The Guru Report: Drexel Slips Past ‘Nova in Overtime Thriller

By Mel Greenberg womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA – Given the last chance they are likely to go up against each other on the sidelines, the student outlasted the master as Drexel snapped a nine-year slump outlasting Villanova 54-52 in overtime Wednesday night at the Dragons’ Daskalakis Athletic Center.

A pre-game ceremony featured Drexel coach Denise Dillon, a former Wildcats star and assistant at her alma mater, presenting Villanova coach Harry Perretta with several gifts on the occasion of his forthcoming retirement at the end of this season, completing 42 years at the Big East institution on the Main Line.

Then the two sides battled with twists and turns until Drexel senior Bailey Greenberg took a lob pass from Aubree Brown and went inside for a go-ahead basket, 53-52, with four seconds left.

The Wildcats’ Mary Gedaka had a chance to get the lead back but slipped and turned the ball over with one second left. 

Greenberg was then fouled and went to the line for the game’s final point, losing a chance for a second shot when she committed a lane violation.

 Along the way, Drexel (5-3) took control and built a 12-point lead in the third period but then the Wildcats (3-4), who had a three-game win streak snapped, found life to get back into contention as the Dragons went cold, going 13 minutes without a field goal and shooting just 1-for-15 in the fourth period.

Gedaka tied it with 37 seconds left in regulation and then teammate Bridget Herlihy blocked Hannah Nihill’s shot but the Wildcats after getting the rebound couldn’t score as regulation time expired.

Villanova, by the way, has made at least one three-pointer in 500 straight games.

“It’s not like we play them every year,” said Dillon, who for years has been speculated the likely successor to Perretta but for now that storyline will lie dormant until his final games approach in March.

“Actually, Bailey requested the game to play against two AAU people on the other side,” Dillon said.

Drexel reduced the overall series deficit to 8-2.

Wildcats freshman Maddy Siegrist continued to impress, scoring 24 points while Gedaka, whose mother Lisa Angelotti is a former ‘Nova star, had a double-double with 16 points and 16 rebounds while blocking four shots behind Herlihy who collected six rejections.

Both blocked shots totals were career highs.

“You saw two teams, I have no idea what they’re doing yet,” Perretta said afterwards. “We played with a lot of inexperienced players that just played with a lot of mistakes, a lot of mistakes.

“ I told them after the game, it’s ok to make mistakes but when I’m talking you through (a play), you need to do what I tell you to do.

“Drexel just made more smart plays then we did. I’m astonished we were in the game but I think Drexel kind of panicked in the last three minutes,” Perretta, who could make do with the ongoing pre-game attention but appreciates it.

“ I know what they were doing,” he said of Drexel’s strategy. “They were trying to milk the clock but what was happening is they were holding the ball too late on the shot clock and they weren’t getting good shots.”

Once the game began, all nostalgia was put aside until afterwards.

“It’s the kind of game, where if (Dillon) wins, she feels bad and if we win, I feel bad,” Perretta quipped.

Dillon said she hadn’t even thought of the match from that standpoint until it was addressed in the in the postgame press conference.

“We found a way,” said Dillon, whose team has lost several winnable games at the finish. “We definitely gutted it out but it was a great win for us, a great win for the girls to find a way.”

Drexel heads to Bucknell Sunday, then breaks for finals before hosting La Salle at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 17, then heads down a few blocks to visit Penn in an 11:30 a.m. neighborhood match at The Palestra on Dec.20 before  finishing out the month hosting Maine, Dec. 30.

Villanova plays its first Big Five game of the season, Saturday, hosting Saint Joseph’s at 1 p.m. at Finneran Pavilion before visiting Temple at 5 p.m. next Tuesday in McGonigle Hall for another Big Five match. The Wildcats then break for finals, resuming Dec. 21 at La Salle for a third match.

Penn Tops La Salle to Stay Perfect in Big Five Competition

Though La Salle played improved from the Explorers’ setback to Penn at the Palestra a year ago, the Quakers on the play of Phoebe Sterba and freshman Kayla Padilla were still able to keep their distance in claiming an away victory 65-49 at Tom Gola Arena.

Penn took an 18-point lead in one stretch off an 18-1 run in the second period as the Quakers improved their overall record to 6-1 in the best start in the program’s history and 2-0 in the Big Five following a previous City Series triumph recently at Saint Joseph’s.

They will finish the round robin visiting Temple and Villanova next month.

Padilla had 24 points and shot 3-of-7 three-point attempts while Sterba scored 22, connecting on 5-of-10 from behind the arc. Kennedy Suttle grabbed 11 rebounds and Tori Crawford grabbed nine as did Kendall Grasela.

La Salle (6-2, 0-1), which dropped its first City Series game that it played and second straight overall, following a five-game win streak, got 11 points and 12 rebounds from Shalina Miller.

The Quakers next host Stetson at noon Saturday at the Palestra while La Salle will visit Rider, which will have been on a two-way break.

Saint Joseph’s Gets Back on the Winning Track

The Hawks shook off Sunday’s home loss to Drexel by returning to Hagan Arena and taking a lopsided 71-44 victory over Sacred Heart as Katie Jekot scored 20 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for her first career double-double as the team’s record evened to 4-4.

Katie Mayock was also in double figures with 12 points while Lula Roig and Mary Sheehan each scored nine, and Gabby Smalls had eight points. 

Adrianne Hagood scored 13 for the Pioneers (3-5).

As mentioned earlier, the Hawks head up the road to Villanova Saturday for their third Big Five game of the year, having split with Temple and Penn.  

Temple Halts Skid on Towson Visit

The Owls snapped their two-game losing streak suffered in Mexico last week to down Towson 74-59 in a morning game at the host Tigers’ SECU Arena in suburban Baltimore.

Mia Davis collected her fifth double-double of the season in scoring 26 points and grabbing a season-high 15 rebounds for the Owls (5-4), while Ashley Jones scored 21 points.

Kionna Jeter had 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Quiera Murray dealt nine assists for Towson, which edged Drexel last season for the Colonial Athletic Association title.

Temple next hosts the second return of former Owls coach Dawn Staley to North Broad Street Saturday as No. 6 South Carolina visits McGonigle Hall at 3 p.m.

Delaware Win Streak Halted

Following a pair of wins last week out West for Delaware’s first triumphs of the season, the Blue Hens returned home to the Bob Carpenter Center and fell to George Washington, 63-49.

Abby Gonzales had 16 points for the home team (2-5), paced by four three-pointers while Jasmine Dickey scored 13 and Nicole Enabosi had five points and a game-high six rebounds.

Tori Hyduke had a game-high 22 points for the Colonials (-3) while Ariel Stephenson scored 13.

Delaware next visits Robert Morris at noon Saturday.

And that’s the report.