Guru’s WBB Report: Drexel Comes Out Of Long Layoff to Take CAA Opener at UNC-Wilmington While Rider Drops First of Two to Fairfield

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Following a long break after the narrow loss at Villanova early last month due to coronavirus issues on both sides of the schedule, Drexel came out of hibernation and into the New Year with a 76-63 win at UNC-Wilmington in North Carolina in the Seahawks’ Trask Coliseum Saturday afternoon to grab the Dragons’ opener in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Drexel (3-1, 1-0 CAA) will be back at it Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the second of the back-to-back either road or home arrangements on the weekend this season set up by the conference to contain the virus from disrupting team progress, though major hurdles have already and continue to occur across the NCAA landscape.

Rider, which now is on the same conference setup in tbe Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, was the only other local in action and saw its one-game win streak unable to continue as Fairfield took the opener on the road at the Broncs’ Alumni Gym 70-59 in Lawerenceville, N.J., with another to be played at Rider Sunday afternoon,

Meanwhile, Villanova was looking to get back into action in the Big East for the first time in two weeks since its home loss to then-No. 3 Connecticut, got postponed at home due to contact issues with visiting Georgetown, while Delaware’s weekend series at Charleston in the CAA was also postponed due to issues with the home team.

On New Year’s Day on Friday, La Salle saw a big second-half comeback fall just short at home 72-69 to Rhode Island in its Atlantic 10 opener while Saint Joseph’s this weekend is still in shutdown mode and had its opener at home in Hagan Arena to Massachusetts as well as Sunday’s game with Rhode Island postponed.

In the win by Drexel, the 19th straight over the Seahawks (3-4, 0-1), four players scored in double digits led by Hannah Nilhill with 18 points, Maura Hendrixson with 12, Keishana Washinggton with 12, and Kayla Bacon with 11.

It was the Dragons’ first game in conference play since finishing the regular season last March as the No. 1 seed before, like everywhere else that day, having the CAA tourney shut down prior to the quarterfinals.

Drexel was declared the NCAA representative, but within 24 hours the national event which was to concluded in New Orleans was also cancelled.

Thus, it became the final game in a 17-year run by coach Denise Dillon, who several weeks later accepted an offer to return to her alma mater at Villanova to succeeded her collegiate coach Harry Perretta, who had announced back in November a year ago that he would retire at the end of his 42nd season.

Longtime associate head coach Amy Mallon within 24 hours of Villanova’s public announcement of Dillon was promoted to succeed her boss and longtime friend and since then around postponements got the Dragons off to a winning start.

Ironically, in early December, the return game from last year was played by the two schools and this time it was Villanova with a narrow two-point win, though it came in regulation.

On Saturday, UNCW drew first blood with a 4-0 start but Drexel countered with a 9-0 run to set up a lead to remain into the half.

However, the Seahawks erased the deficit with an 8-0 run to tie the score before Nihill,’s three-ball regained the advantage to the Dragons who eventually put the game away during the final period.

“Im proud of our effort today,” Mallon said afterwards in a text to your Guru. “It was a tough road game and collective scoring was big for us.

“Back-to-back games will be a true test for us and set the tone for each weekend.”

Rider Falls to Fairfield — Freshman guard Makayla Firebaugh continued to show promise in her second straight game as a major contributor, scoring a career-high 19 points, but Rider fell at home to Fairfield 70-59 in their first of two weekend back-to-back games in the Broncs’ Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J.

The second game will be played Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.

After dropping their first eight games off a series of stops and starts in preseason and in the early schedule the Broncs (1-9, 0-5 MAAC) finally snapped the streak in a non-conference visit to NJIT in Newark prior to the holiday break.

But upon return to action in the New Year, the Stags (4-1, 3-0 MAAC) came out the winners to continue their hot start on the season and in conference play.

Maya Hyacienth also scored in double figures for Rider, collecting 17 points.

Fairfield’s Lou Lopez-Senechal was the big gun for the opposition, scoring 27 points, while Katie Armstrong scored 10, and reserve Andrea Hernangomez scored 10.

Rider took a 15-7 lead in the first quarter, got nearly doubled in the second 27-14 for a Fairfield 34-29 lead at the half, which the Broncs’ eclipsed to hit the final, period tied 48-48.

But the Stags then exploded on another 22-11 double up in the final period to clinch the game.

“It was a good game,” said Rider coach Lynn Milligan. “We were ready and prepared for the fourth quarter. We just showed a little hesitation, offensively. 

“Fairfield is a veteran team. The best part is we get to go back out there and play again tomorrow. I just told the team I wish it was two o’clock already,” she continued.

 “I know the things I saw today and we can make a couple of adjustments. I felt good about a lot of stuff we did today. The only way you’re going to be better is to be out there.”

Rider, which had a season-high three-pointers, ended a five-game win streak in the series with Fairfield. 

Looking Ahead: In the local mix, besides the Fairfield-Rider and Drexel-UNCW redux, La Salle will host Massachusetts at 2 p.m. looking for a weekend split in the A-10 in Tom Gola Arena.

Rutgers, which had a New Year’s Eve rally at Iowa cut short in a high-scoring Big Ten game that saw the Scarlet Knights keep their 80-plus scoring offense streak alive, will visit Nebraska at 3 p.m. in Lincoln, playing a team that just upset No. 15 Northwestern in a close game, all in conference.

Sadly, at the hour this is being created, over 20 games are postponed or cancelled due to Covid-19 protocols. Among them, the DePaul at Marquette game, due to issues on the home team side. The Blue Demons had lost during the week at No. 4 Connecticut. 

Of games on the books, top-ranked Stanford, which was sequestered in the desert since it’s last game prior to New Year’s Day, will going after a weekend sweep in the Pac-12, visiting Arizona State at 6 in the East after slamming No. 6 Arizona on Friday night.

The Wildcats will try to recover from the Cardinal rout, hosting California at 2 p.m.

No. 19 Texas will host Iowa State, ranked earlier in the season, in a Big-12 game at 3 p.m. while No. 11 UCLA will visit No. 8 Oregon in a dynamite PAC-12 game at 4 p.m.

No. 10 Arkansas, which was upset by No. 13 Kentucky in an SEC game, will host Missouri at 5 p.m., while the Wildcats, off a schedule reshuffle originally matching Tennessee, will visit No. 12 Mississippi State at 1 p.m.

Another Big Ten dandy has No. 16 Michigan visiting No. 15 Missouri at 5 p.m.

On Monday, Penn State, after its home loss Thursday to No. 14 Maryland, visits No. 17 Ohio State at 6 p.m. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, No. 20 Indiana visits No. 14 Maryland at 7 p.m. in College Park.

That’s the report.