Women’s college basketball Power Rankings: Who wins LSU-Texas rematch?

Five Division I women’s teams are shooting 50% or better from the field this season. Three are in the SEC, and two will meet Thursday in the second game of a blockbuster doubleheader on ESPN: No. 4 texas and number 5 LSUBoth of which hold their spots in ESPN’s women’s college basketball power rankings this week.

Will be before the Longhorns and Tigers ruler But louisville (7 p.m. ET), in a battle of the ACC leaders. The Blue Devils continue their 13-game winning streak and move back up to No. 12 in the rankings. The Cardinals have won 14 consecutive games. Both teams are 11-0 in conference play.

But all eyes will be on the LSU-Texas game (9 p.m. ET), especially considering both teams are within a game-and-a-half lead in the SEC. South Carolina8-1 in conference play, holding that spot.

After losing their first two SEC games, the Tigers have won seven in a row, the longest current winning streak in the conference, including a 70–65 win at home over Texas on January 11. For the Longhorns to return to their home court, they will have to slow down an LSU offense that leads Division I in scoring average (98.9) and is second in field goal percentage (52.22%), trailing only No. 1. Yukon (52.96%).

Others in the top five in shooting percentage are UCLA (51.85%), Texas (51.99%) and South Carolina (50.96%). The Huskies, Bruins, Longhorns and Gamecocks are all projected to receive No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and they competed in the Final Four last season.

Currently, LSU is the projected No. 2 seed in bracketology, with the next two weeks bringing the Tigers’ biggest challenges of the season: at Texas on Thursday, then hosting South Carolina on Feb. 14 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

Of course, the Tigers’ scoring average is distorted due to the soft non-conference schedule, during which they reached 100 or more points 11 times. He averages 84.7 in nine SEC games. Still, they’re coming off their first shutout mark of this SEC season: a 103-63 blowout alabama On Sunday, eight LSU players scored at least eight points.

Previous ranking: 1

Next seven days: @DePaul (Feb. 4), vs. Butler (Feb. 7)

The Huskies beat Xavier 97-39 last Wednesday with the second-year guard Eli Ziebel Hitting 10 3-pointers on the way to 34 points. On Sunday, they faced their final non-conference foe of the regular season, defeating Tennessee 96–66. Although the score was tied at halftime, UConn took the lead in the second half. Ahead sarah strong Had a combined 51 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in both wins. UConn has won 39 consecutive games, and 18 consecutive games by at least 25 points.

Previous ranking: 2

Next seven days: vs. Rutgers (Feb. 4), @ Michigan (Feb. 8)

UCLA sits atop the Big Ten at 11-0 after defeating Illinois (80-67) and Iowa (88-65) last week. The Bruins’ offense was particularly impressive on Sunday against fellow top-10 team Iowa. He shot 58% from the field – 50% from beyond the arc – and dished out 29 assists. The Bruins’ last trip of the season is coming up, as they will play Michigan and Michigan State, both ranked teams, back-to-back on February 8 and 11, respectively. We’ll see if anyone can challenge UCLA, which has won 15 in a row.

Previous ranking: 3

Next seven days: vs. Mississippi State (Feb. 5), vs. Tennessee (Feb. 8)

The Gamecocks had no trouble winning road games at Auburn on Thursday (81-51) and Texas A&M (71-56) on Monday. second year ahead Joyce Edwards The duo finished with a combined 48 points on 69.2% shooting and 16 rebounds. guard Tania Latson And agot makerJoe, both battling foot injuries, appeared briefly against the Tigers but did not play against the Aggies. But South Carolina has solid depth that can be relied upon.

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Gamecocks’ Joyce Edwards shares mindset in win over Texas A&M

Edwards, who scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, discusses how attention to detail helped South Carolina advance past Texas A&M.

Previous ranking: 4

Next seven days: vs. LSU (Feb. 5), vs. Kentucky (Feb. 9)

Last week, the Longhorns won 88–68 at Florida and then defeated their longtime rival Oklahoma 78–70 at home. Facing the Sooners’ fast pace was good preparation for facing LSU next. Considering the high quality of the opponent, Texas’ second player advanced Justice Carlton He had his best game of the season on Sunday against Oklahoma: 16 points, eight rebounds, two steals.

Previous ranking: 5

Next seven days: @ Texas (Feb. 5), @ Auburn (Feb. 8)

LSU’s 40-point win over then-No. No. 24 Alabama on Sunday had the largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent for any team this season. Yet thanks to its win over Georgia, the Crimson Tide moved up three spots in this week’s AP poll. That tells you how tough the SEC is – and how respected LSU is. Everyone knows the Tigers can run even good opponents off the court. That could be tough to do against Texas, which leads the SEC and ranks second among Power 4 conference teams in scoring defense, giving up just 54.4 points per game.

Previous ranking: 6

Next seven days: vs. Duke (Feb. 5), @ Syracuse (Feb. 8)

Louisville had success on its trip to the Bay Area last week by defeating Stanford 84-66 and California 71-59. With seven players averaging at least 8.0 points, the Cardinals have been able to wear down most of the defenses they have faced. They are the top scoring team in the ACC (82.6), led by second-year guard Tajiana Roberts (12.5). But they rank fifth in the conference in scoring defense (59.7), slightly behind upcoming foe Duke (59.3).

Previous ranking: 9

Next seven days: vs. Nebraska (Feb. 4), vs. UCLA (Feb. 8)

After UConn’s emphatic win against Tennessee, it’s worth mentioning again that the only team that has come close to defeating the Huskies this season is Michigan – the Wolverines lost 72–69 on November 21. Last week, the Wolverines defeated Indiana 95–67, then won against rival Michigan State 94–91 in overtime. second year guard olivia olson Had a combined 50 points on 60% shooting in both games. Michigan, currently ranked second in the Big Ten, will get a chance at conference leader UCLA on Sunday.

Previous ranking: 12

Next seven days: @Washington (Feb 5), @Oregon (Feb 8)

After having their seven-game winning streak ended at Iowa on January 25, the Buckeyes regrouped with two dominant wins at home last week. They defeated Wisconsin 81–58 and Nebraska 90–71 behind the second-year guards’ combined 59 points. Jaloni Cambridge.

Previous ranking: 7

Next seven days: @Kentucky (Feb. 5), vs. Oklahoma (Feb. 9)

The Commodores suffered their first loss of the season on January 25 at South Carolina, and their second loss the previous Friday was an 83–75 loss to Ole Miss on a neutral court in Birmingham, Alabama. (The game was moved due to weather problems in Oxford, Mississippi.) Vanderbilt then bounced back with an 82–66 win at home against Florida on Sunday. second year guard Mikayla Blakes Had a combined 59 points and 12 assists in games against Ole Miss and Florida. The Commodores now face an uphill battle to finish the regular season, with six of their remaining seven games against currently ranked teams.

Previous ranking: 10

Next seven days: @Vanderbilt (February 9)

The Sooners have some time to prepare for their matchup at Vanderbilt on Monday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Last week, they defeated Texas A&M 85–58 for the second time this season, but could not overcome a 16-point halftime deficit at Texas with a 78–70 loss. senior guard Peyton VerhulstThe offense has strengthened in recent weeks. He has scored in double figures in five of the last six games.

Previous ranking: 16

Next seven days: @Alabama (February 5)

For the second time this season, the Rebels defeated a team ranked No. 5 in the AP Poll. They did so on Jan. 8 at Oklahoma and again on Friday against Vanderbilt, 83–75. Ole Miss then recorded a 71-45 win over Auburn on Monday. Both of those games were played on neutral courts in Birmingham, Alabama due to weather conditions. junior forward coty mcmahon There were a combined 60 points in the win.

Previous ranking: not ranked

Next seven days: @Louisville (Feb. 5), vs. SMU (Feb. 8)

Duke lost six of its first nine games, four of which came to ranked foes. It was an ambitious program that cost the Blue Devils dearly in November and early December. But he learned from it and bounced back. If they can beat Louisville they now have a chance to capture a potential ACC regular season title. But both of their meetings against rival North Carolina still remain.

Previous ranking: 8

Next seven days: vs. Minnesota (February 5)

It was a tough week for the Hawkeyes. they lost the starting guard Taylor McCabeTheir top 3-point shooter suffered an ACL injury on January 25 for the season. His absence took a toll on their offense, as Iowa lost 81–69 at USC and 88–65 at UCLA. Those losses ended the Hawkeyes’ eight-game winning streak and dropped them to third in the Big Ten at 9–2.

Previous ranking: 15

Next seven days: vs. Maryland (Feb. 4), @Penn State (Feb. 7)

The Spartans won 86-65 at Purdue last Thursday, setting up the first of two showdowns versus Michigan. That intense rivalry game did not disappoint, as the Wolverines won 94–91 in overtime. second year guard kennedy blair Totaled 36 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals across both games. Michigan State’s second chance against Michigan comes on February 15, but the Spartans will still have to face two other top-10 teams, UCLA and Ohio State.

Previous ranking: 13

Next seven days: vs. Houston (Feb. 4), @ Colorado (Feb. 8)

TCU and Baylor remain on top of the Big 12, but both teams lost games last week. Frogs escape Kansas 79-77 with 20 points and six assists from senior guard olivia miles. But then they lost 62–60 to a Texas Tech team that held them to their second lowest point total of the season.

Previous ranking: 11

Next seven days: @Cincinnati (Feb. 4), vs. Arizona State (Feb. 7)

Baylor was the hottest team in the Big 12 entering last week with eight consecutive wins. But going to West Virginia has been known to cool teams down. The same happened to the Bears in a 70–60 loss to the Mountaineers, who forced 30 Baylor turnovers and scored 38 points from them. Baylor and TCU are each 8-2 ​​in the Big 12 and both of their regular season meetings have yet to be played.

dropped out: tennessee lady vol