardinals had a 16-point lead late in the first half, only to watch it evaporate behind the efforts of Wildcats Janee Thompson—who scored 19 points— and Jennifer O'Neill—who added 17— to secure the upset.
No. 6 North Carolina and No. 18 Rutgers played a nail biter that went all the way into double overtime, with the Tar Heels pulling away in the final minutes with a 96-93 victory. The young Red Knights team played very well as they punched above their weight to build a 12-point lead in the fourth quarter. However, Carolina was able to pull back and eventually secure the win thanks to 29 points, 11 rebounds and six assists from sophomore guard Allisha Gray.
ACC game to watch: No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 25 DePaul, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 9:15 p.m.
Rivals in rank: No. 11 Tennessee at No. 17 Rutgers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 3:00 p.m.
Upset Alert: No. 18 California at Long Beach State, Saturday, Dec. 13, 7:00 p.m.
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