Guru's College Report: Laney Debut Powers Rutgers Over California
By Mel Greenberg
PIDCATAWAY, N.J. – On game day Hall of Fame Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer prefers her freshmen do their talking on the court.
Paced by Betnijah Laney’s 18 points, the Scarlet Knights’ newcomers had plenty to say in a 73-70 win over California at the Rutgers Athletic Center Sunday, which was the season opener for both teams.
The total is the most by a Rutgers true freshman in her first game since Usha Gilmore poured down 20 points in 1996.
"She was ready to play," Stringer said of the daughter of former all-American Yolanda Laney out of Philadelphia’s University City High who played for Stringer when she coached at Cheyney. "She's a great competitor. I thought all the freshmen really contributed in a big way. She shot 19 times, but she really didn't shoot 19 times. She had layups and put herself in a good place."
In recent years, injuries and unforeseen departures have caused roster shortages to the point of limiting Stringer’s feared “55” press to avoid expending too much energy.
But even though senior Chelsey Lee being lost for the season with a shoulder injury, the abundance of bodies enabled Stringer to unleash her defensive scheme wire to wire, though Rutgers didn’t pull away until the outset of the second half with a 19-2 run.
"We have 10 people and that's a luxury we never have," said Stringer, whose Scarlet Knights get another early test Wednesday night when Boston College makes a non-conference visit.
"We applied pressure and ultimately most teams are going to wear down. The people who came in the second half, you saw the spark they gave us."
Monique Oliver paced the upper classwomen matching Laney’s 18 point total while Erica Wheeler scored 14 points and April Sykes got 12 for the Rutgers veterans.
The contest also marked the debut of Golden Bears’ coach Lindsey Gottlieb, who moved from her UC Santa Barbara position back to Cal, where she had been an associate head coach to Joanne Boyle, who is now at Virginia.
Gottlieb’s departure enabled former Rutgers associate head coach Carlene Mitchell to replace Gottlieb with the Gauchos and when that fact was related to her about the close degrees of separation, Gottlieb laughed, noting “She even bought my house.”
Four Cal players scored in double figures and Gennifer Brandon had a double double with 12 points and 15 rebounds.
Gottlieb was not thrilled with the loss but was satisfied with the effort of her players saying she would rather be in the kind of game played Sunday “then winning by 40 points in our gym.”
Many teams in the top 25 and beyond are easing into the season with those kind of games such as No. 4 UConn’s campus-opening 77-37 win against Holy Cross.
The game marked the return of Germantown Academy graduate Caroline Doty, who missed last season with her third knee injury, including one that also cut short her true freshman season with UConn.
Although the Huskies beat writers are referring to the opening games as the start of the post-Maya Moore era, it won’t be long before someone else will likely take over the central role, if not Moore’s total talented basketball traits.
One game among top 25 teams that was interesting was No. 11 Maryland’s 72-53 rout of No. 10 Georgetown at the Terrapins’ Comcast Center where the Hoyas from nearby Washington pulled a second round upset in the NCAA tournament last season while also beating Maryland at home last November.
Apparently whatever punishment Maryland coach Brenda Frese has levied against senior Lynetta Kizer could now be considered more serious.
Kizer, who has been benched for an indefinite period for breaking a team rule, did not play in the Terrapins’ two easy preseason wins and Friday night’s season and home opening triumph against Loyola of Maryland.
But Sunday Kizer could have been considered a weapon that could be needed against the Hoyas but based on the result maybe not.
Villanova coach Harry Perretta got a day to enjoy his 600th victory obtained Saturday with a win over host Iona in the Gaels’ tournament in New Rochelle, N.Y., after pulling an upset over No. 25 Michigan State (coaches’ poll) on Friday.
But besides the milestone, the Wildcats have a new look – speed.
“Actually, though, we were having trouble scoring so we had to go back to the old way of doing things,” Perretta said of the strategy against Iona.
Still, the Wildcats put over 70 points on the scoreboard in two straight games heading into Wednesday’s trip to perennial Metro Atlantic Athletic Contest favorite Marist.
Many of the Red Foxes, who have played against Nova the last several seasons, came over from nearby Poughkeepsie to watch and were impressed by Villanova’s new look and the ability to score in someone else’s gym.
Meanwhile, among teams of interest in the Philadelphia area, St. Joseph’s shook off Friday’s wretched ball-handling defeat at two-time defending champion Princeton to grab a 66-48 win over Lehigh in the Hawks’ home opener Sunday at Hagan Arena.
Senior Katie Kuester had 14 points as St. Joseph’s now stays out of action until a weekend trip to Vermont to meet Dartmouth Friday and the host Catamounts Saturday.
Princeton travels to Lafayette up in Easton Monday night and will host Villanova Saturday.
Penn State, which might move up at least one spot from No. 12 in the Associated Press poll, rallied Sunday with a 0-6 run late in the game to beat Middle Tennessee 65-49 and win their own Lady Lion Classic at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College.
Germantown Academy graduate Maggie Lucas, a sophomore, was named the MVP of the tournament.
The win sets up a major showdown Thursday night when Penn State travels to Colonial Athletics Association favorite Delaware at the Bob Carpenter Center.
The Blue Hens routed Rhode Island in their season opener at home Friday night as junior all-American sensation Elena Delle Donne scored 33 points, including 28 in the first half.
The game is the only Division I event slated locally that night.
La Salle couldn’t sustain Friday’s season and home opening win against Lehigh Sunday, losing on the road at Albany 81-76.
Brittany Wilson scored 17 points for the Explorers, who travel to St. John’s Wednesday night and then host Rutgers Saturday night.
Newcomer Jayda Payne scored 16 points, while freshman Jordan Mosley also scored 16, along with grabbing nine rebounds, while veteran Nadia Duncan scored 11 points.
Albany’s Julie Foster was a force for the Great Danes with 26 points and 20 rebounds.
Penn, looking to make more strides under third-year coach Mike McLaughlin, opened at home at The Palestra, beating St. Francis of New York 70-61 in overtime Sunday as sophomore Alyssa Baron picked up from her standout freshman season with 27 points.
The Quakers next host Friday Saturday at The Palestra.
After being shocked by Long Island Friday night in the first round of the WNIT at home, Drexel will go through the tournament’s consolation bracket playing at Akron Friday against Detroit and then on Saturday meeting either Akron or Howard depending on Friday’s outcomes.
Temple got off on the right foot Friday night with a win against Miami of Ohio and now the Owls head out on the six-game road trip highlighted by meeting defending NCAA champion Texas A&M in the Caribbean.
But first comes the sentimental journey against Northeastern Tuesday night in Boston, not far from Roxbury, Mass., the home of Temple coach Tonya Cardoza and senior Shey Peddy.
Then it’s on to Ohio State Friday night, at Northern Illinois Sunday, followed by the Bahamas trip the following weekend against the Aggies and either St. John’s or Iowa before wrapping up on Nov. 30 at Rutgers, which should be a dandy.
The Guru will return in the next 24 hours.
-- Mel
PIDCATAWAY, N.J. – On game day Hall of Fame Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer prefers her freshmen do their talking on the court.
Paced by Betnijah Laney’s 18 points, the Scarlet Knights’ newcomers had plenty to say in a 73-70 win over California at the Rutgers Athletic Center Sunday, which was the season opener for both teams.
The total is the most by a Rutgers true freshman in her first game since Usha Gilmore poured down 20 points in 1996.
"She was ready to play," Stringer said of the daughter of former all-American Yolanda Laney out of Philadelphia’s University City High who played for Stringer when she coached at Cheyney. "She's a great competitor. I thought all the freshmen really contributed in a big way. She shot 19 times, but she really didn't shoot 19 times. She had layups and put herself in a good place."
In recent years, injuries and unforeseen departures have caused roster shortages to the point of limiting Stringer’s feared “55” press to avoid expending too much energy.
But even though senior Chelsey Lee being lost for the season with a shoulder injury, the abundance of bodies enabled Stringer to unleash her defensive scheme wire to wire, though Rutgers didn’t pull away until the outset of the second half with a 19-2 run.
"We have 10 people and that's a luxury we never have," said Stringer, whose Scarlet Knights get another early test Wednesday night when Boston College makes a non-conference visit.
"We applied pressure and ultimately most teams are going to wear down. The people who came in the second half, you saw the spark they gave us."
Monique Oliver paced the upper classwomen matching Laney’s 18 point total while Erica Wheeler scored 14 points and April Sykes got 12 for the Rutgers veterans.
The contest also marked the debut of Golden Bears’ coach Lindsey Gottlieb, who moved from her UC Santa Barbara position back to Cal, where she had been an associate head coach to Joanne Boyle, who is now at Virginia.
Gottlieb’s departure enabled former Rutgers associate head coach Carlene Mitchell to replace Gottlieb with the Gauchos and when that fact was related to her about the close degrees of separation, Gottlieb laughed, noting “She even bought my house.”
Four Cal players scored in double figures and Gennifer Brandon had a double double with 12 points and 15 rebounds.
Gottlieb was not thrilled with the loss but was satisfied with the effort of her players saying she would rather be in the kind of game played Sunday “then winning by 40 points in our gym.”
Many teams in the top 25 and beyond are easing into the season with those kind of games such as No. 4 UConn’s campus-opening 77-37 win against Holy Cross.
The game marked the return of Germantown Academy graduate Caroline Doty, who missed last season with her third knee injury, including one that also cut short her true freshman season with UConn.
Although the Huskies beat writers are referring to the opening games as the start of the post-Maya Moore era, it won’t be long before someone else will likely take over the central role, if not Moore’s total talented basketball traits.
One game among top 25 teams that was interesting was No. 11 Maryland’s 72-53 rout of No. 10 Georgetown at the Terrapins’ Comcast Center where the Hoyas from nearby Washington pulled a second round upset in the NCAA tournament last season while also beating Maryland at home last November.
Apparently whatever punishment Maryland coach Brenda Frese has levied against senior Lynetta Kizer could now be considered more serious.
Kizer, who has been benched for an indefinite period for breaking a team rule, did not play in the Terrapins’ two easy preseason wins and Friday night’s season and home opening triumph against Loyola of Maryland.
But Sunday Kizer could have been considered a weapon that could be needed against the Hoyas but based on the result maybe not.
Villanova coach Harry Perretta got a day to enjoy his 600th victory obtained Saturday with a win over host Iona in the Gaels’ tournament in New Rochelle, N.Y., after pulling an upset over No. 25 Michigan State (coaches’ poll) on Friday.
But besides the milestone, the Wildcats have a new look – speed.
“Actually, though, we were having trouble scoring so we had to go back to the old way of doing things,” Perretta said of the strategy against Iona.
Still, the Wildcats put over 70 points on the scoreboard in two straight games heading into Wednesday’s trip to perennial Metro Atlantic Athletic Contest favorite Marist.
Many of the Red Foxes, who have played against Nova the last several seasons, came over from nearby Poughkeepsie to watch and were impressed by Villanova’s new look and the ability to score in someone else’s gym.
Meanwhile, among teams of interest in the Philadelphia area, St. Joseph’s shook off Friday’s wretched ball-handling defeat at two-time defending champion Princeton to grab a 66-48 win over Lehigh in the Hawks’ home opener Sunday at Hagan Arena.
Senior Katie Kuester had 14 points as St. Joseph’s now stays out of action until a weekend trip to Vermont to meet Dartmouth Friday and the host Catamounts Saturday.
Princeton travels to Lafayette up in Easton Monday night and will host Villanova Saturday.
Penn State, which might move up at least one spot from No. 12 in the Associated Press poll, rallied Sunday with a 0-6 run late in the game to beat Middle Tennessee 65-49 and win their own Lady Lion Classic at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College.
Germantown Academy graduate Maggie Lucas, a sophomore, was named the MVP of the tournament.
The win sets up a major showdown Thursday night when Penn State travels to Colonial Athletics Association favorite Delaware at the Bob Carpenter Center.
The Blue Hens routed Rhode Island in their season opener at home Friday night as junior all-American sensation Elena Delle Donne scored 33 points, including 28 in the first half.
The game is the only Division I event slated locally that night.
La Salle couldn’t sustain Friday’s season and home opening win against Lehigh Sunday, losing on the road at Albany 81-76.
Brittany Wilson scored 17 points for the Explorers, who travel to St. John’s Wednesday night and then host Rutgers Saturday night.
Newcomer Jayda Payne scored 16 points, while freshman Jordan Mosley also scored 16, along with grabbing nine rebounds, while veteran Nadia Duncan scored 11 points.
Albany’s Julie Foster was a force for the Great Danes with 26 points and 20 rebounds.
Penn, looking to make more strides under third-year coach Mike McLaughlin, opened at home at The Palestra, beating St. Francis of New York 70-61 in overtime Sunday as sophomore Alyssa Baron picked up from her standout freshman season with 27 points.
The Quakers next host Friday Saturday at The Palestra.
After being shocked by Long Island Friday night in the first round of the WNIT at home, Drexel will go through the tournament’s consolation bracket playing at Akron Friday against Detroit and then on Saturday meeting either Akron or Howard depending on Friday’s outcomes.
Temple got off on the right foot Friday night with a win against Miami of Ohio and now the Owls head out on the six-game road trip highlighted by meeting defending NCAA champion Texas A&M in the Caribbean.
But first comes the sentimental journey against Northeastern Tuesday night in Boston, not far from Roxbury, Mass., the home of Temple coach Tonya Cardoza and senior Shey Peddy.
Then it’s on to Ohio State Friday night, at Northern Illinois Sunday, followed by the Bahamas trip the following weekend against the Aggies and either St. John’s or Iowa before wrapping up on Nov. 30 at Rutgers, which should be a dandy.
The Guru will return in the next 24 hours.
-- Mel
posted by Mel Greenberg | 5:17 AM
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