Games I wish I'd seen: 24 November 2013

Thanksgiving week is here, and Wednesday and Thursday are going to be low-calorie days for women's college basketball.  Likewise, I'll be on the road too to celebrate the holidays, so you might find this column taking a hiatus (unless someone else wants to contribute, hint, hint) while everyone is undoing the latches on their belts and asking for another slice of pumpkin pies.

But this three-day week is ostensibly a work week, and teams were active across the USA.  Here are the games that I'd wish I'd seen.

Louisvlle (6-0) beats Florida State (4-1) 69-59 in overtime at home.  Both teams had an unbeaten reputation on the line but the Seminoles only started seven players.  This is the second time in the last three games that the Cardinals have needed an overtime to get the win.  Florida State almost won the game in regulation, but missed the three-pointer that would have put them ahead.  (Of course, Florida State's 26 turnovers didn't help.)

Some highlights:

Georgia (5-0) beats Georgia Tech (2-2) 63-56 at home.  This is always an interesting in-state rivalry game that seems to go back and forth every year.  The Bulldogs led by 11 at one point in the second half but the Yellow Jackets managed to whittle it down to a 3-point lead with 4:27 to go and a 3-pointer by junior guard Sydney Wallace closed Georgia Tech to 60-56 with 37 seconds left.  Unfortunately for Georgia Tech, they went 0-2 on their final two shots.  Georgia senior guard Khaalidah Miller led all players with 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting.

UCLA (2-2) beat #10 Oklahoma (4-2) 82-76 at home.  Fouls hurt the Sooners, and those fouls translated to 36 visits to the free throw line by the Bruins, who hit 23 of them.  (Three Oklahoma players would foul out).  UCLA senior forward Atonye Nyingifa would score 28 points and 16 rebounds (with six assists), both career highs.  UCLA sophomore guard Nirra Fields's 27 points was also a career high.  At one point Oklahoma led 30-16, but for a third straight game Oklahoma has been out-rebounded by their opponent - UCLA's rebounding advantage was 45-25.