College GameDay recap

January 27, 2023
Last night’s women’s courts were full of main-stage matchups, but even amidst a slate of four ranked pairings, the No. 5 UConn Huskies trip to Tennessee is the one to know. Just ask “College GameDay.”
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College GameDay recap
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The GIST: Last night’s women’s courts were full of main-stage matchups, but even amidst a slate of four ranked pairings, the No. 5 UConn Huskies trip to Tennessee is the one to know. Just ask “College GameDay.”

We Back Pat: Though Tennessee’s Lady Vols aren’t having the season they expected, and they indeed fell 84–67 to their historic rival Huskies, last night’s bout was bigger than ball. The game was part of the “We Back Pat” initiative, which honors women’s hoops trailblazer and legendary head coach (HC) Pat Summitt, who passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2016.

  • The only HC with more NCAA women’s ’ships than Summitt? UConn HC Geno Auriemma, who has 11 to Summitt’s eight. He was also the first person to ever donate to the Pat Summitt Foundation, which aims to find a cure for Alzheimer’s. Class act.

Best of the rest: The gals brought some drama to last night’s courts, with both No. 16 Duke and unranked Purdue upsetting No. 12 Virginia Tech and No. 22 Illinois, respectively. And though they didn’t suffer an upset, No. 13 Michigan probably felt upset — the Wolverines posted their first back-to-back losses of the season after dropping 72–64 to No. 10 Maryland.

A Sooner (not later) record-breaker: Though unranked Texas scored the big 78–58 upset dub over No. 14 Oklahoma on Wednesday, it was Sooners guard Taylor Robertson who leveled up in NCAA history. The fifth-year senior tied the Division I career three-point record, doing it in fewer games and attempts than the player she tied — former Ohio State star Kelsey Mitchell.

  • Catch Robertson pull ahead for the beyond-the-arc title when Oklahoma battles a tough No. 18 Iowa State squad tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

Elsewhere in men’s hoops: Texas A&M may have snapped No. 15 Auburn’s 28-game win streak with a 79–63 upset Wednesday night, but the biggest men’s win this week went to Georgetown. The Hoyas beat DePaul 81–76 Tuesday night to finally earn their first Big East dub since March 2021 and end a 29-game skid that was the longest in conference history.

  • Also cutting losses? UW-Green Bay. The school fired HC Will Ryan this week after the Phoenix's 11th straight loss. Ryan’s dismal 15-61 record in two and a half seasons is a disappointment to UW fans and maybe to Ryan’s dad, longtime Wisconsin HC Bo Ryan. Cringe.