NEW YORK — Top-ranked Notre Dame cruised to an easy win in its opener. The rest of the Top 25 didn’t face much of a challenge either.
That will change Monday night as eight of the top 12 teams in The Associated Press women’s college basketball poll will square off against each other in four tasty early season matchups.
The Irish won their first game by 60 points to remain the top choice in the poll released Monday, the first of the regular season. They received 14 first-place votes from a 33-member national media panel, holding on to their slim four-point lead over Baylor. Notre Dame hosts Fordham in the second round of the Preseason WNIT on Monday night.
The Lady Bears, who garnered 12 first-place ballots, have a much tougher game as they host No. 9 UCLA. Third-ranked UConn visits No. 12 Florida State.
In other games between top teams Monday, No. 4 South Carolina plays seventh-ranked Ohio State and eight-ranked Texas heads to 11th-ranked Stanford.
“There certainly are a lot of great games early on,” UCLA coach Cori Close said in early November at a national media day held at ESPN. “Teams are challenging themselves.”
The Huskies, who have won four straight national championships and 75 consecutive games, host Baylor on Thursday. Geno Auriemma’s team will play six of the other top eight teams in the country over the course of the regular season.