THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2008
SPORTS
3B
BIG 12 BASKETBALL
Baylor ranks No.1 for the women's Big 12 picks SEVEN Texas 15-8 [3-6] Last week: at Texas A&M (L)
BY ANDREW WIEBE AWIEBE@KANSAN.COM
Big 12 women's basketball reporter Andrew Wiebe's presents his Big 12 power rankings. Every Tuesday, The Kansan will rank Big 12 women's teams based on last week's performance and the next week's schedule.
ONE
No. 8 Baylor 21-2 [9-1]
Last week: at Oklahoma State (L), Texas Tech (W)
This week: at Texas, Oklahoma
Despite losing to a hot Oklahoma State squad last week, Baylor retains the top spot because they remain in the driver's seat of the Big 12 championship race. The Bears were bound to stumble at some point. Losing against sophomore guard Andrea Riley and the Cowgirls in Stillwater speaks to the difficulty of winning on the road in the Big 12. This week's schedule is brutal, and the game against Oklahoma could be decisive in
the race for the Big 12 South.
TWO
No. 17 Kansas State 16-6 [8-1]
Last week: Kansas (W)
This week: at Iowa State, at Missouri
The Wildcats are showing just how crucial junior forward Marlies Gipson is to their success. Deb Patterson's team took care of business on Saturday against in-state rivals Kansas to claim their 13th win in the last 14 games between the two teams. Although Kansas State has two matchups with squads in the bottom half of the conference, it must go on the road for both. So far the Wildcats have been perfect away from Manhattan in conference play, but it will take two solid performances to enter next week with 10 wins.
No. 15 Oklahoma State 19-3 [7-2]
Last week: Baylor (W), at Nebraska (W)
This week: at Texas Tech, Iowa State
Oklahoma State knew it needed two victories last week to keep pace with Oklahoma and stay within striking distance of Baylor. In winning both games, the Cowgirls became the first team to beat the Bears in conference play and gave the Bears just their second loss overall. Sophomore guard Andrea Riley may garner more of the attention, but five players scored in double figures against the Bears, proving this isn't a one woman show. With two winnable games on the horizon, Oklahoma State has an opportunity to pull even closer to Baylor this week.
FOUR
No. 10 Oklahoma 17-4 [7-2]
Last week: at Missouri (W), Colorado (W)
This week: Texas A&M, at Baylor
This is a make-or-break week for the Sooners. Two victories against teams from the Big 12 North basement aren't the ideal precursors to meetings with what could be the two most talented teams in the conference. The Aggies are just starting to find their groove, and the Bears are nearly unbeatable at home. It won't be easy, but if junior center Courtney Paris can control the paint, Oklahoma has the opportunity to make a strong statement to the rest of the Big 12 with two victories.
FIVE
No. 20 Texas A&M 17-6 [5-4]
Last week: Texas (W)
This week: at Oklahoma, Texas Tech
Just when people began writing the Aggies off, junior guard/forward Danielle Gant began dragging them back into the race for a top-four finish. In the victory against Texas, Gant dropped 25 points on only 12 shots. A trip to Norman is never easy, but Texas A&M won there last season on its way to a Big 12 championship, so the atmosphere shouldn't intimidate Gary Blair's team. The Aggies have the veteran presence and the past experience to go in and take one from the Sooners. If they can, they will have reeled off five straight victories.
SIX
Nebraska 17-7 (6-4)
Last week: at Colorado (W), Oklahoma State (L)
This week: at Kansas
Losing to Oklahoma State at home was disappointing, but not devastating. The Cornhuskers have already blown the Jayhawks out once, but Bonnie Henickson's team has been extremely difficult to beat at Allen Fieldhouse this season. Nebraska will use this week to regroup and refocus as only one of its remaining six games comes against a Big 12 South opponent, lowly Texas Tech.
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Texas has talent, but in the rough-and-tumble Big 12 South talent only goes so far. The Longhorns are one of only a few teams that have tested the Bears so far this season. Despite losing 61-60 in Waco earlier this year, Texas should feel confident that it can hang with the Big 12 best team. The Longhorns have one of the best coaches in the nation in former Duke coach Gail Goostenkors, and if anyone can engineer an upset she can.
EIGHT
Iowa State 15-7 [4-5]
Last week: Texas Tech (W), Missouri (W)
This week: Kansas State, at Oklahoma State
Victories over two conference bottom-feeders did wonders for the Cyclones confidence. Unfortunately this week's schedule is not nearly as undemanding, Iowa State is perilously thin in the post and Kansas State's Marlies Gipson and Oklahoma State's junior center Maria Cordero and junior forward Shaunte Smith could have their way in the paint. The Cyclones hold a trump card in the form of their potent three-point shooting, but odds are it won't be enough to continue their win streak through the week.
NINE
Despite a heartbreaking loss in the Sunflower Showdown and seven conference losses, Kansas continues to receive votes in the AP Poll. Voters must be basing those votes on potential because the Jayhawks certainly aren't getting the results that come with that sort of national recognition. This week could be the week they show the rest of the conference what their young talent can do. Two games at home against opponents they've already seen once this season should give Kansas hope of walking away with two victories. Whether or not that's possible, remains a mystery.
Kansas 13-9 [2-7]
Last week: at Kansas State (L)
This week: Colorado, Nebraska
TEN
Texas Tech 14-9 [2-7]
Last week: at Iowa State (L), at Baylor (L)
This week: Oklahoma State, at Texas &M
Two losses last week look like they will be followed by two more this week against the two hottest teams in the Big 12. Last week the Lady Raiders were looking for some sort of consistency. This week they are just desperate for a win. The schedule doesn't get any easier down the stretch, and Texas Tech's three-game losing streak could turn into five before the week is out.
Two losses last week look like they will be fol-
ELEVEN
Colorado 13-10 [2-8]
Last week: Nebraska (L), at Oklahoma (L)
This week: at Kansas, Texas
Colorado travels to Lawrence on Wednesday to face a vastly different Kansas team than the one it blew out of the gym 59-41 on Jan. 22. Freshman center Krysten Boogaard is coming off back-to-back 20 point games and the Jayhawks have matured considerably since hanging their heads throughout the second half of the two team's first meeting. The Buffaloes are in need of a victory, and Boogaard's presence could be offset by their improving frontcourt. Freshman forward Brittany Spears was the Big 12's rookie of the week last week.
TWELVE
There isn't much to say about the Tigers that hasn't already been said. Missouri is the worst team in the Big 12 and victories don't appear to be likely anytime soon. Coach Cindy Stein could use the long week of practice to whip her squad into shape, but with Kansas State up next, Missouri is looking at yet another week without a victory. The Tigers have talent, just not enough to compete in the Big 12.
Missouri 8-15 [1-9]
Last week: Oklahoma (L), at Iowa State (L)
This week: Kansas State
Charlotte Bobcats' Jason Richardson drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant Monday in Charlotte, N.C. C.J. defeated Charlotte 106-97.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NBA
Lakers break triple digits to beat Bobcats
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, Pau Gasol added 26 and the new-look Los Angeles Lakers continued their impressive road trip with a 106-97 win over the reeling Charlotte Bobcats on Monday.
The Lakers improved to 4-1 since acquiring Gasol behind Bryant's third straight game scoring 30 or more points.
In improving to 6-2 on their nine-game road trip, the Lakers never trailed but struggled to put away the Bobcats. Charlotte cut a 13-point deficit to 89-86 midway through the fourth quarter before wining in their seventh straight loss.
Raymond Felton scored 29 points and Nazr Mohammed added 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Bobcats, who matched their longest losing streak of the season.
CAVALIERS 118, MAGIC 111
Cleveland's Hughes
scores season high
ORLANDO, Fla. — Larry Hughes scored a season-high 40 points and LeBron James added 29 and 10 assists as Cleveland won.
Hughes scored 23 in the third quarter on 6-for-7 shooting, including two three-pointers and an assortment of drives and jumpers. He hit 9 of 10 free throws in the period.
Hedo Turkoglu had 25 points for Orlando, leading all five starters in double figures, while Dwight Howard had 16 points and nine rebounds. Howard scored 10 in the first quarter, but struggled the rest of the way as Cleveland collapsed inside with double- and triple-teams.
Orlando lost its second straight, and third of a five-game home stretch before the All-Star break.
76ERS 84,MAVERICKS 76
Sixers eye eighth spot in
Eastern Conference
PHILADELPHIA — Andre Miller scored 21 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to their fourth straight win.
Andre lguodala finished with 14 points, including a pair of jumps during a late 12-1 run that helped the Sixers pull away and earn a rare standing ovation from the home crowd.
Miller, the Eastern Conference player of the week, is a big reason why the Sixers are suddenly thinking about a playoff push. Philadelphia has won the first four games of a five-game homestead and moved a half-game behind idle New Jersey for the eight spot in the Eastern Conference.
Josh Howard led the short-handed Mavericks with 17 points before leaving in the fourth with a back injury, and Dirk Nowitzki added 15.
1
SPURS 93, RAPTORS 88 Toronto loses at home career high for Calderon
TORONTO — Manu Ginobili scored a season-high 34 points and added a career-high 15 rebounds, leading the San Antonio Spurs.
Tim Duncan added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Spurs, who led from wire-to-wire and won for the fifth time in six games. San Antonio's only defeat in that time was a 98-90 loss at Boston on Sunday.
Ginobill had 21 points in 19 first-half minutes, scored three more in the third, then helped put the game away with 10 in the fourth.
Toronto's Jose Calderon scored a career-high 27 as the Raptors dropped their third straight at home.
San Antonio has won 10 of its past 12 against Toronto.
Associated Press
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