The Guru Report: On Dual Opening Nights Princeton Subdues Villanova As Long Layoff Ends And Nation’s Best Win Streak Continues

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

VILLANOVA, Pa. — If Wednesday night was any indication when it comes to the near future wars in the Ivy League,  when it comes to the seven schools in the Ancient Eight not named Princeton in terms of stopping the Tigers, credit the league presidents with having done a better job off the court.

Two seasons ago, then new coach Carla Berube had kept the program powerhouse built by Courtney Banghart in full throttle, granted future WNBA first round draft pick Bella Alarie was still on board, and was steaming toward the league playoffs with a narrow non-conference loss at Iowa the only setback and a 22-game win streak when the Ivies became the first conference to pull the plug in the face of the arriving Covid-19 pandemic.

Several months later the league presidents then nixed last winter participation, while elsewhere it was a winter of starts and stops among everyone else in the sports world.

At some point relatively new program Cal Baptist in the Western Athletic Conference migrating to full Division I status began it’s own run and passed the Princeton total but fell at season’s end and eventual champion Stanford had taken two hits in the Pac-12 so its closing run was fine in terms of winning it all but nothing to write home about its size.

So on Wednesday night, in a game between two Guru locals, Princeton showed up here at Finneran Pavilion on the Main Line 613 days since its last action for the record books to meet a Villanova squad that had a nice initial season under alum Denise Dillon.

Alarie was now a pro while another mainstay Carlie Littlefield in the Wild West transfer actions decided to rejoin Banghart, who is coaching North Carolina.

Thus, if you were a Nova fan you had to like the ‘Cats actions for a nice triumph before traveling to No. 4 Maryland Friday night.

Not so much as it turned out.

The home team stayed competitive in the early going though neither side was lighting the nets.

Then Princeton knocked the rust off early in the second quarter and on the shoulders of a career high 21 points and personal defensive thrust of nine rebounds from Abby Meyers rode to a 59-42 victory using its defensive reputation to hold the Wildcats to a 26.3 shooting percentage and limitingVillanova to 15 baskets.

Julia Cunningham scored 11 and the reactivated streak grabbed No. 23 to re-claim the nation’s longest streak.

“Denise does a great job with that program and they’re difficult to guard, but we came out a little suspect at the beginning but sort of found ourselves, and communicated well, and played the defense we’re capable of,” Berube said.

“Having Meyers got hot in the second half, and a balanced scoring attack, and, yeah, really happy to come out with a win,” Berube said. “At the beginning of any season, your offense is not running on all cylinders, especially for us, being away from each other for a really long time. Defense, what we do, doesn’t really change much. When you communicate well, rely on some hot hands, and play our defense, good things are going to happen.

“We’re always going to rely on our defense.”

Junior Maddy Siegriest for the Wildcats held to ten points and grabbed nine rebounds while the Wildcats were led by Brianna Herlihy’s. 12 points.

“It was more of us just not responding,” Dillon said. “We panicked a little bit and ran away from what we wanted to do, so that I wasn’t pleased with.”

Villanova goes on the road now, though mostly in the area following Friday’s visit to the powerhouse Terrapins with Big Five stops at Saint Joseph’s and. Penn on Nov. 20 and Nov. 22 before returning home for a third straight City Series clash hosting Temple, whose tip time is pending on the fates of the Wildcats’ postseason prospects in football.

Friday night Princeton will be in Delaware at 7 in the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark, where the host Blue Hens were perfect last season and won their home opener.

Then the Tigers will host Boston U. in Jadwin Gym before going back out to visit Rhode Island and Temple.

Villanova Inks Three

From the Wildcats Website posted earlier in the day;

Villanova University head women's basketball coach Denise Dillon announced the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. The trio includes
Maggie Grant (Downingtown, Pa./ Comets AAU), Abigail Jegede (Toronto, Canada/ Canada Elite AAU) and Megan Olbrys (Norwood, Mass./ Bay State Jags AAU).
 
"We are excited to add Maggie, Abigail and Megan to the Villanova women's basketball family," said Dillon. "All three are versatile performers who have unique skill sets that will help our team in a number of ways. Our program is vastly improved after adding these three young ladies to the roster."  
 
The three signees will enroll at Villanova in the fall and be members of the 2022-23 Wildcat team.
 
MAGGIE GRANT
6-1 ** Guard
Downingtown, Pa.
Archbishop Carroll H.S.
Comets AAU
 
** Second-Team All-Delco
** Third Team All-Catholic League
** Scored a career-high 26 points
** Averaged 9.5 ppg., 6 rpg., and 5 apg., as a junior
 
ABIGAIL JEGEDE
5-10 ** Guard
Toronto, Canada
Kings Christian Collegiate 
Canada Elite AAU
 
** Played for the provincial team twice (team Ontario) and helped lead team to a silver medal finish at nationals and was selected a first team All-Star
** Biosteel All-Canadian nominee in 2020
** MVP honors at Gaucho New York, Shoot for a Cure Toronto, and She Got Game Washington
** Selected as a Quest for Gold recipient by the Province of Ontario.
** A member of Canada Basketball Women's National Team Development program since 2018
** Averaged 14.4ppg, 5 rpg., 3 spg., and 2.1 apg., as a junior
  
MEGAN OLBRYS
6-1 ** Forward
Norwood, Mass.
Norwood H.S.
Bay State Jags AAU
 
** TVL League MVP
** Comcast Tournament MVP
** Boston SLAM MVP
** Two-time ASFL contestant
** Boston Herald All-Scholastic standouts
** Boston Globe All-Scholastic
** Averaged 16 ppg., 11rpg., and 4 spg., as a junior
 
 Tennessee and UCLA Challenged

Among the teams in the Guru lists in his daily local/national tracker, two ranked squads were pushed most of the night before No. 15 Tennessee at home in Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville downed Southern Illinois 59-49 while  No. 20 at home in  Pauley Pavilion.

Elsewhere Drake at home just edged Creighton 82-79 No. 17 Ohio State at home routed Bucknell 71-48 and No. 8 Indiana blew past host Butler 86-86-63.

A 17-2 finish got the Lady Vols past the visiting Salukis despite missing Jordan Horston with an injury and Rae Burrell who got hurt early and did not return, and Tamari Key who missed early and middle foul country saddled with fouls.

Graduate transfer Alexus Dye had 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Jordan Walker scored 14. Burrell had scored 12 before the injury-forced exit.

And that’s the report. Two locals play each other in only action in that category Thursday as Rider launches its season at night meeting the 1-0 Penn State Lady Lions before playing at La Salle Saturday at. Noon.

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