Non-Conference Showdown:
Big 12 powerhouse Oklahoma will host No. 17 Georgia on Sunday in a matchup of top-20 opponents.
The Lady Bulldogs have had little luck on the road this season compiling a 0-3 record including losses to Xavier, Vanderbilt and Auburn.
The No. 11 Sooners come into Sunday’s game after an 84-73 loss against No. 6 Baylor thanks to a 35-point effort from Baylor guard Angela Tisdale.
Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said the Sooners have had problems defending quick guards throughout the season.
Sunday’s matchup will see a pair of All-American centers in Tasha Humphrey and Courtney Paris.
Humphrey comes into the game averaging 16 points and eight rebounds per game for the Lady Bulldogs. Paris leads the NCAA in rebounding, pulling down more than 15 boards a game. She is also scoring 16 points per contest.
Surprise Gators:
Florida has been one of the biggest surprises in the Southeastern Conference this season, having a 2-1 conference record under new coach Amanda Butler.
Florida’s 13 wins this season have exceeded this past season’s total of nine wins.
The Gators have done most of their damage at home with a 10-1 record at Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
This past weekend, Florida defeated Arkansas, 92-74, in Fayetteville, Ark., thanks to a career-high 19 points from reserve guard Jennifer Mossor.
“One area that we’ve really wanted to emphasize was our bench, and [Mossor] responded to that call and had a career night,” Butler said. “She did it in aggressive fashion and a lot of her points came from the plays she made on defense.”
The win gave the Gators back-to-back SEC wins for the first time since February 2006.
Tennessee Continues to Shine:
The Lady Vols are 7-1 against top-25 teams this season with the team’s only loss coming Dec. 22 at No. 7 Stanford.
All-American forward Candace Parker has been dominant since being benched for a curfew violation against DePaul on Jan. 2. She is averaging more than 20 points per game while leading No. 2 Tennessee to five consecutive victories by an average margin of more than 26 points.
Parker and the Lady Vols will step outside of conference this Monday to take on No. 10 Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Blue Devils suffered three consecutive losses from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2, but Duke has responded recently, winning nine of its past 10 games including a 49-44 victory against No. 5 Rutgers on Dec. 6.
Duke has won the past three meetings in the annual series against Tennessee, including a 74-70 victory in Knoxville, Tenn., this past season.