[stevenash]

South Carolina undefeated, seriously legit team.

22-0 coming into Storrs tonight. UConn 2nd ranked 22 and 1, early season loss to perenial powerhouse Stanford 88-87 in o/t in Stanford is easily justified. What? Huskies can't go undefeated every season.

This Huskie team is again a loaded machine, but take it from a homer, not nearly as good as Lobo's teams, or Maya Moore's teams, not even the fourth best of all of Geno's teams, but still a force to be reckoned with.

The game is not in XL Center in Hartford, it's in the gym on campus.
It's so much more difficult to beat Geno's girls at Gampel Pavillion then it is to beat them in the XL arena.
Just ask Tennesse, and Baylor, only team in the last 10 years to have any little success in the gym is Notre Dame, but Muffet's girls can't beat Geno when all the money is on the table.

Reading where this is the most important game in SC's program ever.
They are stacked and deep 1 through 8, they got 2 super subs.
One question? Do they choke up just like every other program and over psyched when the game starts?

Line is 13.5 total is 136.5

If you want the home team, bet it now, it's not going lower, trust me.
Locals here have it at 16, locals here always jack up the price when the home team girls play a big one at home.
Locals get no UConn fade money.

I really think come dinner time 13.5 left the port and you'll be seeing 16's.
If I am correct, I'll go other way and look for a middle, maybe even with the local if he juices it to death.
You know what they say though, fading Geno at home is a receipe for bankrupcy.

I believe 136.5 over is the way to go.

South Carolina Women at Connecticut Women - ESPN2
Mon 2/9		803 South Carolina - Women	+13½ -120		o136½ -120
8:00PM		804 Connecticut - Women	-13½ -120		u136½ -120

Check out UConn's last 8

DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT/TIME
14-Jan	vs	W
TEM	92-58
18-Jan	vs	W
USF	92-50
21-Jan	@	W
UCF	100-45
25-Jan	@	W
CIN	96-31
28-Jan	vs	W
ECU	87-32
1-Feb	@	W
TEM	83-49
3-Feb	vs	W
CIN	96-36
7-Feb	@	W
MEM	80-34

[stevenash]

The "big game" of this women's college basketball regular season is here -- No. 1 South Carolina at No. 2 Connecticut -- and you know UConn fans are extremely eager to reclaim the top ranking their Huskies had to start this season.
Many in UConn Nation have been chafing that the Huskies have been ignored to some degree in 2014-15, which is not the same thing as being underestimated.

It isn't that anyone has the slightest doubt that UConn is again an exceptional team. It's just that with the Huskies winning all their snooze-fest American Athletic Conference games by whatever score they want, they haven't gotten all that much attention nationally since league play started.

That will be different Monday night (ESPN2/WatchESPN, 8 ET), though, as the spotlight shines on Gampel Pavilion, which will be rocking. It's the first game in that building this season that has some air of uncertainty to it for coach Geno Auriemma's team.

The reality is, most of the so-called "challenges" to UConn over the years have come up empty, especially if they require beating the Huskies in either their on-campus home or at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut. That's because UConn always seems to be expertly prepared for every foe, and because the Huskies typically take the wind out of their opponents' sails so completely.

In spite of all the Gamecocks have done both last season and this one to be ready for their big national close-up Monday night, it's still hard to stand up to being in UConn's building with all the power the Huskies derive from that place. Even if South Carolina does have some excellent, experienced starters who've been building toward this game their whole careers in a way, such as Tiffany Mitchell and Aleighsa Welch, it is a humongous task to go on UConn's turf.

So what might the Gamecocks -- who are probably perceived as the underdogs despite their No. 1 ranking -- lean on emotionally to get them through any early butterflies and keep the Huskies from getting into that all-too-familiar steamroller mode? Well, Dawn Staley, of course. She is respectful toward Auriemma and the vast amount he has accomplished at UConn. But she is not going to be deferential, and that's as it should be. Auriemma certainly wasn't long ago when he was in the "challenger to the throne" role.


Staley and Auriemma both are the kind of coaches who can instill great confidence in players just with their sheer presence. It's interesting, in fact, to consider the similarities between the two. Start with their Philadelphia backgrounds, of course. And the time they spent at Virginia -- Auriemma as an assistant; Staley as a player -- though they didn't overlap.

There's the way they see things so clearly all the time on court. Their "colorful" use of the full palette of swear words. Their insistence on players learning how vitally important efficiency is. Their commitment to coaching USA Basketball squads, including as head coach (Auriemma) and assistant (Staley) for the senior national team.

Their popularity in their respective communities is off the charts, and they understand the need to play an entertaining brand of hoops to help the continued growth of the game. Both have a handle on both the big picture and minute details.

Neither one can tolerate selfish, sloppy basketball, and there is a certain old-school element to their personalities that demands respect without them seeming like tyrants. Both engender not just loyalty from their players, but a genuine admiration.

Auriemma and Staley have their differences, too, of course. As a player, she was one of the best ever as a collegian and Olympian, so her path to coaching wasn't quite the same as Auriemma's was.

And while Auriemma is the king of quips, Staley tends to keep her humor closer to the vest when it comes to dealing with the media. (But they both know their way around a sarcastic one-liner.)

Even though she has been coaching for 15 seasons, Staley is still in the process of establishing herself in the very upper level of the profession. Auriemma has already proved himself one of the best collegiate coaches of all time in any sport.

You can't rule out the possibility that this much-anticipated game still might be a dud. As mentioned, UConn and Auriemma have burst quite a few bubbles over the years, and that's what they'll aim to do against South Carolina. By the same token, the Gamecocks want to show everyone that they are quite ready for this prime-time test. And that they really do deserve to be No. 1 -- not just because Stanford beat UConn in November, which seems like ages ago.

Regardless of what happens Monday, this matchup has the feel of something that is going to have staying power: UConn vs. South Carolina, Auriemma vs. Staley. And if so, that's a welcome development.

Monday marks the 54th 1-2 matchup in women's college basketball history, the second involving South Carolina and the 20th such trip for UConn

[ZetaPsi808]

-120 juice tho. Ugh

[stevenash]

History of No. 1 vs. No. 2

Monday marks the 54th 1-2 matchup in women's college basketball history, the second involving South Carolina and the 20th such trip for UConn.

The Gamecocks lost to top-ranked Louisiana Tech 71-58 at home on Jan. 8, 1982. Prior to this season, that was the highest South Carolina had ever been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.


UConn is 16-3 overall in 1-versus-2 meetings: 12-2 as the top team, 4-1 as the second-ranked team. UConn has dominated its past three 1-versus-2 matchups, winning each by at least 21 points. The Huskies' latest such win came against Notre Dame in the 2014 national championship game, downing the then-unbeaten Fighting Irish 79-58.

But is history on South Carolina's side? The No. 1 team is 33-20 all time versus No. 2, and the top-ranked team has won 11 of the past 12 meetings. A win against UConn can also spell success come tournament time. The past two teams to beat UConn in a 1-2 matchup went on to win the NCAA title that season. In fact, 33 of the 53 winners in 1-2 showdowns have gone on to win the NCAA title.
Gone streaking

In addition to extending its program-best 22-game win streak, South Carolina will look to spoil UConn's 29-game home win streak, the longest active streak in the nation. The Huskies are looking for their 300th win at Gampel Pavilion and enter Monday's game with an all-time record of 299-19 at the venue.
Since losing to Stanford in overtime in November, the Huskies have won 20 straight and are averaging 89.5 points per game with an average margin of victory of more than 42 points per game.
Fitting for a 1-2 showdown, South Carolina and Connecticut have been two of the most dominant teams in the nation this season, ranked in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Unbeaten Princeton is the only other team to rank in the top five in both categories.
Players to watch

As expected, there will be plenty of talent on the floor Monday night, including four players named to the Wooden Midseason Top-20 list: UConn's Breanna Stewart and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and South Carolina's Tiffany Mitchell and A'ja Wilson. The Wooden Award is presented annually to the nation's top player.


Stewart: The reigning consensus national player of the year and two-time Final Four Most Outstanding Player leads the Huskies in scoring and is second in both blocks and rebounds per game. She has scored double figures in all but three of UConn's games this season, especially impressive considering she is averaging just more than 23 minutes per game in conference play.

Mosqueda-Lewis: The senior sharpshooter passed Diana Taurasi earlier this season to become UConn's career leader in 3-point field goals (341). KML is shooting a blistering 51 percent from behind the arc this season, the best in the nation.

Mitchell: The 2014 SEC Player of the Year, Mitchell has led South Carolina in both scoring and 3-point field goal percentage each of the past two seasons. The junior has been the model of consistency, scoring double figures in nine straight games.

Wilson: The No. 1 recruit in the nation according to espnW's HoopGurlz, Wilson has more than lived up to the hype. Wilson is the only freshman named to the Midseason Wooden Watch List and is second on the team in scoring despite making just one start this season. Wilson, along with fellow freshman Bianca Cuevas, is an integral part of a South Carolina bench that has tied or outscored its starters in 12 games this season.
Coaching comparison

While all eyes will be fixed on the court Monday evening, one of the most intriguing matchups will be that on the sideline, where coaches Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley square off.
Auriemma, who earned his 900th career win on Feb. 3 and became the fastest coach to reach the milestone in college basketball history, is one of the most accomplished coaches the game has ever seen. In 30 years, he has won nine national championships and posted five undefeated seasons.

But guiding the other bench is Staley, who served as an assistant for Auriemma and Team USA at the 2014 FIBA World Championship. Following eight years at Temple, Staley is in her seventh season with the Gamecocks and was named the 2014 SEC Coach of the Year after guiding South Carolina to its first SEC regular-season title in program history.
While South Carolina is still a relative newcomer on the national stage, Staley is not lacking in experience. A two-time national player of the year at Virginia, Staley led the Cavaliers to three Final Four appearances and is the only player in Division I women's basketball history named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player whose team did not take home the championship. She is also the namesake of the Dawn Staley Award, presented annually to the top guard in the nation.
This season, Staley already has guided the Gamecocks to the first AP No. 1 ranking in program history, joining Baylor's Kim Mulkey as the only women's basketball coaches to both play for and coach the No. 1 team in the nation.

Can South Carolina knock off one of the most storied programs in college basketball history? Staley has done it before. While she is 0-1 versus Auriemma and the Huskies as a coach, Staley won both matchups against UConn as a player.

[YorkHunt]

I thought the Kentucky Derby was in May?

[stevenash]

-120 juice tho. Ugh

I know, I know, and try betting it here in Fairfield County with the local.
-120 juice and juiced lines.

Even 5D won't give you -110 with reduced juice.
Cost me 6 to 5 on the over 136.5 (that's the bet in this game)

[stevenash]

I thought the Kentucky Derby was in May?

I set the total at 4.5 over/under -120 on the number of jack ass posts in this thread.

3.5 more to go.

[Big Bear]

LOL at womens sports.

tell them bitches to get in the kitchen and make me a sandwhich!

[stevenash]

LOL at womens sports.

tell them bitches to get in the kitchen and make me a sandwhich!

Would that be before or after they beat you to a bloody pulp.

Jackass post #2.
You are in rare trolling form today little boy.
Even for you.

The only thing you know about women's sports is you can't play it.

[Big Bear]

i'm just saying fukk womens sports.

i will never be such a degenerate that i am watching or wagering womens sports.

Colleges shouldn't even waste money on sports nobody cares about. Waste of resources.

[stevenash]

i'm just saying fukk womens sports.

i will never be such a degenerate that i am watching or wagering womens sports.

Colleges shouldn't even waste money on sports nobody cares about. Waste of resources.

Every Connecticut home game is SRO sold out.
Tell those 10,000 people nobody cares.
Check out now pal

[jjgold]

How do you not take Connecticut here??

I rather go down taking Uconn

[Big Bear]

Every Connecticut home game is SRO sold out.
Tell those 10,000 people nobody cares.
Check out now pal

wow i guess there a bunch of losers in connecticut. I think i would rather be water boarded than watch womens hoops.

I mean i can see if u are going to watch your own daughter play but to watch random women attempt to play a mans game???

like i said tell these hoez get in the kitchen and make me a sandwhich

[artyfudgepacker]

Go cocks !!!!!!

[jjgold]

Women's college hoops is big time now

Unreal TV coverage

Lines starting to appear at more books also

[stevenash]

Go cocks !!!!!!

SC is for real, as good as Baylor was, and ND, and Stanford.
SC are players now.

[Jayvegas420]

Go Women Cocks!

[stevenash]

Go Women Cocks!

Would they be swinging Johnson's?

[jjgold]

Who does SC have that is big time??

[stevenash]

Total spiked up 1 full point.

South Carolina Women at Connecticut Women - ESPN2
Mon 2/9		803 South Carolina - Women	+13 -110	+550	o137½ -110	o62 -110	u62 -110
8:00PM		804 Connecticut - Women	-13 -110	-800	u137½ -110	o75 -110	u75 -110

[mintpicks79]

I like the under...

[stevenash]

Who does SC have that is big time??

Coates, she's a beastly PF/C with man hands.
She's a mountain.
She has nine double/doubles so far this season.

They got this Tiffany Mitchell who has a soft shot

SC strength is they rotate nine, and six through eight off the bench would start for 80 percent of other programs.

[stevenash]

I like the under...

If you do I think total will spike up some more before tip (8 pm)

[Doc JS]

I love my Gamecocks, but you don't stroll into Storrs and take down the Lady Huskies...I think UCONN wins easy...

[opie1988]

Totally stoked for this game.

I wonder if Geno has heard about my success with my 2nd grade girls team??

Real recognize real

[DrunkHorseplayer]

An NAIA men's team would take these chicks to the cleaners; they should get that basketball court out of the kitchen.

[stevenash]

An NAIA men's team would take these chicks to the cleaners; they should get that basketball court out of the kitchen.

Yeah, an organized mens team can beat an organized womens team, but Connecticut does more for the sport than all the NAIA teams combined.

So sorry you're a misogynist.
Don't mistake my pity for compassion.

[stevenash]

47-31 halftime

Connecticut running them out of the building.

[opie1988]

47-31 halftime

Connecticut running them out of the building.

Not even as close as the score suggests, and that ain't too close.

[stevenash]

^
I know, South Carolina has not given up more than 63 all season, and UConn might drop a 100 bomb on them.

[jjgold]

This was easy to Bad I have five dollars on it

[survive]

Keep it up lady huskies

[drfunkmaster]

lets go over and uconns, wake up uconn Ladies!!!!

[drfunkmaster]

this will get backdoored . unreal, i can just sense it.

[stevenash]

lets go over and uconns, wake up uconn Ladies!!!!

I'm all over the over 136.5

111 points already need 26 more in 10 1/2 minutes.