The Guru Report: Villanova Beats Georgia to Win One For the Aged

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

VILLANOVA, Pa. — In December, 1986, Georgia women’s basketball coach Joni Taylor was but seven years old while all-time great Teresa Edwards, who was here in Finneran Pavilion, was a season removed from her signature collegiate career with the Bulldogs. 

And likely the entire group of parents of the current squad based in Athens had yet to start dating each other.

In other words, veteran Wildcats coach Harry Perretta had the Bulldogs out of the Southeastern Conference right where he wanted them Friday night when it comes to minimizing personal experience going up against his unique combination of firing three-pointers and executing his motion offenses.

Of course the long-range attempts still have to connect and connect nine of them did compared to just one on the Georgia side. That was the  key differential to produce a 62-56 victory allowing Villanova (8-2) to avenge its foremother of 32 seasons ago who lost 71-60 in the only other meeting between the two programs which was in the title game of the Texaco-Wildcats Christmas Classic in tiny Jake Nevin Field House.

An interesting sponsor, by the way, considering the home team is not known for known for massive fuel consumption from racing up and down the court.

Though Edwards may have graduated when that game was played, another Hall of Fame great in Katrina McClain still had eligibility. (An aside, the Guru knows what you are thinking, yes he covered the game).

Back to the present, to hear both sides tell it, mark Friday night as a teach-teach proposition for both sides.

“Beating Georgia, especially, they’re a very athletic team, they’re different than the other teams we’ll see in the Big East but they’re going to win at least 20 games and that’s important for us going down the road,” said Kelly Jekot, who had another standout performance with a game-high 20 points, shooting 7-for-10 from the field, including 3-for-4 on attempted treys. She also had seven rebounds.

Adriana Hahn had 11 points, while Jannah Tucker, whose collegiate career began at Tennessee in the SEC before transferring here, had eight points as did Emily Esposito.

The play of Esposito, shooting 4-for-5 from the field off the bench, was gratifying in giving Perretta some support from beyond the starters, of which Grace Stant had two treys to account for her six points.

The Wildcats, who are 5-0 at home, have won five straight overall and are 20-4 against non-conference foes the last two seasons, including a second round loss last March at eventual national champion Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament when the Irish surged in the second half.

The one non-conference game remaining outside the Big East is Jan. 16 when Villanova visits Penn at The Palestra, where a win earns an outright Big Five title. A loss will mean a two or three way loss with the Quakers and or Temple if the Owls beat La Salle and Penn.

A Wildcats loss to Penn and an ensuing Quakers win the following week over Temple earns their first-ever outright title after sharing two previous ones, including last season courtesy of an rare upset of Villanova that was achieved here next door in Nevin in a tightly-fought contest.

In Friday’s matchup, Georgia (6-4) took an early seven-point lead but a pair of consecutive three balls got the Wildcats back to a level playing court at 10-10 and Villanova went on to build a 14-point lead before things got away a bit in the closing minutes.

Georgia had been ranked earlier last month and while the Wildcats’ triumph may not have the immediate value of the upset of Duke last season, its still worthy to greatly enjoy over the next 14-day break until Villanova hosts its Big East opener here Dec. 29 against Butler at 8 p.m.

“Harry tries to get us one Top 20 game each year to see where we’re at,” Jekot said.

“I’m really glad everybody on our team showed up today to play.”

Villanova is now 5-9 against SEC schools, and Hahn has been hot from beyond the arc in five recent games, shooting 15-for-31 (.483). 

Stephanie Paul had 19 points and seven rebounds for Georgia while Gabby Conally scored 12, Jenna Staiti scored 10, and Taja Cole grabbed nine rebounds.

Though coaches over the years have said not even film can help players much who are experiencing the Wildcats first time, Taylor could have gotten some advice from assistant Chelsea Newton who played against Villanova for Rutgers in the old Big East, or in her home from her husband Darius Taylor, an assistant on the WNBA Atlanta Dream who spent time on Dawn Staley’s staff when they were at Temple.

“They’re someone who plays a different style of basketball, and you can show it to them, you can talk about it, but until you get out here, it’s different,” Georgia’s Taylor said of Villanova.

“But it’s good for us. We needed another test on the road. And it’s something we’re going to have to go back home and learn from.”

Perretta was pleased to have the game plan bear fruit once again.

“The three-point ball was the difference,” he said. “I knew we would get outrebounded. I knew we would get outscored inside. I knew they would go to the foul line more. (9-for-25 vs. 7-for-7). We have to make three-point shots to win. That’s what we did.

  “Esposito was fantastic. Grace Stant is shooting it better. Things are really working well for us right now.”

The game was the only one on the Guru’s local D-1 composite slate during the annual period of finals and looming holidays.

“I was talking to Harry before the game,” Jekot said. “A few of us were in the conference room doing work until 5 o’clock and he said, `That only happens here and Princeton. You don’t see a lot of (teams) elsewhere doing homework before the game.’”

Nationally Notable: Hatchell Sets ACC Mark

North Carolina’s 83-62 win over UNC Greensboro at home in Chapel Hill brought Hall of Fame coach Sylvia Hatchell’s victory total to 740-314 in her 33 seasons with the Tar Heels, giving her an all-time best for wins as a coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

She topped the previous holder, former Virginia coach Debbie Ryan, a Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer.

UNC is currently 7-4 and UNCCG fell to 4-5.

Last season Hatchell reached 1,000 victories, the same day the magic number was achieved by UConn’s Geno Auriemma, also a Naismith Hall of Famer. Her overall total is 1,012-394 in 44 seasons. 

Looking Ahead: La Salle Goes For Two Straight

Four games are on the local slate Saturday, with La Salle (1-8) hosting St. John’s at 2 p.m. at Tom Gola Arena. New coach Mountain MacGillivray had his first head coaching victory on Sunday against Norfolk State.

Rider will be at Bucknell at 2 p.m., Princeton hosts Marist at 5 p.m., and Rutgers will host LSU at 4 p.m.

Nationally, some tantalizing matchups have No. 3 Baylor at No. 11 Stanford at 3 p.m., No. 10 North Carolina State hosting Maine at 6, and No. 19 Marquette hosting Green Bay at 3.

On Sunday, Drexel finally comes home, hosting Gardner-Webb at 2 p.m. while Penn State hosts American U at 2, the Lady Lions’ last non-conference game before beginning their conference slate in the Big Ten. 

Nationally No. 8 Oregon State meets Texas A&M in Hawaii. No. 25 South Carolina is at Purdue at 3 p.m. where the Gamecocks are looking to avoid being bounced from the AP Women’s Poll one season and six weeks removed from winning the NCAA title.

That may be a dubious dinstinction and it would be up there, but not the worst. Who is? You’d be surprised but it certainly isn’t outrgeous in terms of roster transition. Come back later this weekend to find out besides roundups the next two days.

And that’s the report.