The Guru Report: Penn State and Rutgers Help Big Ten Take Its First ACC Challenge

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

After several recent horror shows Penn State turned back the clock Thursday Night to a performance of pure excitment courtesy of Kamaria McDaniel who lit up the Bryce Jordan Center with 40 points for a 78-73 victory over Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile back in the Northeast Rutgers continued its fastest start in five seasons, beating Virginia 73-63 as the Lady Lions and Scarlet Knights did their part for a first ever group win by the Big Ten over the Atlantic Coast Conference in the annual challenge.

 

The ACC leads the series 9-1-3.

 

Each league Thursday also posted a key upset on the national scene with unranked Ohio State shocking Louisville 67-60 days after the Cardinals had bolted to No. 2 ranking on the heels of taking down previous No. 1 Oregon while No. 13 North Carolina State disrupted Big Ten favorite and No. 9 Maryland 66-59.

 

McDaniel posted the third-ever 40-point game in Penn State history and first in the BJC besides being the first to cross the milestone in 18 seasons dating back to the record 49 from Kelly Mazzante on Dec. 28, 2001.

 

The other was the 42 in Rec Hall from Jen Bednarek against Syracuse on Jan. 31, 1979.

 

Penn State (5-4) needed nearly all of McDaniel’s points and the 11 from Siyeh Frazier against the Panthers (3-5), whose Dayshanette Harris scored 26, while Amber Brown had a double double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Aysia Bugg scored 11.

 

Pittsburgh is just 1-19 at the Happy Valley site of the series between the two major universities west of the Susquehanna River.

 

McDaniel, who’s previous high was 27 that came in her previous game out West last weekend against N.C. Central, was 14-28 from the field, only two of which were made three pointers, and 10-15 from the line. She also collected 13 of her points in the final two minutes.

 

“I thought our team absolutely got better tonight,” said first-year coach Carolyn Kieger. “ We obviously have to fix our second half and our third quarter, but overall, I am pleased with our execution tonight.

 

“Kamaria with the 40-point game, it’s unbelievable,” she continued. “Third in program history. I don’t think there is a team in the country that can stop her when she plays at that pace with the ball in her hands. 

 

“It was something special to watch so kudos to her and the team for finding her and sharing the ball in the way that they did. Can’t say enough about Kamaria in the way that she is learning and adjusting and really latching on to teaching and the way that she has been growing. It is very impressive.”

 

The Lady Lions are now off until hitting the road to play at Princeton, a week from Saturday.

 

Rutgers (7-1), meanwhile, continued to show that the return of football coach Greg Schiano for a second tour of duty is not the only happening on campus.

 

Four players scored in double figures against the Cavaliers (4-5), who are now coached by WNBA Hall of Famer Tina Thompson. Arella Guirantes, who on Monday gained her second weekly Big Ten award, had 20 points, Tekia Mack had 15, Khadaizha Sanders had 14, and Jordan Wallace had 13.

 

Rutgers next will host Towson, Sunday, at 2 p.m.

 

Nationally Noted: Upset Specials

 

While discussing another matter earlier in the day, the fears of Louisville coach Jeff Walz were realized as Ohio State pulled a 67-60 upset in Columbus.

 

Dorka Juhasz had 15 points and Kierstan Bell scored 14 for the Buckeyes (5-3), while Dana Evans had 18 points for Louisville (8-1), which struggled from the field.

 

In the renewal of a great rivalry when both were in the ACC, North Carolina State got 19 points from Kai Crutchfield off five three-balls as the Wolfpack (9-0) stayed unbeaten after beating the Terrapins 66-59 at home in Reynold Coliseum in Raleigh.

 

Elissa Cunane had 16 points and 15 rebounds for N.C. State.

 

The home team used a strong 51-27 rebounding advantage to snap a six-game win streak by Maryland (7-2), whose other loss was in College Park opening weekend to nationally-ranked South Carolina.

 

Taylor Mikesell (13) and Blair Watson (12) combined for 25 points but all came before the half for the visitors while Ashley Owusu got all 10 of her points in the fourth period.

 

In other games in the challenge Thursday, by current ranking No. 24 Michigan, which was ranked earlier before dropping out, avoided an upset, beating unranked Syracuse at home 84-76 in overtime in Ann Arbor, though the Orange (4-4) had been ranked before a recent skid.

 

Kayla Robbins had 23 points for the Wolverines (7-1), who had trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter, while Naz Hillmon had 16 points. 

 

Digna Strautmane had 16 points for Syracuse.

 

It was no upset but No. 8 Florida State put a win in the ACC column beating No. 19 Michigan State 78-68 at home in Tallahassee as Kiah Gillespie scored 18 of her 24 points in the second half for the Seminoles (8-0) while Nia Clouden had 22 for the Spartans (6-2).

 

North Carolina stayed unbeaten under new coach Courtney Banghart after an 85-60 win in Chapel Hill over Illinois (6-2) as Taylor Koenen had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Tar Heels (7-0).

 

Virginia Tech (7-1) beat Purdue 67-54 at home to drop the Boilermakers to 6-4 in another challenge match, while Georgia Tech topped Wisconsin, 60-41.

 

While all that made it 4-5 on the day for the ACC in the challenge, on Wednesday, the Big Ten picked up a 5-0 sweep with a Northwestern 66-63 win over Boston College, a  Nebraska 83-79 win over Duke,  a No. 14 Indiana 58-45 win over Miami, a Minnesota 75-67 win at Notre Dame, while Iowa beat Clemson 74-60, for an overall 9-5 advantage. 

 

Considering Notre Dame’s season of woe, it’s the Irish’s first loss in seven challenges  as they next head to Sunday’s annual Jimmy V game at No. 4 Connecticut.

 

Huskies  Still Unbeaten

 

Though it looked like this might be a breakthrough time for Seton Hall in its long series with Connecticut, not so fast.

Despite injuries and a little less stellar position in the rankings, it became business as usual for No. 4 Huskies, beating their former and future Big East rival Pirates 92-79 in South Orange, N.J.

 

It’s the 31^st straight win in the series for UConn. dating to 1995.

 

Megan Walker had 28 points and freshman Aubrey Griffin scored 25 for the Huskies (7-0), who next host Notre Dame, Sunday. Christyn Williams added 12 points and Molly Bent scored 10.

 

Mya Jackson scored 22 for Seton Hall (5-4) and Desiree Elmore scored 16, while Shadeen Sanuels and Lauren Park-Lane each scored 11.

Crystal Dangerfield, who has been sidelined for several games, may return for the Notre Dame game. 

 

Looking Ahead: The Return of Staley While Saint Joseph’s Battles ‘Nova.

 

There are no local D-1 games Friday but on Saturday, the day in the area starts at noon with Penn (7-1) looking to continue its all-time start hosting Stetson in The Palestra.

 

Out on the Main Line at 1 Villanova, which went 4-0 last season, launches its Big Five portion hosting Saint Joseph’s at Finneran Pavilion. 

 

The Wildcats (3-4) are coming off a tough overtime loss at Drexel while the Hawks (4-4) are coming off a lopsided win against Sacred Heart but are 1-1 to date in the City Series, beating Temple, losing to Penn.

 

At 3 p.m., for the second time in three seasons, former Owls coach Dawn Staley returns with her powerful South Carolina squad, currently sixth, this time going against Temple coach Tonya Cardoza, her former Virginia teammate, in McGonigle Hall.

 

Temple (5-4) is coming off a win at Towson. 

 

Elsewhere, La Salle  is at Rider 2 p.m. in Alumni Gym where the Broncs (2-2) are coming off a two-week break after splitting a pair at Disney Wide World of Sports .

At the MAAC/ASUN Challenge, Rider’s Stella Johnson set a program record scoring 40 the first day and almost matching it scoring 39 the next.

 

The Explorers (6-3) are coming off Wednesday’s home loss in the Big 5 to Penn.

 

Delaware, off Wednesday’s home loss to George Washington,  heads to Robert Morris, while Princeton (6-1) is off to MAAC favorite Marist after beating St. Francis of Brooklyn at home in Jadwin Gym last weekend.

 

On Sunday as mentioned, Rutgers hosts Towson, while Drexel heads to Bucknell.

 

And that’s the report.