Guru’s PhilaHoopsW: Open Night Festive for the Locals

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

PHILADELPHIA – An impressive upset. Career highs. Successful sideline debuts. And a milestone triumph.

 

No question, opening night on Tuesday brought smiles everywhere one looked for the local NCAA Division I teams except one place but in the Princeton-Rider matchup featuring two of the Guru’s 11 played each other so someone had to lose.

 

But otherwise no one was saving their best for last.

 

That was true here at Temple’s McGonigle Hall where the Owls topped Fairfield 77-59, and it was especially true up north in Hamden, Conn., where Drexel took down Quinnipiac 66-62 in a tightly fought game.

 

Meanwhile, Princeton made sure lightning would not strike twice in the neighborhood matchup as the Tigers stopped Rider 80-47 to get the Carla Berube coaching era started on a high note at home in Jadwin Gym, while Carolyn Kieger’s debut with Penn State also got started with a victory courtesy of the Lady Lions rallying on the road with an explosive second half to down Towson 73-67.

 

However, there was no newbie on the sidelines with Rutgers as Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer began her 25^thseason with the Scarlet Knights picking up her 500^th win running the program, a wire-to-wire 77-56 triumph at South Alabama following the heels of passing her 1000^th win early last season in an overall career that includes stops at Cheyney University and Iowa.

 

Rounding it all out, La Salle won’t be waiting until December to get the Explorers’ initial win on the season like they did 12 months ago when Mountain MacGillivray was making his head coaching debut.

 

His bunch triumphed over Howard 78-62 in the nation’s capital.

 

Of the remaining four, Villanova will be hosting George Washington Wednesday night to launch the 42^nd and final season of Harry Perretta on the Main Line where he has spent his whole career prior to his announcement a week ago that retirement would kick this spring.

 

Saint Joseph’s opens at Columbia Thursday night in New York’s upper East Side while Delaware hosts America East favorite Maine Friday night, and Penn opens Saturday at noon at home in The Palestra, hosting Siena.

 

All that summed up, let’s go to the tape for a closer look at all of Tuesday’s fireworks.

 

Drexel 66, Quinnipiac 62 — The host Bobcats don’t lose many at home, especially in dominating the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in recent seasons, though Marist is picked over them this season.

 

But the Dragons made sure they wouldn’t suffer a repeat of the nightmare finish of another closely fought game last March when Towson edged them in the final minutes to win the Colonial Athletic Association tournament at Delaware.

 

Bailey Greenberg, the CAA player of the regular season in 2018-19, was stellar tying a career high with 31 points while setting program marks in attempts and makes at the line shooting 19-for-21.

 

Maura Hendrixson set career marks from beyond the arc with six three-balls and scoring 18 points.

 

Rutgers 77, South Alabama 56 — In her first game back after being shut down for rest by doctors for several months beginning near the end of the season, Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer is all charged up and has reached 500 wins with the program following the win down South in an opener scheduled to give several players a homecoming visit to their native state.

 

Overall, Stringer now has 1,020 wins.

 

In the wire-to-wire win, Arella Guirantes had a career-high 27 points, while Tekia Mack had her first double double with 21 points and a career-high 11 points. 

 

Rutgers shot 15-of-17 from the line.

 

Temple 77, Fairfield 59 — It was close early and then the Owls pulled away pleasing coach Tonya Cardoza with everyone doing their part for a well-rounded effort.

 

The game featured the homecoming debut of Ashley Jones, a redshirt-sophomore from West Virginia who played her high school ball here at Neumann-Goretti.

 

Jones did not disappoint with a game-high 21 points, though Mayor Kenney, who shows up at game when N-G grads play had other duties Tuesday night related to winning his second term.

 

But it wouldn’t be surprising to see him Saturday night when JMU and Kamiah Smalls, the CAA preseason player of the year, comes to the ‘burbs to play Villanova.

 

Meanwhile, Marissa Mackins delighted Cardoza connecting with six three-pointers and scoring 20 while Mia Davis had a double double with 18 points and 11 points.

 

Penn State 73, Towson 67 — Carolyn Kieger’s debut coaching debut seemed headed for a downer against the defending CAA tournament champs until a thunderous second half produced 55 points to rally over the Tigers.

 

It was Kieger’s 100^th victory, the previous 99 coming at Marquette, which she maintained as a Big East contender.

 

Siyeh Frazier and Makenna Marisa each scored 15 points but of their combined 30 points, 28 came after the break.

 

The Tigers built an eight point lead at the outset of the third quarter before PSU took over.

 

Kamaria McDaniel had l4 points, while Alisia Smith had a double double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

 

Princeton 80, Rider 47 — Two years ago in as similar area matchup, the Broncs made the 30-minute trip from Lawrenceville, N.J., above Trenton, to the Tigers’ gym and keynoted their all-time season on opening night with a lopsided triumph.

 

History was not going to repeat on a night that the passing of the dynamic Courtney Banghart era making Princeton a power out of the Ivy League was now in the hands of former UConn star Carla Berube, who had done similar coaching wonders at Division III Tufts.

 

Of course, its easy when two-time Ivy player of the year Bella Alarie, on every watch list, is still around for a senior season.

 

The native of Bethesda, Md., poured down 22 points, shooting 8-for-14 from the field, while Neenah Young had a career-high 11 points, shooting three triplets. Carlie Littlefield added 10 points to the cause.

 

Rider did have a few bright things to mention, like Stella Johnson, the MAAC preseason player of the year on a bunch of watch lists, scoring 22, while Amari Johnson scored 14.

 

La Salle 78, Howard 62 — Things might be different at 20^th & Olney this season as keynoted by newcomer Claire Jacobs of Australia, who scored 20 points in her debut with the Explorers.

 

Deja King and Kayla Spruill each scored 12 points, while King also had six assists and Spruill eight rebounds.

 

Shalina Miller had nine points and 11 rebounds.