Monique faces Monique on Saturday

FRIDAY @ C.C.

-Rutgers visits the Bucket Saturday

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-LIT action/results

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Monique is coming to town. As in Monique Oliver, the sophomore center for C.Vivian Stringer's Rutgers womens' basketball team.

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Monique is already in town and waiting. As in Monique Reid, junior forward for Jeff Walz's Lady Cards.

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The Saturday matchup at 6 p.m. will be a good one. The Scarlet Knights, fresh off a loss to visiting Connecticut 63-44 on Wednesday, are looking for their sixth win in seven BIG EAST contests. Louisville...who fell by eleven on the road to Marquette...is hoping for a win to keep from going to 4-4 in conference play. For the Cards to be successful, they'll need to stop Monique and get a big game out of Monique. Let's look at the visiting Monique...

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"She's going to be a big time player," head coach C.Vivian Stringer notes. "I knew the minute she signed with us. I don't normally make that kind of comment about a player. She was sharing time last year. She knows it's her time now."

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And, she has responded. A 27 point performance at Syracuse against standout center Kayla Alexander in a Rutgers win. 21 points and 17 rebounds in another upset win over Georgetown.

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"She realizes that she can take over a game now." says junior guard Khadijah Rushdan. Her sophomore year has brought a knowledge and maturity that benefits the Scarlet Knights.

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"Last season, I was just trying to get to know the program and do what coach Stringer asked. This year, I'm more focused and confident." Oliver reveals. She's not the only Scarlet Knight that is on the improve, either.

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Guard Rushdan is averaging 14 points a game and 3 point specialist April Sykes (no relation) is in double figures also for Rutgers. Add forward Chelsey Lee to the mix and Rutgers can hurt you several different ways. They'll most likely try to use their power game inside and the pressure defense that is a staple of Stringer coached teams to control the pace against the free-wheeling Cards and keep the score in the sixties.

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Louisville will try to counter with the dangerous transition game that allows the Cards to score in waves against opponents. They must find a way to compete on the boards, however...something that Louisville has had trouble with in losses to Notre Dame, Connecticut and Marquette. Monique Reid will find the going tough in the paint against the aggressive Scarlet Knight front line and if the Cards are to pull this one out...the 3 point shooting of Becky Burke, Shoni Schimmel, Tia Gibbs and Antonita Slaughter will have to be clicking.

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Should be a fun one. It's "White Out" night...so if you go, dress accordingly.

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(some information for this article is from nj.com)

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Action continues in the Republic Bank LIT Tournament. Thursday's scores:

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#1 Manual 68 - Assumption 55

#2 Mercy 52 - Bullitt East 43

#10 Sacred Heart 57 - J'Town 42

#11 Butler 57 - Christian Academy 40

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Four games on tap for Friday.

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#2 Mercy vs. #.7 Marion County 4 p.m.

#10 Sacred Heart vs. #9 Scott County 5:30 p.m.

#1 Manual vs. Owensboro Catholic 7 p.m.

#11 Butler vs. #6 Boone County 8:30 p.m.

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The action is heating up...so head over to Knights Gym at Bellarmine today to catch four excellent matchups.

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