The curse of the No. 2 ranking continues. After I waxed poetic on the virtues of NC State’s season last week, the Wolfpack lost their first game at full strength, proving no match for two-time ACC player of the year, Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley. The AP’s second-ranked team didn’t fare much better, as Iowa had a bewildering fourth quarter in Lincoln and blew a 14-point lead to the Cornhuskers. Colorado didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to move up; the Buffaloes were down by 25 at home to Oregon State before mounting a futile fourth-quarter comeback.
Perhaps the second-best team in the country is the one that sits on South Carolina’s bench. The Gamecocks had a comfortable outing against UConn, winning their fourth straight against Geno Auriemma’s bunch and earning their 26th consecutive double-digit home victory. They did so despite missing starting center Kamilla Cardoso, who was competing for Brazil in the Olympic qualifying tournament. Ashlyn Watkins ably stepped into the starting role, tallying 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Watkins also helped limit the Huskies to 37 percent shooting, including 10 of 23 directly at the rim. Her second-unit partner Tessa Johnson drained two triples off the bench, outsourcing UConn’s reserves by herself…
