Guru Report: Explosive Wins for Penn and Rutgers While Oregon Upsets USA Nationals

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 VILLANOVA – Penn and Rutgers soared, Drexel added a quality win, while Villanova Here and La Salle at home suffered narrow setbacks.

 But the stunner of Saturday’s action came from the Northwest where Oregon, the nation’s top ranked collegiate women’s team, upset the USA squad, such as it is currently composed, 93-86, in a friendly, in Eugene.

 It’s the first time since 1999 and second overall that collegiate women beat the official USA squad though many of the post players who will eventually land a spot on the Olympic national team like Brittney Griner, Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart, and A’ja Wilson, did not play.

 It was the fourth and final stop on the West Coast swing for the Americans and two more are currently listed later in the collegiate season at Connecticut and Louisville.

 Immediately ahead is a FIBA pre-Olympic qualifying tournament in Argentina with a brief stop in Houston beforehand.

 The 1999 loss was at Tennessee, won when Kara Lawson hit a shot before regulation time expired.

 On Saturday, Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu, projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the next WNBA draft, scored 30 points, of which 25 came in the second half, while the Ducks’ Satou Sabally scored 25.

 The USA group got 19 points and 14 rebounds from Nneka Ogwumike, while Diana Taurasi scored 17, and Sylvia Fowles scored 11.

 Penn 92, Siena 44 – Visiting coach Ali Jaques knew her young Saints squad was going to have its hands full playing Penn in the Quakers’ season opener in The Palestra as opposed to last season when Siena lost back in Albany, N.Y., in a more competitive contest.

 “They may be the best team on our schedule,” the coach of the MAAC representative said.

 Her fears were quickly realized coming soon after a banner was dropped denoting Penn’s sixth regular season Ivy title. The Quakers finished tied with Princeton and then lost to the Tigers in the league’s third-annual tournament.

 Coach Mike McLaughlin’s squad bolted from the outset and went on to take a lopsided 57-17 lead at the half, the most points in a half in what has become the 11^th season in his era at Penn. 

The 48-point differential for the game is the widest against a Division I opponent since topping Ivy rival Cornell 74-26 on Jan. 31, 1981.

 The 92 game points are the most since a 92-80 victory over Ivy rival Yale in overtime on Feb. 2, 2001, and most in regulation since a 92-82 win over  Princeton on Jan. 8, 2000.

 Eleah Parker scored 21 points, while Mia Lakstigala had a career-high 18 points in 12 minutes of play, freshman Kayla Padilla had 14 points, and Michae Jones scored 10.

 Kennedy Suttle grabbed eight rebounds.

 Siena’s Sabrina Piper scored 21 points.

 Penn next visits NJIT in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

 Drexel 74, Davidson 63 – The Dragons (2-0) won their home opener, beating the Wildcats of the Atlantic 10 in the first round of preseason WNIT and move to the second round at Big East favorite p pgh – The Explorers (1-1) came up short in their homecoming weekend at Tom Gola Arena in Trumark Financial Center after grabbing a season opener on the road on Tuesday.

 Kayla Spruill had a career-high 19 points in the loss to the Colonials, who a year ago had beaten La Salle by 28 points.

 After the Explorers sent the game into overtime against Robert Morris (1-1), there were five lead changes in the extra period.

 Sofilia Ngwafang had 14 points and 12 rebounds in La Salle’s attack, while Jordon Lewis scored 10.

 Four Colonials scored in double figures, paced by Nneka Ezeigbo, who had 21 points and 12 rebounds.

The Explorers next on Friday at 7 host Harvard, which just upset Cal at home Friday night for a two-season home-and-home sweep of the Bears.

 Looking Ahead: Sunday’s local action has Princeton traveling to George Washington after the visiting Tigers won their season opener at home last week against Rider, while GW won at Villanova.

 Rider visits Penn State, which is coming into the contest over a rally win at Towson.

 The big national game has No. 8 South Carolina visiting No. 4 Maryland at 3 p.m.

 On Monday at 7 is the season’s first Big Five showdown with Temple (2-0) traveling to Saint Joseph’s (1-0), while now off of Saturday’s result Drexel is at DePaul at 8 in Chicago in a second round Preseason WNIT game.

 And that’s the report.