ESPNU to Also Feature Top-10 Game
In a much-anticipated women’s college basketball matchup, No. 1 Baylor hosts No. 2 Connecticut on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN. For the first time in program history, Baylor plays on its home court in front of an advance sell-out crowd. The women’s Final Four crew of Dave O’Brien, Doris Burke and Rebecca Lobo will call the game, joined by NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy.
“When you have two great teams like that (Baylor & Connecticut), it is just so good for the sport because people that normally wouldn’t watch women’s college basketball – you get the casual fan to maybe give it a shot, and realize just how talented these women really are,” said Van Gundy, in previewing the Baylor-UConn game during Villanova-Boston University men’s college basketball game on Tuesday night.
Junior 6’8” center Brittney Griner leads the Lady Bears (10-0), averaging a double-double of 22.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Connecticut (9-0) senior guard Tiffany Hayes is second in scoring for the Huskies at 14.4 points per game, and first in rebounding, pulling down 6.2 boards per contest.
ESPN.com’s Mechelle Voepel previews Connecticut-Baylor matchup this week, in addition to writing live from the game for ESPN.com and espnW.com:
“While nothing is replacing Tennessee-UConn as that longtime rivalry in women’s hoops, UConn-Baylor has at least some of the same elements as two colorful coaches lead a Southern program against a Northern program.”
espnW will feature Baylor in its Hoops Across America series Friday, as well as thoughts from Beth Mowins and Debbie Antonelli’s weekly ESPN Women’s Basketball Podcast: Shootaround with Beth and Debbie.
The rivalry game features No. 1 vs. No. 2 for the second straight year, however, last season the rankings were reversed, and the game was played in Hartford, Conn. The then-top ranked Huskies defeated No. 2 Baylor 65-64 on November 16.
Also this week, No. 3 Notre Dame hosts No. 7 Kentucky on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPNU. Jim Barber and Abby Waner have the call as Kentucky faces its third top-10 opponent of the season, and Notre Dame will play a ranked team for the fourth time.
On ESPN3, Western Carolina plays at Samford on Saturday at 3 p.m.
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Networks |
| Sat, Dec 17 | 3 p.m. | Western Carolina at Samford | ESPN3 |
| Sun, Dec 18 | 1 p.m. | No. 7 Kentucky at No. 3 Notre Dame Jim Barbar & Abby Waner |
ESPNU |
| 8:30 p.m. | No. 2 Connecticut at No. 1 Baylor Dave O’Brien, Doris Burke & Rebecca Lobo with Jeff Van Gundy |
ESPN / ESPN3 |
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