While watching Louisville's Angel McCoughtry glide through the lane and lay in two of her 33 points on Saturday, it was easy to notice her trademark Stretch Armstrong-like biceps and Predator-esque hair flowing behind her.
But with more careful observation, it was possible to see something a little more on the miraculous side: her wings. The 6-foot-1 forward certainly played like a divine force in the Cardinals 67-52 win over Cincinnati.
"Angel got hot," Cincinnati coach J. Kelley Hall said. "We tried to make her shoot from farther out and she said, 'I'm not having any of this.' That's what great players do."
McCoughtry won the Big East player of the year in her sophomore season and looks to be on pace to do it again. This year, she is averaging 22.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest while leading No. 8 Louisville to a 23-3 record. The Cardinals star also etched her name in the history books by breaking Louisville's all-time scoring record.
If the angelic McCoughtry can will her team to victory over No. 1 Connecticut, she might just make the history books again – this time as a miracle worker.
Down to the wire
Three Big East teams flirted with defeat on Saturday before narrowly coming away with victories.
Georgetown beat Providence 57-55, Villanova knocked off No. 25 DePaul 50-46 and Syracuse snuck past St. John's by the slimmest of margins, 79-78.
Villanova's win against DePaul pushed them to 9-2 in conference play for the first time since the 1994-'95 season. The heart-wrenching trio of games was highlighted by a double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds from Syracuse's Nicole Michael and a game winning basket with 0.01 seconds left from Georgetown's Shanice Fuller.
A Hall of Fame finalist
Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer has had an illustrious career and is now a breath away from being immortalized as one of the greats of the game.
She has been named one of the finalists for election to the Naismith Hall of Fame this year. Stringer is sharing the ballot with legends like Michael Jordan, David Robinson and Jerry Sloan. Not bad company.
Stringer has poured her soul into the game of basketball and has been rewarded with 818 career wins – good enough for third all-time in women's college hoops.
"To love something as much as I do the game of basketball," Stringer said, "and to even be considered for this amazing honor, it is truly humbling. I want to appreciate the moment."
The Hall of Fame Class of 2009 will be declared on April 6.
Player of the week
Last Tuesday night was a day of firsts. No. 19 Pittsburgh defeated Rutgers for the first time in 12 tries, and junior Sophronia Sallard posted a career high in points with 20 on 9-of-15 shooting.
Sallard is only averaging 6.6 points a game on the year, but was clutch when her team needed her to pull off one of the program's most monumental wins in history. Pittsburgh's unlikely hero was thrilled to be the catalyst.
"It was the best moment of my life," Sallard said.
Game of the week
Villanova at Pittsburgh,
Feb. 18, 6 p.m.
There's a theory that says a team can't win two emotionally draining games in a row. Both of these teams are coming off historic program wins, so something's got to give.
Common logic would suggest that the higher-ranked Pittsburgh team would win at home here, but Villanova is a scrappy bunch and is making its case for surprise team of the year.
The Panthers' secret weapon is sharpshooter Shayla Scott, who knocked in two overtime 3-pointers in their win over Rutgers. A Villanova win would certainly be a surprise here.