The inaugural Coretta Scott King Classic will be held on Monday, January 20th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with three top 10 teams taking to the court.
For the first time, undefeated and No. 1 UCLA takes on Baylor at 3 p.m. ET. After that, No. 7 Texas will face No. 8 Maryland at 5:30 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
The Bruins should work on their matchup against the Bears. Baylor lacks the personnel to contain UCLA junior center Lauren Betts, who averaged 19.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game all season, but she has shown a keen ability to manipulate opponents to her liking this season. There is. When she has the advantage, it’s almost impossible to stop her with a soft touch after scoring. On a double, she makes a quick pass to an open teammate. Senior center Aaronet Vonleh is the Bears’ only true big player at 6-foot-3 and will be tasked with dealing with Betts. Vonleh could be out with foul trouble, as she averages a team-high three fouls per game against opponents that often don’t use 6-foot-7 centers, and Baylor’s head coach, Nikki Collen may be left searching for answers. Perhaps trying to mix things up with an unconventional small-ball lineup might be Baylor’s best upset strategy.
In Game 2, Texas hopes to beat a talented Maryland team and further wash away the stink of the stumble it suffered against South Carolina two Sundays ago. Longhorn sophomore forward Madison Booker should be especially motivated to remind a national audience of his abilities after a bad performance against the Shamcocks. She already had a strong response Thursday, scoring 22 points in Texas’ win at Auburn. The path to more efficient buckets may be eased Monday with the absence of Maryland junior guard Bry McDaniel, who suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury in Wednesday’s game against the Terrapins and Minnesota.
The Horns-Terps matchup will also provide a head-to-head showdown between two of the best, but stylistically different, senior point guards in the country, Lori Harmon and Shan’ann Sellers. Sellers, a 6-foot-2 Maryland native, uses his length to seek advantages, whether it’s scoring on his own, finding teammates in the offensive half-court, or chasing opponents on the defensive end. are. At only 5 feet 6 inches tall, Harmon from Texas uses his speed to establish an edge, using his burst to push the ball up the court for early scoring opportunities or to make disruptive defensive plays. I will. Both players had their best scoring performances of the season, with Harmon scoring 20 points in Texas’ most recent win, while Sellers dropped 27 points in Maryland’s most recent win.
Game information
Baylor Bears (16-3) vs. No. 1 UCLA Bruins (17-0)
Date and time: Monday, January 20th at 3:00 PM ET
Location: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
How to watch: FOX
7th place Texas Longhorns (17-2) vs. 8th place Maryland Terrapins (16-1)
Date and time: Monday, January 20th, 5:30pm ET
Location: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
How to watch: FOX