Women’s basketball in the Atlantic 10 Conference is in the midst of a stretch of streaks. Teams are getting hot – and some cold – at a critical point in the season. Each week, the Good Five Cent Cigar sports staff ranks the 15 teams in the conference.
Here is how the A-10 is shaping up as of Feb. 10:
15th Place: St. Bonaventure University Bonnies (5-19, 1-12) (-)
As predicted last week, the Bonnies’ matchup against George Washington University was competitive but ultimately not enough to break the team’s now nine-game losing streak. Adding on a blowout loss to the University of Massachusetts gives no reason to suggest anything besides last place in this week’s rankings.
St. Bonaventure won’t return to action until Sunday, taking on Davidson College. The Wildcats won by 38 points when the teams met earlier in the season; don’t be surprised to see an even bigger margin of victory this time around.
14th Place: La Salle University Explorers (8-18, 2-11) (-1)
La Salle is right back on a losing streak; two more double-digit losses this week will drop them down a spot as George Washington jumps ahead.
Second-year guard Aryss Macktoon returned for the first time since December in the Explorers’ last game against Saint Louis University. She averaged double-digit scoring as a starter before getting injured, and her return could help La Salle finish on a high note for its final five games.
13th Place: Loyola University Chicago Ramblers (11-13, 3-10) (-1)
Loyola Chicago had its work cut out this week against two of the top teams in the conference, and no surprise results came the Ramblers’ way. In their last game, Saint Joseph’s University handed Loyola a 38-point loss.
The Ramblers should get back to competitive games in the week ahead. George Washington and Duquesne University might be just the opponents needed for Loyola Chicago to climb up the standings.
12th Place: George Washington University Revolutionaries (10-13, 3-9) (+2)
George Washington surprised everyone with a 69-59 win over Fordham University to snap an eight-game losing streak. The Revolutionaries showed it wasn’t a fluke with a 58-49 win over St. Bonaventure to close the week.
Back-to-back conference wins didn’t seem in the cards, but here we are. If GW can somehow keep it up against Loyola Chicago and the University of Dayton, you can expect some serious movement in next week’s power rankings.
11th Place: Virginia Commonwealth University Rams (10-14, 4-8) (-1)
Virginia Commonwealth University is now in a position to have to play in the first round of the A-10 tournament after starting conference play at 4-4.
The Rams lost their fourth straight this week against a strong George Mason University. Their next matchup is against Saint Louis which has had its own struggles this season, but is coming off a win ahead of Thursday’s game.
10th Place: Fordham University Rams (12-11, 6-6) (-1)
Despite also facing a four-game losing streak, Fordham have only fallen to .500 and have a strong buffer keeping them in position to receive the final first-round bye.
The Rams should right the ship against La Salle and have the ability to separate themselves in the standings back to where they had been before the skid.
9th Place: Saint Louis University Billikens (10-15, 4-8) (+2)
Saint Louis finished its week with a decisive win over La Salle and has benefited from other teams’ struggles in this week’s rankings. Should the trend continue, Saint Louis could sneak into the postseason with a first-round bye.
VCU is next and will be a chance for the Billikens to move up in the standings. The University of Richmond will be a much tougher test to close out the week.
8th Place: University of Massachusetts Minutewomen (13-11, 8-5) (-2)
UMass did what was expected against St. Bonaventure, but couldn’t keep its momentum against Davidson College. A four-game winning streak came to an end in a game that the Minutewomen were unable to crack 40 points. It is by far their worst offensive performance of conference play, having scored at least 50 points in every prior game.
The Minutewomen can return to form as they take on a Duquesne team next that has allowed the sixth-most points per game in conference play this season.
7th Place: University of Dayton Flyers (13-10, 7-5) (-3)
Dayton had one game in the past week and came up empty. The University of Rhode Island was dominant defensively, holding the Flyers to just four points in the second quarter.
Matchups against Davidson and George Washington lie ahead as the Flyers hope to get back in the mix for a double-bye.
6th Place: Davidson College Wildcats (13-11, 8-4) (+2)
Davidson is up to three wins in a row and building off of a dominant defensive performance in its last game against UMass. Boasting the fourth-best defense in conference play, the Wildcats are set up well if they keep up their momentum.
Dayton and St. Bonaventure are up next and shouldn’t be a problem against the Davidson team that we have seen as of late.
5th Place: Duquesne University Dukes (15-8, 6-6) (-)
Duquesne has dropped back-to-back games to Rhode Island and Richmond after a nice win streak put conference play back on track. The Dukes can thank their tough competition for keeping them in the top five.
After the crucial loss to Rhode Island, the road to a top-four seed is much more difficult. UMass and Loyola Chicago could be the perfect opponents for the upcoming week as Duquesne looks to make up ground.
4th Place: University of Rhode Island Rams (13-12, 8-4) (+3)
URI is our biggest mover this week after stringing together two convincing wins. A tight game against Duquesne was followed by a dominant defeat of Dayton.
Rhode Island has placed itself in a strong position to push for the fourth seed and coveted double-bye come tournament time. It will not be easy, though, as George Mason is a tall task. In their last meeting, the Rams gave the Explorers their tightest victory of conference play in a six-point defeat.
3rd Place: Saint Joseph’s University Hawks (20-4, 11-2) (-)
It is not crazy to say that the top three teams in this conference are set in stone for the rest of the season. All three are in the midst of impressive win streaks, and would have to see a monumental collapse to fall out of the top four.
Saint Joseph’s hasn’t had a team come within single digits of beating them since mid-January. The Hawks have a golden opportunity to move up in the rankings with their upcoming schedule. Conference-leading Richmond lies ahead as the team’s biggest test this season and lone matchup this week.
Third-year forward Laura Ziegler is flying high after scoring a program record and current conference-high 43 points in Saint Joseph’s last game against Loyola Chicago.
2nd Place: George Mason University Patriots (21-3, 11-2) (-)
George Mason continues to be just behind the top across the board. Second in the standings, second in offense, second in defense and second in margin of victory.
The Patriots have been doing everything they can control to be the top team in the conference, and perhaps the schedule will swing in their favor this week and help them make the jump. Still, Rhode Island and UMass are no slouches in the way of getting to a double-digit win streak.
1st Place: University of Richmond Spiders (20-5, 11-1) (-)
Richmond was the only A-10 team to receive votes in the latest Associated Press rankings, and for good reason. The Spiders continue to win and win big; the win streak is up to 10 games following 19-point and 24-point victories.
Somebody’s streak will have to end on Thursday with Richmond taking on Saint Joseph’s. The top offense in the conference going head-to-head with the top defense has the potential for one of the best regular season games that we’ll see in the A-10 this season.
