The Guru Report: No. 9 Texas Rocked Amid Night of Big 12 Confrontations While Covid Variant Continues to Disrupt Schedules Nationwide

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Two weeks after UConn gave up a long Top 10 residency in the weekly Associated Press women’s poll Texas’ return after a long absence may be a short one.

Poised to perhaps move in front of No. 14 Baylor to claim a new leadership in the Big 12, the Longhorns began the day well armed for a visit Wednesday night from Texas Tech in Austin and ended it unarmed but don’t go thinking trap game.

Coach Vic Schaefer’s squad knew before both teams entered the Erwin Center that Sunday’s scheduled first of two home-and-home battles with the Bears was temporarily off the books, joining the hundreds of men’s and women’s games in postponed or cancelled status as victims of covid pandemic protocols.

Texas (10-2, 1-1 Big 12) with a full roster for the first time since the season opener, including freshman starter Aaliyah Moore back from missing eight games with a knee injury, got chewed up by Texas Tech 74-61 as a result of inside dominance and a 50 percent firepower attack by the Red Raiders (8-5, 1-1) while the home team set forth a bunch of blanks (29.2 percent) on its worst night of the season from the field.

For the visitors, who were 34-of 44 from the line and had a rebounding 44-32 advantage, kudos to Vivian Gray, herself just back from eight games on the sidelines with ankle and foot injuries, scoring 23 points, including 13-17 from the line, and Bre’Amber Scott, who had 21, including 9-of-10 free throws.

The foul shooting came in handy to overcome a season worst 26 turnovers.

Taylah Thomas grabbed 13 rebounds while Khadijah Faye grabbed 11 boards.

Highs for Texas came from Aliyah Mataru with 12 points but on a mediocre 12-of-17 night and Audrey Warren, who scored 11.

Due to the Baylor postponement, Texas will have a while to stew on this one, next scheduled to host Kansas next Wednesday.

Note to UConn fans, don’t count on drifting back to the Top 10 sitting idle at No. 11 with Friday’s visit to Villanova in the Big East placed on pause Wednesday.

No. 12 Iowa State made its case to jump over the Huskies and Big 12 leadership, ruining No. 23 Oklahoma’s return to the AP poll after a five-season absence by beating the host Sooners 81-71 in Norman to snap a nine-game win streak.

Emily Ryan had a career-high 22 points, eight assists, and four rebounds for the visiting Cyclones (13-1, 2-0 Big 12), while Ashley Joens double doubled with 17 points and 12 boards, Beatriz Jordao scored 15, and Morgan Kane scored 10.

Oklahoma (12-2, 1-1) used an 8-0 run in the final period to cut the deficit to single digits before Iowa State retained control the rest of the way.

In another key Big 12 game Kansas State came off last weekend’s upset of Baylor on the play of freshman Brylee Glenn who had a career-high 19 points for the 19 points, including seven in the fourth quarter for the Wildcats (12-2, 2-0) in a 60-49 win at Oklahoma State (5-5, 0-2) in Stillwater to reach a five-game victory streak for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Ayoki Lee, the USBWA national player of the week, had 18 points, shooting 8-of-11 from the field, and six rebounds for the visitors.

Buffalo Stampedes Bowling Green: In a game between two Mid-American Conference contenders, visiting Buffalo (9-4, 3-0) topped the host Falcons (6-5, 1-1) as junior guard Dyaisha Fair set career marks with 14 field goals and 40 points in an 82-66 win for the Bulls. She also connected on 6 of 10 from deep.

Summer Hemphill had 19 points and 10 boards and tied a career high blocking four shots. Dominique Camp added 11 points. 

“Dyaisha was locked in from shootaround,” said Buffalo coach Felisha Legette-Jack. “She remembered that this is the team that ended our season last year and she took the game personally. The neat thing is that although she scored 40 and did some great things, the leadership of Summer was second to none. She led us with her poise and kept us locked into our purpose and l think today was a great win.

Amy Velasco had 15 points for Bowling Green, Kadie Hempfling scored 12, and Elissa Brett scored 11.

Buffalo hosts Kent State on Saturday.

In another MAC game between top conference contenders, Toledo beat visiting Eastern Michigan, 64-48, as Quinesha Lockett scored 23 points for the Rockets (9-3, 3-0). 

Noting EMU (3-5, 0-1) hadn’t played in nearly a month, Toledo coach Tricia Cullop, who gained her 399th victory, said, “l’m sure when we play EMU again later this season, we’ll probably see a totally different team.”

In games involving ranked teams elsewhere, in the Big Ten, No. 6 Indiana beat host Wisconsin 76-33, in the American, No. 24 South Florida beat host Cincinnati, while in the Big East, No. 11 UConn at Georgetown, and in the Big 12, Baylor hosting TCU were postponed.

In games played that the Guru had pre-listed on his tracker, in the ASun host Florida Gulf Coast beat North Florida, in the American 88-57, UCF beat host Tulane, 54-47.

Lehigh Tops Army: The host Mountain Hawks (10-3, 2-0) in a Patriot League in Stabler Arena in Bethlehem edged the Black Knights 62-55 as Emma Grothaus and Mackenzie Kramer each scored 15 points. Grothaus also had nine rebounds and three blocked shots while Kramer hit three from deep against Army (6-5, 1-1).

“I thought our kids matched their toughness. That was one of our goals coming in,” said veteran Lehigh coach Sue Troyan. “We knew defense was going to win the game.”

COVID Takedown: Here’s the latest postpones and cancellations on the Guru’s grid for awareness chart on the season.

Locally, Saint Joseph’s at Davidson in the Atlantic 10 and the SMU at Temple in the American Games weren’t played Wednesday while Villanova hosting UConn Friday and visiting Georgetown Sunday are postponed.

So is La Salle at UMass Sunday in the A-10.

Elsewhere, in the PAC-12, off the books for now this weekend, on Friday, Washington at Arizona State, Oregon State at California, and UCLA at Utah while Sunday, Oregon State at Stanford, Southern Cal at Utah, and Washington State at Arizona State but inserted is Arizona at Southern Cal.

In the ACC, on Thursday, Georgia Tech at Duke and Florida State at Clemson are postponed.

Looking Ahead: Historic Absences: When Rutgers hosts Minnesota Thursday night at 7 in the Big Ten in the Jersey Mikes Arena neither head coach will be court side. Rutgers Hall of Fame C. Vivian Stringer opted out of the season over COVID concerns and is being replaced by interim Timothy Eaton from her staff while Minnesota’s Lindsay Whalen, a former WNBA All-Star, had emergency appendectomy surgery that was successful and the team will be run by Carly Thibault-DuDonis, who is WNBA Coach Mike Thibault’s daughter.

Her brother Eric, who is on their dad’s staff filled in a couple games down the stretch last summer.

Penn State is coming off a pause playing at No. 10 Maryland at 6 p.m. in the Big 10, while in the MAAC, Rider is coming off a long pause playing at Manhattan College both Thursday.

And that’s the report.