Guru’s WBB Report: Siegrist and Herlihy Lead Unbeaten Vilanova (5-0) to Win Over La Salle While No. 2 Louisville Handles Duke

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

Villanova women’s basketball coach Denise Dillon doesn’t have a group of lawyers banging on the doors of the Big East asking for a recount of the conference preseason vote of seventh a month ago.

 

But at the moment making the case of what were Dillon’s conference colleagues thinking when they went to the ballot case are sophomore Maddy Siegrist, Brianna Herlihy, and the rest of the Wildcats.

 

Villanova didn’t get caught in any trap Wednesday afternoon looking ahead to Sunday’s emotionally local matchup with Drexel at 1 p.m. on the Main Line as the Wildcats stayed unbeaten in the young season in a matchup of Big Five schools beating La Salle 78-52 at home in Finneran Pavilion for the 12th straight time in the series between the two schools.

 

A year ago in the Explorers’ Tom Gola Arena Siegrist on the way to becoming Big East and Big Five rookie of the year, the then newcomer set local marks for a rookie in area competition cascading 41 points in the Wildcats’ victory.

 

This time La Salle held Siegrist down somewhat but not enough to prevent her from another high yield double double with a game-high 31 points and 13 points.

 

Siegrist is already two for two in Big East and Big Five player of the week honors and just like this past Sunday when the Wildcats took their conference opener at Saint John’s, they emitted another third quarter explosion when she got 14 of her points and Villanova (5-0) put distance in the period with a 14-2 run.

The native of Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) has 16 double doubles in her career and 19 games, scoring 20 or more points.

 

Herlihy, who missed playing with her then-senior sister Bridget last season due to a knee injury, again added to the early firepower from the ‘Cats with a career-high 24 points and nine rebounds, while Kenzie Gardler, a prized local recruit of then-coach Harry Perretta several seasons ago, set career marks with three connections from beyond the arc and 11 points overall.

 

La Salle (2-2) got team highs of 16 points and seven rebounds from Claire Jacobs, while newcomer Molly Masciantonio, now eligible after sitting out her transfer from local Division II Holy Family, scored 10 points.

 

But the Explorers’ arsenal suffered with Kayla Spruill scoreless, being hampered with foul trouble and ultimately being disqualified.

 

Villanova is thriving with its opening streak under Dillon, the former successful Drexel coach who came home to her alma mater to succeed the 42-year Wildcats veteran Perretta following his retirement.

 

Perretta’s living ghost was reported haunting the fanlessVillanova arena Wednesday, tucked away out of sight in an upper corner.

 

The Wildcats, short of the unknown schedule cancellations and additions, has avoided many of the problems of the coronavirus that held up No. 3 Connecticut’s season start and active return to the Big East until now set to begin Saturday in a non-conference game hosting Massachusetts-Lowell at 1 p.m.

 

Penn has been sidelined altogether by the Ivy League edict to cancel winter sports, also shutting down its multi-defending Princeton among the ancient eight. The Quakers’ absence knocked out the official formality of the annual local round-robin that is the City Series.

 

Villanova also has a win in a local contest that got re-implemented playing last Friday in a rout at Temple’s opener and also suffered no effects in a one-day round-trip to traditional MAAC power Quinnipiac.

 

Of the early victories, Dillon said, “the awareness of who we had returning helped, knowing Maddy, her level and her abilitythat we had someone to rely on every day.

 

“I am pleased with the group and the mentality of. Brianna Herlihy. They are a good combo. Overall, their commitment is so impressive and their willingness to do whatever it takes for the team.”

 

Speaking further of Herlihy’s attributes, the Villanova coach noted, “Her grit and her experience could help us with some of the top post players we’d be facing. She is showing that same pace on the offensive end.

 

“Brianna Herlihy is setting the pace for our transition game. It makes for exciting basketball. She does a nice job sharing the ball.”

With that out of the way, it became time to address Sunday’s showdown with Drexel, which is off to a 2-0 start under Amy Mallon, who previous spent 17 seasons with the Dragons under Dillon, primarily as her associate head coach.

A year ago, down in West Philadelphia, after joining the well-wishers on Villanova’s schedule giving Perretta pre-game gifts, Dillon bested her former coach in overtime on the last play of the contest. 

“I am fortunate to be with a great group here, and knowing Drexel is in great hands with Amy,” Dillon said. “I am not looking forward to this game. 

“Our team, I am going to prepare them for the next few days of what we are to face and allow them to do their thing. It’s their game. It’s about them,” she continued.

“Once the game finishes up, I’ll go back to supporting the Dragons and wishing them a great season.”

 Meanwhile, on the La Salle side, after two earlier dates with Howard have now gotten moved, the Explorers, last listed for Dec. 28, will now host the Bisons of the MEAC on Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Tom Gola Arena.

Nationally Noted: Louisville Beats Duke to Open ACC: On the heels of moving to No. 2 from No. 5 in The Associated Press Women’s Poll, Louisville opened its Atlantic Coast Conference slate on the road, ruining new Duke coach Kara Lawson’s league debut game with a 73-49 victory and handing the Blue Devils (3-1, 0-1ACC) their first season lost.

Dana Evans, the ACC preseason player of the year, got 24 points in the game for the Cardinals (5-0, 1-0 ACC) at Cameron Indoor Arena in Durham, N.C. Kiana Smith scored 15,  while Hailey Van Lith scored 14, and Olivia Cochran had a double double of 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Duke’s Jade Williams scored 13, while Vanessa de Jesus scored 11, and O. Akinbode-James grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Blue Devils made several thrusts at Louisville, which had answers in each time until ultimately pulling away down the stretch.

“We had a hard time scoring all night,” said Lawson, a former Tennessee and WNBA star who previously had been on the staff of the NBA Boston Celtics. “Their defense is good. Like I said before, I thought we got good shots. I think we got good looks. Their team is good because of their depth.”

On the Cardinals side, coach Jeff Walz said, “I thought we continued to play with poise. “They did a really nice job trying to take away our transition game, which all teams are going to do. We’ve got to be able to do the small things. And if we can continue to develop and get better at that, then offensively, we’re going to be pretty hard to stop.

Louisville is back home to start a three game stand Sunday, hosting North Carolina at the KFC Yum Center.

Elsewhere, among the ranked teams who played, it was a smackdown across the board, as No. 19 Michigan at home routed Butler 93-54, No. 11 UCLA overwhelmed UC Santa Barbara 102-45, No. 23 Texas slammed Idaho 730-48, No. 9 Kentucky handled Marshall 79-45, No. 4 North Carolina State over Elon, 76-47, all at home, while No. 13 Arkansas joined Louisville with a road win, beating Southern Methodist, 79-47.

In a game that was closely fought, Iowa edged state rival Iowa State 82-80 at home as Caitlin Clark got a career-high 34 points for the Hawkeyes against the Cyclones who had been ranked the first two weeks of the season.

Looking Ahead: The only local game on the slate for Thursday, Delaware meeting Georgetown, was cancelled due to Covid19 issues. No. 7 Baylor is at West Virginia, which is coming off an overtime triumph against Tennessee. It’s a Big 12 game. A partner game in the PAC-12 has state rival Arizona State visiting No. 6 Arizona. 

Six games are cancelled joining the 11 cancelled or postponed games on Wednesday.

On Friday, locally, besides the La Salle game, Rutgers opens its Big Ten slate playing for the first time in over a week in visiting Wisconsin at 3 p.m. The Scarlet Knights open their Big Ten home slate Monday at 1 p.m. against nationally-ranked Maryland.

Rider opens defense of its regular season MAAC championship off an 0-4 non-conference start this season, hosting in the new back-to-back weekend arrangement preseason favorite Manhattan on Friday at 7 p.m. in Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, N.J., and on Saturday at 7.

Locally on Sunday, Saint Joseph’s finally starts its season, hosting Division II local power Lincoln at 2 p.m., besides the Drexel game at Villanova at 1 p.m.

Nationally, Tennessee is at No. 23 Texas at 5 p.m.

And that’s the report.