January 29, 2025
The Weekly Fast Break: Outrunning the winter blues
Big wins, blue blood tradition, and an incoming NOLA showdown
As the calendar turns to the shortest month of the year this week, we find ourselves face-to-face with the last few weeks of the college basketball regular season. It also means that the very grind that is this time of year can start to wear you down. Coaches are fighting off sore throats while the sleep-deprived student managers are doing homework at all hours of the night, waiting for the uniforms to be washed. Players spend off days sleeping as much as they can, and trainers haul at least one starter in to see the team doctor for their stuffed-up sinuses. When you spend this much time together, trust us — the germs are on overdrive.
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At The Weekly Fast Break, we know that this time of year can really start to drag out. You have not seen the sun in what feels like weeks, and you would do anything for a meal that was not a breakfast buffet. But then you remember that in just six weeks or less, almost everyone in college basketball will be fighting for their post-season lives and a coveted berth in the NCAA Tournament. So, when you just cannot fathom dragging yourself out of bed for practice or your nose will not stop running during full-court shooting, we must remember the margin of error is razor thin.
As the old saying goes, you should “feed a cold, starve a fever.” So, whether that means chicken soup after practice or a cold tub to aid your aching knees, everyone must do their part to be game ready. We live by the motto that “offense sells tickets; defense wins games; and rebounding wins championships.” The great Pat Summit knew that no matter how many germs were swirling around in her gym, her teams would fight to the end. So grab your tissues and your cough drops — we need you ready for 40 minutes.
Tip-off
Anchor Down: For the first time since in over a decade, Vanderbilt is ranked in the AP Top 25 at No. 23 this week. The Commodores bounced into the poll after a big week, including a dismantling of Arkansas on Jan. 23, 101-60, and then a 66-64 win at then-No. 19 Alabama. That victory marked the first road win over a ranked team since Vanderbilt knocked off No. 24 Missouri, 56-52, on Feb. 28, 2016. It is only the second time this season that the Commodores have beaten a ranked opponent — the first being their 71-70 win over then-No. 15 Tennessee at home on Jan. 19. It is also the first time since 2015-16 that they have had multiple victories against ranked foes in a season. Head coach Shea Ralph’s team is top 10 in the nation in scoring on the season (85.8 points per game) and are the winners of three straight. They sit at 17-4, 4-3 in SEC play with a road test at Florida on Jan. 30 up next. Vanderbilt was named the NCAA’s Team of the Week and freshman Mikayla Blakes was named co-SEC Freshman of the Week after posting back-to-back games with 20 or more points. Three Commodores are averaging double-figures in conference play, led by Blakes at 24.4 points per game.
Big Blue Nation: Rarely does a blue blood basketball school see a change at both head coaching posts in the same season, but that was the case at Kentucky in 2024. Kenny Brooks became the new head coach of the women’s program while Wildcat alumnus Mark Pope took over the men’s. Both teams are currently ranked in the top 15 of the AP Top 25 and firing on all cylinders. Brooks’ team has quietly been racking up the wins (nine of their last 10 games) and is at No. 12 in this week’s AP Poll with a record of 17-2. The Wildcats are 6-1 in SEC play and 11-0 at home — Big Blue Nation is truly a home court advantage. While five players are averaging double figures on the season, led by Virginia Tech transfer Georgia Amoore at 18.3 points per game, where is Kentucky really winning is on defense. They are allowing just over 60 points per game and their field goal percentage defense is second in the SEC behind South Carolina (35%). The schedule does not let up for Brooks and his squad — with eight conference foes ranked in the Top 25, every night they will have to scratch and claw for wins. Up next, they host No. 22 Alabama on Jan. 30 and then it is a road trip to Norman, OK to face No. 13 Oklahoma on Feb. 2.
(Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images)
NOLA Super Bowl Party: There will be nothing easy about Super Bowl LIX in the Big Easy on Sunday, Feb. 9. This year’s matchup in New Orleans gives us all sorts of interesting threads with women’s basketball as the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Both starting quarterbacks have ties to the Big 12 — Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes is as true a Texas Tech Red Raider as you will find, while the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts finished his college career at Oklahoma when they were a stalwart of Big 12 football. While the Chiefs are going for an unprecedented three-peat as Super Bowl champions, Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni knows something about winning streaks — he won three straight Division III national football titles as a wide receiver at Mount Union in Alliance, OH (2000-2002).
Let us remind the rest of the sports world that consecutive title-winning steaks are not new in women’s college basketball. Head coach Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies won four consecutive national titles from 2013-2016. Both home states of these NFL rivals are rich with successful women’s basketball programs. Philly is home to the Big 6 — Temple, Drexel, LaSalle, St. Joseph’s, Penn and Villanova — all of which have had great success in recent years and are aiming for the post-season again this year. While the Chiefs are technically located in Missouri, the state line border war allows both Missouri and Kansas to stake their claim to the reigning world champions. Big 12 foes No. 11 K-State and Kansas, along with Missouri from the SEC, lead the charge of Power 4 teams in the Chiefs Kingdom.
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Poll Watch: The showdown of SEC teams in Columbia, South Carolina last week left us with just one unbeaten team in the country. LSU’s 66-56 loss to South Carolina puts them at 21-1 on the season and down to No. 7 in this week’s AP Top 25. UCLA holds tight to the top spot at 20-0 and Texas bounced back up to No. 5 after their two conference victories last week. Ohio State jumps four to No. 8 and the Duke Blue Devils move to No. 10. TCU stays at No. 9 after their 80-75 win over Baylor on Jan. 26. It was their first victory over the Bears since 1990. Maryland drops six spots to No. 14, and three teams are out this week of the Top 25 — Minnesota, Baylor and Michigan. Vanderbilt is ranked for the first time in a decade at No. 23 and Oklahoma State is back in the poll at No. 24 this week. Fun stat fact for poll watchers — Harvard, who received seven votes this week and is in at No. 33 has the top scoring defense in the country (as of Jan. 28). They are holding teams to 50.9 points per game.
Star power
Ashley Sofilanich powered Bucknell to a 2-0 week and was named the Patriot League Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the fourth time this season. The 6’3 sophomore had 44 points in the 71-67 overtime victory against Colgate on Jan. 22, where she went 16-for-27 from the field and 12-for-16 from the free throw line. She also grabbed 11 rebounds. Her 44 points the program’s single game record and broke the Sojka Pavilion record of 35 set by former Bucknell legend Molly Creamer against Lehigh in 2003. Sofilanich, a native of South Amboy, NJ, then followed that record-setting performance with 22 points in the 74-59 win over Boston University on Jan. 25. She leads the conference in points per game (20.2), which is top 20 nationally and her eight double-doubles on the year are currently tied for 32nd nationally.
North Dakota State senior Abbie Draper earned the first Summitt League Peak Performer of the Week award of her career after averaging a double-double in a pair of road victories over South Dakota and in-state rival North Dakota. The 6’2 forward dropped a career-high 29 points against South Dakota on Jan. 22 to help the Bison capture a 72-53 win. Draper went 12-for-16 from the field and hauled in 12 rebounds. In the 70-66 victory at North Dakota on Jan. 25, the Waverly, IA native had 12 points, a game-high nine rebounds and dished out three assists.
Taylor Jones was named SEC Player of the Week after two big performances for No. 5 Texas in key wins this week. She registered her sixth double-double of the season and 24th of her career with 21 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in the 80-76 victory over No. 18 Tennessee on Jan. 23. The 6’4 senior followed that up with 24 points and three blocks at Mississippi in the 80-76 win on Jan. 26, including 10 points in the fourth quarter. In the two key SEC wins for the Longhorns, the Fourney, TX native went 16-of-23 (69.6%) from the field and 13-of-14 (92.9%) from the charity stripe.
(Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images)
USC Upstate’s Cassie Gallagher was named Big South Freshman of the Week after averaging 7.5 points on the week. The 5’11 guard scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds to help USC Upstate snap Longwood’s eight-game winning streak and hand them their first conference loss of the season on Jan. 25. Gallagher, who hails from Cookeville, TN, made three of the Spartans’ four 3-pointers, finishing 3-of-8 from deep, with all but one of her field goals coming from beyond the arc (4-of-11).
Film room
The excitement and anticipation were high on Monday, Jan. 27 when No. 2 South Carolina visited Knoxville to take on the new-look, revitalized Tennessee Lady Vols. Ranked No. 18 in this week’s AP Poll, Tennessee had suffered two straight losses, including an 80-76 loss on Jan. 23 at then No. 7 Texas without head coach Kim Caldwell. Caldwell returned just seven days after giving birth to her first son Conor to be on the sidelines for the home battle with South Carolina, one that everyone would say was set to be pivotal game in this year’s SEC race.
On paper, this matchup was a contrast in numbers — the top scoring team in the league against one of the best defenses in the SEC. Through 20 games, Tennessee has the top-ranked offense in the conference at 91.8 points per game, but South Carolina would prove to be a challenge unlike most they have seen this year. The Gamecocks currently are second in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing just 55.5 points per game and own the league’s best defensive field goal percentage (33.7%). An announced attendance of over 12,000, mostly clad in orange and white, were ready for the battle.
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The Lady Vols led after quarter one, 14-13, but that was their highest quarter output until the final 10 minutes (24 points in the fourth). South Carolina held Tennessee close to 30 points under their season average and, with their balanced scoring and aggressive defense, picked up a key road win in the SEC 70-63. Tennessee went just 3-for-26 from behind the arc and only two players hit double figures. They out-rebounded the Gamecocks 49-40, but did not have an answer for 6’3 freshman Joyce Edwards who came in off the bench for South Carolina to post 18 points in 29 minutes. Four others hit double-figures for defending national champions, including 10 points and seven boards from junior forward Chloe Kitts.
South Carolina has now won 15 straight since their November loss to No. 1 UCLA. Up next for the Gamecocks is a Feb. 2 matchup with Auburn. Tennessee’s losing streak extends to three as they regroup to play at Missouri on Feb. 2 and then host No. 6 UConn on Feb. 6.
A quick shoutout to Coach Caldwell and all the women out there every day who give birth and return to work sooner than a doctor may advise. We know by experience how hard childbirth is and we can only hope that a long, hot shower and a window of at least three hours of sleep is in your future.
Full court press
Long days and longer nights are what we are in for in the month of February. We all start to feel the weight of the winter blues, and it often comes with the annual cough and cold that can hang on for weeks. So, grab your hand sanitizer, stay hydrated and get plenty of rest. There is an old wives’ tales that says, if you put Vicks VapoRub on your feet at night, you will feel better in the morning. We recommend both hot tea and great games that are coming up, so check your local listings for game times and broadcast availability:
Jan. 29:
Army at Colgate
North Dakota State at R/V South Dakota State
Arizona State at No. 24 Oklahoma State
R/V Michigan at Wisconsin
Miami (OH) at Toledo
R/V Creighton at Georgetown
Jan. 30:
No. 3 Notre Dame at Virginia Tech
Oregon at No. 16 Michigan State
Marist at Siena
No. 13 Oklahoma at No. 7 LSU
No. 22 Alabama at No. 13 Kentucky
Quinnipiac at Fairfield
Iowa State at No. 11 K-State
Missouri at No. 5 Texas
Western Kentucky at UTEP
R/V Minnesota at No. 4 USC
No. 15 UNC at No. 19 Cal
Jan. 31:
Missouri State at Bradley
Columbia at R/V Harvard
Arizona at R/V Utah
William & Mary at Elon
Feb. 1:
No. 24 Oklahoma State at No. 21 West Virginia
UCSB at Long Beach State
Holy Cross at Lehigh
North Texas at South Florida
Murray State at Belmont
Middle Tennessee at UTEP
R/V South Dakota State at Omaha
Feb. 2:
No. 11 K-State at Kansas
Auburn at No. 2 South Carolina
No. 3 Notre Dame at Louisville
R/V Nebraska at Indiana
Illinois at No. No. 14 Maryland
R/V Minnesota at No. 1 UCLA
No. 4 USC at Iowa
No. 15 UNC at Stanford
No. 9 TCU at Iowa State
No. 12 Kentucky at No. 13 Oklahoma
No. 5 Texas at Texas A&M
Feb. 3:
No. 10 Duke at No. 17 NC State
Florida at Arkansas
NC Central at Norfolk State
South Carolina St. at Howard
Weber State at Northern Arizona
Feb. 4:
Eastern Illinois at SIU Edwardsville
North Texas at UTSA
Colorado State at New Mexico
*All statistics cited in this column are sourced from university and conference-provided statistics
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Written by Missy Heidrick
I am a retired Kansas State shooting guard and spent almost 20 years working in Higher Education and Division 1 athletics. I am currently a basketball analyst for television and radio, contributing correspondent at The Next, Locked on Women's Basketball podcast host, WBB Naismith Award board of selectors member and run my own consulting business. I am a proud mother of two and wife to a patient husband who is almost as big of a sports junkie as I am!
