The Guru Report: Unranked Missouri Closing Stunner of No. 1 South Carolina Leads Key Upsets While Penn Wallops D3 Ursinus

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA — Expect the unexpected not only applies to the massive list of last-second postponements and cancellations from the latest involving the coronavirus but apparently the saying is becoming imbedded involving the games that do get played.

That’s what happened Thursday night slightly over 24 hours from the exit of 2021 when Missouri and top-ranked South Carolina added new pages on the positive and negative sides to their past Southeastern Conference history when Lauren Hansen drove for two points with 0.1 seconds left in overtime to give the unranked Tigers a 70-69 win over the previously unbeaten Gamecocks in their league opener.

Not much was expected going into the road visit confrontation by Dawn Staley’s squad against the Tigers (12-2), who were picked 10th in the SEC preseason coaches’ poll and were missing five players off positive test results, including Ajiha Blackwell, Missouri’s top scorer.

South Carolina (12-1) was missing a couple, too.

But Missouri carried the fight from the outset to join a handful of unbeaten teams in the 46 years of the AP women’s rankings to take down the reigning weekly No. 1 team.

The home team got a stop at the finish to force overtime, which was quickly dominated by the visitors until the Tigers finished with a 6-0 run and the game-winner.

It’s Missouri’s first win over a No. 1 team, though the Tigers were the last unranked squad in the SEC to beat Staley’s group, who then finished 2017 winning the national championship.

Ironically, the Gamecocks inherited UConn’s claim to the longest active streak over unranked opponents, though much, much shorter, after the Huskies’ recent upset loss to Georgia Tech, which then returned to the poll.

Less than a week ago South Carolina got some revenge with the biggest rally in program history, coming back from an 18-point deficit to defeat defending NCAA champion Stanford after trailing by 18 points and having lost to the Cardinal in the national semifinal on Aliyah Boston’s missed shot.

In this one Hansen and Hayley Frank each scored 21 points for Missouri, laying waste to the season’s best effort from Syracuse transfer Kamilla Cardoso, who, as a reserve shot 7-of-9 on the way to 14 points and eight rebounds for the Gamecocks.

Missouri also got  double digit scoring efforts from LaDazhia Williams, who collected 12 points, and Mama Dembele with 11.

Boston had her sixth straight double double, achieved on a putback to tie the score at 64 in regulation and force overtime. In the second half, she had 16 points and nine rebounds, which also included the early burst in overtime.

“This was a huge win for us and I couldn’t be more proud of these eight young ladies,” said Missouri coach Robin Pingeton. “I mean, just the grit, the belief, their ability to lean in on for each other, to play through tough possessions, ugly possessions, and just continue to weather the storm.

“Different players stepped up at different times and just an incredible, incredible win.”

Knocked out of Sunday’s visit from Ole Miss, due to protocols being tended on the Rebels’ side, South Carolina next visits No. 19 LSU, which was part of the upset brigade Thursday, beating No. 13 Georgia 68-62 on the road in Athens in Stegeman Colisuem.

“It’s their first SEC win with a new coach, a change in philosophy, a change in staff,” said Hall of Fame mentor Kim Mulkey, who left Baylor’s powerhouse in the offseason she had built to return to her home state. 

We were shorthanded, didn’t have Ryann (Payne) here to relieve those guards any.

Khayla Pointer, joined by backcourt mates Jailin Cherry and Alexis Morris, played all 40 minutes and scored 21 points for the Bengals (13-1, 1-0 SEC) in the league opener. For both teams.

Georgia (11-2, 0-1 got 26 points from Que Morrison and Sarah Ashlee Barker scored 14.

Over in the Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 15 Duke’s slamming renaissance came to a halt at the hands of Virginia Tech, ranked earlier in the season, and Thursday the Hokies grabbed a 77-55 home victory.

In their conference opener, though not successful, the Blue Devils (9-2, 0-1) got 22 points from Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Balogun, who had 22 points.

The Hokies (10-3, 2-0) got 27 points and 13 rebounds.

Missing from the Duke traveling party were freshman. Shayeann Day-Wilson, Imani Lewis, and Emma Schmidt.

In an upset involving unranked teams in the America East, preseason favorite Stony Brook fell to host NJIT 54-49 in Jersey City.

An upset of sorts involving stronger teams. In the Sun Belt Conference, Texas Arlington edged host Louisiana 62-60.

Among teams who managed to hold their own, No. 7 Tennessee at home swamped Alabama 62-44 in an SEC opener, while No. 5 North Carolina State in the ACC topped host Clemson 79-52; and host Wake Forest, also in the ACC, beat Florida State 75-69 in overtime.

Unranked AP Women’s Basketball Teams Upset No. 1 History

 

March 5, 1983 - Georgia beat host No. 1 Tennessee - SEC tourney semifinals 71-65

 

March 17, 1991  - James Madison beats No. 1 Penn State 2nd round NCAA at Penn State 73-71

 

Jan. 17, 1994 - Host Rutgers beats No. 1 Tennessee 87-77 (first to do it in regular season)

 

Nov. 22, 1998 - Host Stanford beats No. 1 Purdue 73-72

 

Feb.  28, 2004 – Host Villanova beat No. 1 Connecticut 59-56

 

Jan. 26, 2006 — Host Kentucky beat No. Tennessee 66-63 (Was No. 3 ESPN/USAToday)

 

Jan. 27, 2019 - Host UNC beats No. 1 Notre Dame 78-73

 

Dec. 19, 2019- Host Texas beat No. 1 Stanford 69-64

 

Jan. 17, 2021- Host Colorado beats No. 1 Stanford 77-72 overtime

 

Dec. 30, 2021 - Host Missouri beat No. 1 South Carolina  70-69 overtime

 

Penn Pounds Ursinus: Only one local team found action heading to the weekend and it was local action the Quakers plugged in an 89-29 win over Ursinus.

Since last checking in from across the globe, Penn quickly showed how to shake off the rust and decided the contest in a matter of minutes.

The Quakers (5-7), who all got to play, were led by reserve freshman Lizzy Groetsch, who had a career-high 11 points. Mandy McGurk shot 4-for-5 and scored 10 points, while Jordan Obi scored 10 points.

Gabby Downs and Allison Lisanti each scored nine for the visiting Bears (2-7).

The record for lopsided program wins is 65 points, set Dec. 31, 2014, here in The Palestra against D3 Kings College.

Looking Ahead While Dealing Covid Interruptions: The Quakers, one of the few local programs still alive at this hour (2:29 a.m., Dec. 31), are set to open Ivy play Sunday at Brown in Providence, R.I., at 2 p.m.  on ESPN+

At the same time and at home on ESPN+,  defending Ivy champion Princeton opens at home against Harvard, while Villanova Friday afternoon resumes Big East play in the Wildcats Finneran Pavilion hosting Seton Hall at 2 p.m., and on Sunday at noon on FSI, Seton Hall visits. The. Friday game is on the Flohoops Aps.

No surprise considering UCF pulled out of a non-conference visit to Princeton, while Temple cancelled its Big Five visit from La Salle, both Wednesday, andThe AAC then Thursday pulled the plug on the conference opener Sunday in Orlando, Fla.

In the Northeast Conference in the Guru tracker, Wagner picks up a 2-0 forfeit home win over St. Francis of Brooklyn,  while the only PAC-12 game still alive has Washington State hosting California at 10 p.m. and the only Big Ten game left has No. 25 Ohio State at No. 9 Michigan at noon.

On Saturday, Saint Joseph’s is still set to open in the Atlantic 10 at St. Bonaventure at noon on ESPN+.

Sunday, FSI as mentioned is at noon airing Villanova hosting its Big East. Game against visiting St. John’s.

And that’s the report. 

The Guru Report: Covid Back Running Amok; Late Harvard Rally Carries Crimson Past Saint Joseph’s While Three-Point Deluge Sets Vanderbilt Records

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

PHILADELPHIA — So much for coming out of the woods.

 

A little over a week ago on the Score apps the Guru uses for a quick look at running results against his specialized spreadsheet of local, national, and mid-major/low mid-major games to know what to discuss,  attend, etc., he noticed a tiny number of contests go off the daily books due to some positive tests from the latest corona virus pandemic phase.

 

Well, he thought,  at least it’s nothing like a year ago when double digit cancellations sprinkled with cobbled insertions were a way of life from the first day of the season’s delayed start.

 

Wrong!!!

 

After enjoying something approaching what passed for the amended old normalcy chaos has broken loose.

 

How bad has it become?

 

With conference competition about to step to the fore, 10 of the Guru’s 11 local Division I teams have been rocked this week since the resumption of play hampered by the Grinch who Christmas tossed back.

 

And the one, Villanova, which at the moment (6 a.m. pre-dawn Dec. 29) has a small collateral effect off Sunday’s Big East game here with St. John’s, the game moved two hours earlier from 2 p.m. to noon to switch TV outlets from the Big East Digital Flohoops platform to FS1.

 

Let us count the ways but before, understand, we believe that if a game is knocked out of it’s original date but the release says attempts are being made to re-schedule, than that game is postponed, not cancelled.

 

It’s no different than what is done when weather or other unforeseen circumstances change the reason the show won’t immediately go on.

 

If it dies, we will then call it cancelled and in retrospect note it aligned with NCAA “no game” policy.

 

And for standings purposes, or those conferences that do so, will note the win or loss as result of a forfeit.

 

“We got 32 conferences with 32 different policies right now,” said an NCAA friend as events began ramping up the wrong way.

Since that remark, the number has changed because some leagues have amended the original promulgation and aligned in common decrees, but others are already in their third adjustments more or less.

 

Anyhow, here’s the roll call from this week’s post-holiday readout into the weekend extending to Monday concerning the locals.

 

La Salle: Tonight’s Big 5 game (Wed.., Dec. 29) at Temple called off by the host Owls due to positive tests (yeah, they were at Northwestern as was your Guru before the Wildcats cancelled the Oregon game); and issues with VCU also put on delay the Expolorers’ home tipoff Saturday in the Atlantic 10.

 

Penn: Morgan State cancelled the Quakers’ visit to Baltimore set for tomorrow (Thursday, Dec. 30), and Penn found a replacement in Ursinus to visit The Palestra at 1 p.m. Perhaps you’ll watch what becomes a TV replacement for one of those cancelled bowl games.

 

 The start of the new-look Ivy schedule set originally for last season is still in play for Sunday when Penn visits Brown. So much for the traditional open here or there with Princeton, which, for the Quakers for several reasons, is a good thing.

 

Saint Joseph’s: It started with Norfolk State pulling out of the Hawk Classic and North Alabama went by the boards, but Harvard was ready to play a single match as was the host school.

 

“I thought we were out of these pause situations, but it seems we are back to where we were last year,” said Saint Joseph’s veteran coach Cindy Griffin at the postgame presser after the contest got away in the last two minutes. (Game report below all this).

 

“You don’t have control over it. You can only do what you can do. At this point in time you want to play games and control what you can control. You’re back dealing with the unknown.”

Except it’s shaking to a different unknown.

 

Temple: The Owls, as already noted, postponed the visit from La Salle. They are seemingly set to open their American Conference slate at UCF Sunday at noon BUT UCF pulled out of today’s  (Wed.) visit to Princeton. With Temple and UCF both being the earlier problems, stay tuned on this one.

 

Villanova: The Wildcats in a Big East weekend host Seton Hall, Friday, at 2 p.m. and St. John’s Sunday at noon.

 

Drexel: The Dragons have issues. Both Friday’s visit in the CAA from Towson and Sunday’s from James Madison are postponed. Towson will be made up Tuesday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m., lame-duck CAA  member JMU still to be determined.

 

Delaware: Likewise involving the same two CAA visitors this weekend. JMU will visit the Blue Hens at 6 p.m. the same Jan. 18 night as the makeup involving Drexel while Towson at Delaware to be determined.

 

Rider: The Broncs have issues. Per Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) policy right now says Thursday’s visit from Niagara is a forfeit as is Saturday’s from Marist but the overall record stays the same. This may not be final.

 

Princeton: As mentioned, UCF pulled out of Wednesday’s visit, the Harvard opener in Jadwin Sunday is still on.

 

Penn State: The Lady Lions have issues and Thursday’s visit from Iowa in the Big Ten and Monday’s to Ohio State both need makeups.

 

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights are veterans in all this from last year when they shut or were shut down in extended stretches.

 

The Big Ten visit from No. 8 Indiana on Thursday night needs a makeup while Sunday’s visit to Purdue is still on.

 

Give Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer on leave this season credit for clarity. Her worst fears over Covid becoming a factor have been realized.

 

We won’t even dare get into the rest of the nation other than for those who were set to watch UConn in the Big East today (Wed) or at DePaul (Fri) get a conference challenge this week and either sympathize with the former Top Ten Huskies over their injury/short roster problems or rejoice over seeing things you didn’t think you’d see in your lifetime that Geno Auriemma is dealing with (Heck, can’t believe my midseason ballot for one organization was totally devoid of anything UConn), find something else.

 

UConn has issues and needs two makeups and possibly a third with Georgetown shut down. 

 

Next stop right now, however, is likely here at Villanova, Friday, Jan. 7.

 

Saint Joseph’s Ivy Sweep Is Off the Books: Earlier this month the Hawks jump started their long slide the other way beating Yale at home at the finish and then went to Penn for a Big Five encounter and ended a slide against the Quakers.

 

Things looked great Tuesday when the home team roared to a start and in the second half freshmen Talya Brugler and Julia Nystrom helped fuel Saint Joseph’s offense.

 

But Harvard had their own newcomer threat in Harmoni Turner, whose game-high 25 points helped the Crimson (6-6) slip past the Hawks 73-70.  Lola Mullaney added 16 points and Tess Sussman scored 12.

Freshman Julia Nystrom had a career high 18 points for the Hawks (4-8)  while Katie Jekot had 13 points and a career-high eight assists along with six rebounds. Kaliah Henderson scored 11.

 

“We had control of the game until the last two minutes,” Griffin said. “It was anybody’s game. A play here, a play there. We gave up transition easy baskets at the end, and we weren’t able to to convert two layups in the paint. That was the game right there.”

 

Of Nystrom, the Hawks coach said, “It was great to see Julia put the ball in the basket. It will help us moving forward.”

 

Nationally noted: South Jersey’s Christina Foggie, who spent some time after her Vanderbilt career at Saint Joseph’s, no longer has the three-point game record shared with Meredith Marsh and Abi Ramsey for the program.

 

The Commodores set a game team record for the program with 17 and freshman Iyana Moore had nine of them in a 94-42 rout of Alabama State that got the game on the tracker because the visitors to Nashville were high on the SWAC conference preseason picks.

 

The team mark was set in 1993.

 

“The coaches told me I needed one more,” Moore said when asked if she was aware she was getting close.

 

George Washington (7-6) got ready for the A-10 at home finishing up non-league play hosting West Chester (3-8) and gained a 64-31 victory in the Smith Center in the nation’s capital.

 

In a game between two teams with good preseason votes in the Mountain West, UNLV (9-3) topped host Fresno State 73-63 leading all the way in a road win in the conference opener.

 

And that’s the report.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guru Report: Rider Tops Siena While Fairfield and Bucknell Pull Upsets and Michigan State’s Clouden Scores 50

By Mel Greenberg @womhoops guru

The only local of the Guru’s Division l group was victorious Monday as Rider quickly evened its Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference record by topping host Siena 59-43 going wire-to-wire with the lead on the road in Loudonville, N.Y. , near Albany to spoil the Saints’ (0-9) conference debut for the season.

The Broncs (3-8) quickly sprinted from a 3-2 edge to a 15-0 run shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, including four from deep.

Siena threatened with a 9-0 outburst at the start of the third quarter to trim the deficit to eight before Rider regained control to turn aside any more challenges.

‘It’s a good win for us,” said Rider coach Lynn Milligan. “Road wins are hard to come by in the MAAC. Any time you can go on the road in this league and come away with a win, it’s a good win.

Having four kids that can score on any given night is nice. Their teammates are getting them open. The person getting the shot is the easy part, it’s all the work we do before that to put them in the right spot,” she continued.

“Our bench is a little tighter right now and when we get them healthier there will be other opportunities.’

Of Anna Ekerstedt’s debut as a starter, Milligan said, “We started Anna to get her length and athleticism in the starting lineup and she was great tonight. It was a step in the right direction when we win the rebound battle. Anna and Vic (Victoria Toomey) did a great job in our zone tonight.

Lenaejha Evans led Rider with 18 points.

The Broncs meanwhile now take a Xmas break till returning home to host Niagara, Dec. 30, in Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J.

Elsewhere in the MAAC, Rider’s cause and suggestion the race may become more open than suggested came from Hamden, Conn., where Fairfield on the road upset preseason favorite Quinnipiac 66-62, in the Bobcats’ Peoples United Center.

The Stags tore away from an early fourth quarter tie on a 7-0 run and then relied on their defense to secure the win.’

Lou Lopez-Senechal had a game-high 26 points for Fairfield (5-5, 2-0 MAAC), while Sydney Lowery had 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for her first double double.

Mackenzie DeWeese had 14 points for Quinnipac (6-5, 1-1) and reserve Sadaja Bonner scored 12.

“Obviously, l’m thrilled for the girls,” said Fairfield coach Joe Frager. “To come back on one day prep and beat an outstanding, well=coached Quinnipiac team. We knew they were going to come after us strong in the second half but l was happy the way we responded in the fourth quarter.

The victory was Fairfield’s first in eight years at Quinnipiac.

Bucknell Upsets Buffalo: The Bisons made it nine straight season wins beating the Bulls 80-69 in gaining an upset of the 12th-ranked team in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll.

Three players reached career-highs for The Patriot League contenders (9-2) in Cecilia Collins with 21 points, Carly Krsul with 17, and Tai Johnson with nine.

Buffalo (6-4), which had won 5-of-6 and is a Mid-American contender, got 22 points from Georgia Woolley as a reserve while Dyashia Fair used four from deep to propel her way to 20 points.

Nationally Noted: Nia Clouden set a Michigan State record and nation-high for the season scoring 50 points but the Spartans fell to Florida Gulf Coast 85-84 in double overtime in the West Palm Beach invitational in Florida. 

Kierstan Bell had 28 for FGCU (10-1), including the last five in the final 58 seconds after Michigan State (7-5) led by five. Her game-winner game with 48 seconds left in the second overtime. 

Opponents are pre-determined in each round of the event. In Monday, in other event results showed No. 22 LSU over Clemson 70-56; Dayton 71-64 over High Point; No. 16 South Florida 77-55 over West Virginia; Ole Miss 65-50 over Texas Tech.

When Monday’s AP Poll came out, besides UConn dropping out of the top 10 for the first time in 16 seasons, and Michigan making it’s Top 10 debut, Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer joined the late Tennessee legend Pat Summitt with at least 600 appearances. 

Summitt retired with 614, missing just 14 weeks at the time.

Looking Ahead: Speaking of Stanford, the defending NCAA champs moved up a spot to second, setting up Tuesday night’s second season showdown between poll 1-2 teams when the Cardinal visit South Carolina.

Locally, Vanderbilt under new coach and former UConn star and assistant Shea Ralph visit Saint Joseph’s at noon; A Big Five collision is at 1 p.m. when Villanova (2-1) visits La Salle (1-0). The Wildcats clinch a tie with a win while the host Explorers winning keeps alive a 4-0 sweep with Temple and Saint Joseph’s left on the schedule.

Lehigh is at George Washington at 2 p.m. and Drexel is at Delaware State at 1 p.m.

On Wednesday, No. 12 Texas is at Princeton while Old Dominion is at Temple, in the front end of a women’s/men’s doubleheader in the Liacouras Center, both at noon.

The VCU at Delaware and Towson at Penn State games are both cancelled due to covid positive tests involving both visiting teams.

And that’s the report.

The Guru Report: Stanford Knocks Tennessee From the Unbeatens Sets Up Likely 1-2 Showdown With South Carolina; Winning Saturday for La Salle, Penn State, Rutgers

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Looking more like the form of a No. 3 ranked team as well as a NCAA defending women’s basketball champion, in one of the ongoing annual national rivalries Stanford snapped No. 7 Tennessee’s bid for a perfect season with a 74-63 triumph coming a seemingly unlikely place.

The No. 3 Cardinal (8-2) had a 17-point halftime lead shrivel to three the next period when the host Lady Vols (9-1) started on a 14-0 run in the third period while at the same time Stanford turned the ball over in Thompson-Boling Arena eight times and missed the visitors’ first 13 shots.

But reserve Ashten Prechtel, who had not been a factor missing her five shots attempted through the first three quarters quieted the Knoxville crowd in the final period when she righted Stanford in the final period by making three straight attempts from deep.

In all, 11 of her 12 points came down the stretch.

“We struggled in the third quarter, but that’s a credit to them,” said Stanford Hall of Fame coach Tara VaDerveer, whose NCAA Division I record total number of women’s wins grew to 1,133.

Her closest pursuer, Hall of Fame Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma is at 1,125 and his No. 7 Huskies, tied with Tennessee in the current AP Poll, play No. 6 Louisville Sunday afternoon at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., as part of the Hall of Fame Showcase doubleheader after No. 5 Baylor plays No. 13 Michigan.

In between, the WNBA will conduct the lottery for the order for the top four picks of next spring’s draft.

“Ashten came in and made some big shots for us,” VanDerveer said.

Tamara Key scored only one point for the home team and fouled out.

“I personally, did nothing,” VanDerveer said of stopping the Tennessee post star. “She’s a terrific talent. She really changes things in there by blocking shots. When you get her in foul trouble, I think it really changes things. She was in foul trouble. (Stanford’s) Cameron Brink was in foul trouble. 

“That’s one of the things. Our team has great depth, and this is where Ashten came in, and Kiki (Iriafen) came in. Haley (Jones), she rebounded the hell out of the ball. It would ber a different game maybe with (Key) staying in there, because she does change things, but you’ve just got to go with who’s available.”

Tennessee coach Kellie Harper called her team’s defense ofd Prechtel a “complete breakdown on our part. “If we were playing football, it would have been busted covrage.”

Jones had 18 points and 19 rebounds while teammate Lexi Hull scored scored 11, and Iriafen scored 10.

On Monday, Van Derveer will join the late Tennessee legend Pat Summitt having reached or passed 600 ranking appearances. Summitt had 618 when she stepped down fighting Alzheimer disease, missing just 14 of the total poll appearances at that time.

Alexus Dye spurred Tennessee in the third period scoring 10 of her 14 points. Jordan Horstan scored 19 and grabbed 12 rebounds. Sara Puckett scored 10 points for Tennessee.

Nationally Notable: Kansas State beat Oregon, 68-56; No. 14 Iowa beat visiting Oregon 68-56.

Five games were cancelled or postponed on Saturday due to COVID-19 related moves while such attractions on Sunday victimized were UCLA and Ohio State; Texas and Arizona and Middle Tennessee and Belmont.

Penn State’s Marisa Has Career Day: Makenna Marisa had a personal best 33 points to propel a 68-60 win by in-state rival Penn State (7-5) over Duquesne (5-7) on the road at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh.

Ali Brigham had 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench. Anna Camden had nine rebounds while Duquesne’s Tess Myers scored 21, Fatou Pouye scored 12, and Megan McConnell grabbed 11 rebounds.

The Lady Lions were supposed to host Towson on Wednesday but the game was cancelled due to COVID-19 issues involving the Tigers. Penn State is next set to host Iowa in a Big Ten clash on Dec. 30.

Streaking La Salle: The Explorers have now won 6 of 8 after beating visiting Sacred Heart 72-44 at CHASE Fieldhouse Saturday in Wilmington, Del., as Gabby Crawford made her debut and scored a team high 17 points. Claire Jacobs scored 16 points, and Jaye Haynes scored 10. 

Next up is a Big Five game at home Tuesday hosting Villanova at 1 p.m. at Tom Gola Arena.

Rutgers Win Features Jailyn Mason’s 1,000th Point: One day after Temple’s Mia Davis became the second Owl in history to reach 2,000 career points, which occurred at the 68-58 loss at Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., above Chicago, Rutgers’ Mason reached her 1,000th in the Scarlet Knights’ 73-54 home win over Wagner (7-2) at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J.

Mason, a transfer to the Scarlet Knights (7-7) from Arkansas, where her career total reached 956, scored 17.  

Rutgers takes a long holiday pause returning Dec. 30 at 8 p.m. to host a Big Ten clash with current No. 10 Indiana.

Rider Edged by Quinnipiac:  The Broncs came close to an upset, beating the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference favorite before losing to Quinnipiac 64-60 in the conference opener for both teams at Rider’s Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, N.J.

Rider (2-6) had won two straight over the Bobcats (6-4) in the series.

“I think we forced them to take shots they didn’t want to take but we couldn’t finish the play,” said Rider coach Lynn Milligan.

Jessika Schiffer has personal bests 22 points, seven assists, and six from deep for Rider, which next goes to Siena for a MAAC game Monday night at 7 p.m. in Albany, N.Y.

And that’s the report.

The Guru Report: Grand Night For Drexel’s Washington in Dragons Win While Princeton Edges Buffalo in Overtime and Rutgers Completes a Local Sweep

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA — If you missed Drexel capturing the Colonial Athletic Association crown in the conference title game last season or the flow of a recent Saint Joseph’s win on Hawk Hill over Yale in which Cindy Griffin’s squad finally got untracked from what had been a six-game losing streak, the Dragons at home Tuesday night in the Daskalakis Athletic Center provided a recap of all of it.

Like the Hawks in Yale’s last visit to the area several weeks ago, Drexel surged early, leading by 19 in the first half, then squandered all of it and dropped one down at the end of three but came through as the finish approached for a 59-52 victory.

And like the close in the CAA title game against regular season champion Delaware, clutch time was time for Keishana Washington with co-star slots from several teammates to ensure the victory.

Washington had a game-high 25 points, including 13 in the last 13 minutes of play, and with 3:03 left in the third period fired a successful shot from beyond the arc to received her card as the Dragons’ 27th member of the 1,000-point club.

“Very proud of this game and very proud of our team,” said second-year Drexel coach Amy Mallon, who previously served a long stint as current Villanova coach Denise Dillon’s top assistant. “You watch Yale, we knew it was going to be a possession game … and then to have one of your players get her 1,000th point on a night like this, congratulations to Keishana.”

Tessa Brugler had 10 points and 12 rebounds for Drexel (8-2), which dominated the boards 49-27 and tied the 2016-17 contingent of five seasons ago for best ten-game start in program history.

Yale’s 6-5 junior Camilla Emsbo, who looms as trouble on the Bulldogs’ return down the block at The Palestra and home in New Haven playing Penn in the Ivy League, had 21 points and nine rebounds, while Jenna Clark scored 16, propelled by four from deep.

“I am very proud of our team’s fight against a senior-led, very experienced team,” said Yale coach Allison Guth, whose team fell to 6-5.

Trailing by a point, Kate Connolly got Drexel back on the upside with a three-pointer though the Bulldogs retook the lead, gaining a three-point lead just past midway in the fourth.

Washington’s personal 7-0 run flipped the Dragons ahead by four. 

A Yale trey made it a one-point game with two minutes left in regulation. Following a timeout, the Dragons got the ball inside to Brugler, drawing two defenders. She kicked the orb to Maura Hendrixson, who was wide open and she made good on her only points of the evening.

“It’s definitely a great feeling, great accomplishment,” Washington said of her milestone. “Credit to my teammates and my coaches for continuously putting me in the position  to be successful. I’m just happy I was able to do that tonight.”

Drexel will finish non-conference play next Tuesday at 1 p.m., Dec. 21, at Delaware State in Memorial Hall in Dover and then return from the Christmas break diving right into the deep end of the CAA schedule pool, hosting Towson on New Year’s Eve at 2 p.m. and then James Madison, also at 2 p.m., on Jan. 2. 

The visiting Dukes, however, are suspended from all CAA playoffs reacting to their recent announced intentions to join the Sun Belt Conference.

Princeton Gains Five Players in Double Figures to Edge Buffalo in Overtime: Ever since the Bulls made their way out of the Mid-American Conference into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament several years ago, Buffalo has been a force to fear. They proved it again Tuesday night but the Ivy League-favored Tigers had the last word in overtime to gain a 79-77 triumph at home in Jadwin Gym.

It’s the first time Princeton has had five players with at least 10 points or more in four seasons since wining at Brown 77-62 on Feb. 3, 2018.

Julia Cunningham had 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a block, Grace Stone scored 16, Abby Meyers had 12, as did Kaitlyn Chen, and Maggie Connolly scored 11.

Buffalo (6-3) twice committed turnovers near the end of the bonus period that proved costly, while enabling the Tigers to extend their record to 7-3.

Dyaisha Fair erupted for 31 points, spurred by five successful shots from deep, for Buffalo. Cheyenne McEvans scored 16, Summer Hemphill scored 12, and reserve Georgia Woolley scored 14.

Princeton seemed headed for trouble, trailing by eight with 2:47 left in the third period. But the Tigers then erupted on a 9-0 spree to move within one with just the fourth quarter needed to be played.

There were nine ties and eight lead changes in the fourth quarter.

Hemphill drew a foul with one second left in regulation and nailed both attempts to send the teams into the bonus session.

Buffalo’s five-game win streak was stopped with a loss.

Next up a week from Wednesday, Texas, the highest ranked team, currently 11th, ever to visit Princeton, visits at noon.

Non-conference Stops Fruitful For Rutgers: Briefly on a hiatus from the Big Ten schedule after the first week of conference play resulted in losses to nationally-ranked Maryland and at long-time rival Penn State, the Scarlet Knights won their second straight beating visiting Central Connecticut State 56-45 at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J.

Rutgers (6-7) got closer to .500 beating the visitors (1-6).

The Scarlet Knight got off to a blazing start in the opening period with 22 points, shooting 75 percent from the field.

The opposition did rally within nine in the final period but no more.

Tyia Singleton had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Lasha Petree had 10 points and six rebounds. Sayawni Lassiter dealt seven assists for a career best though it should be noted that once the team is making shots, assists will rise if the offense is running to the blueprint.

Ashley Berube scored 14 for CCSU.

The Blue Devils, not those Blue Devils, got within single digits in the third period when Rutgers hit a shooting slump. But the defense forcing five miscues in the fourth and final period enabled the Scarlet Knights to avoid damage.

Rutgers is perfect in the lifetime series playing Central Connecticut, winning all four games and all played at home in central New Jersey.

Interim coach Timothy Eatman saluted the team for the win but still noted that “it was not up to the standard we want to play at. They did share with each other and they got good shots. Practicing they are getting better.

“When you know when the shot is going up, you know if you have a chance to get offensive rebounds. So when you make the shots, how many are offensive rebounds. We have good rebounders. As long as when we know shot is going to be taken … I think we’re moving in the right direction with that.”

The Scarlet Knights remain home and still out of conference hosting Wagner of the Northeast Conference Saturday afternoon.

Nationally noted: There were two games on the Guru’s tracker and in one Northwestern at home at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill., topped Milwaukee 55-46 in the Midwest while UCF of the American Conference, of which Temple belongs, won at Seton Hall of the Big East 68-56 at Walsh Gym in South Orange, N.J.

The Wildcats under coach Joe McKeown, who grew up in Northeast Philadelphia, have won four straight but in this one rallying from a 23-18 halftime deficit outscoring the visitors 37-23 in the second half.

Though the home team (8-3) was without Sydney Wood and Jillian Brown, reserves Laya Hartman and Kaylah Rainey combined for 15 of 20 points off the bench, each hitting two shots from deep against Milwaukee 4-7).

First-year player Caileigh Walsh had 17 points, five rebounds, three blocked shots, and three steals. Veronica Burton, who made a clutch layup late in the game to help preserve the win, had nine points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and and a pair of steals.

Northwestern will host Temple, one of the few Philly teams in action this week, on Friday night in the Midwest.

Up north in the Seton Hall game, UCF (8-1) won its seventh straight and the Pirates dropped to 4-5.

The visitors pulled away in the second period, scoring 18 points for a 35-26 halftime lead.

The differential expanded in the third period with an opening 8-0 run though Seton Hall then rallied 18-4 to make it a three-point game entering the fourth quarter.

In the first three minutes of the final period, UCF rebuilt the advantage to 58-46.

It got back to within six but Diamond Battles, who finished with 22 points and six assists, and Alisha Lewis, who scored 15, pushed the margin back to double digits to keep it comfortable over the final minutes.

Tay Sanders had 12 points, while Masseny Kaba had a near double double with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Andra Espinoza-Hunter had 15 points for the Pirates and Sidney Cooks scored 13.

Looking Ahead: Besides the Temple game mentioned on a lite week due to finals, the local teams playing have on Saturday besides the Rutgers game noted, Penn State is at Duquesne in Pittsburgh, Sacred Heart is at La Salle at 2 p.m. at Tom Gola Arena at Trumark Center; and Rider stars play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference hosting favorite Quinnipiac at 2 p.m. at Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J.

Nationally, on Wednesday, another challenge for Dawn Staley’s top-ranked South Carolina squad visiting No. 15 Duke at 7 p.m. on the ACC Network. On Thursday,  No. 17 Georgia is at No. 2 N.C. State; while on Saturday, No. 3 Stanford is at No. 7 Tennessee at 5:15 p.m.; and UCF is at No. 14 Iowa at 7:30 p.m.

On Sunday, the Hall of Fame Showcase is at the Mohegan Sun Arena on ESPN with No. 5 Baylor and No. 13 Michigan reprising their NCAA meeting last season at 1 p.m., No. 7 Connecticut hosting No. 6 Louisville at 3:30 p.m. with the network in between at 3 p.m. airing the WNBA draft lottery.

No. 11 Texas is playing No. 4 Arizona at 5:30 p.m. in Nevada; No. 24 Ohio State is at UCLA at 8 p.m. while Pittsburgh has an ACC attraction at No. 21 Notre Dame at 2 p.m.

And that’s the report.

The Guru Report: Villanova Upsets No. 23 Oregon State In First Meeting While No. 1 South Carolina and No. 7 Louisville Turn Back No. 8 Maryland and No. 14 Kentucky in Jimmy V Games

Note: Parts of the overall report are drawn on school email and website, plus wire service reports.

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The first time was the charm for the Villanova Wildcats Sunday afternoon with junior Maddy Siegrist completing a smashing second straight game in her return this week from a hand injury as the home team upset No. No. 23 Oregon State 56-52 in Finneran Pavilion.

The two programs had never met. 

Three other locals played with Penn State and Rutgers stepping outside the Big Ten in their respective home arenas to notch victories and in the case of Rutgers finally stopping a slide that had reached to six games. 

A sweep on the day was prevented just to the north where Rider got sunk at home by Navy 73-59 in a game by the host Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rep in its Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville, N.J. against the visitors from the Patriot League.

Nationally, on a day with plenty of attractions, the highlight was two powerhouse games comprising an ESPN Jimmy V doubleheader in separate locals featuring No. 1 South Carolina staying unbeaten by turning aside No. 8 Maryland 66-59 at home in Colonial Life Arena in Columbia while just before in what was also a key in-state collision, No. 7 Louisville at home at the KFC Yum! Center outlasted No. 14 Kentucky 64-58.

Home is where the heart is so we start in the Philly Burbs where Villanova had great ball control and after the scoring via field goals had ceased for Denise Dillion’s squad with 5:26 left in regulation when the Wildcats (5-5) seemed poised to break the game open, they refused to be overcome to gain their first victory over a PAC-12 school since deep in the 1980s.

“We didn’t get ahead of ourselves, and we didn’t get behind ourselves,” Dillon said. “They stayed really locked into the possession we were apart of at that time.

“The touches were crucial. One of those possessions Brooke (Mullin) getting a touch on a pass. Little things like that add up. They mean a lot.

And so do the big things, so after Maddy Siegrist had missed six games with a hand injury and then returned on Wednesday with a 36-point performance in a win at James Madison, the native of Poughkeepsie (N.Y.) poured in 28 points in this one and grabbed nine rebounds.

“It’s a really big one for this group,” Dillon said. “They felt good about the matchup. When they have that sense and make a decision to stick with the game plan, and doing what’s necessary to put yourself in position to pull off a win.

Retired longtime Wildcats coach Harry Perretta was at the game and managed to maintain his seat when Ellie Mack, a redshirt senior transfer from Bucknell and high school alum from Conestoga High just up the road nailed a three to bring the Beavers (5-2) within a point 53-52 in the final minute.

But at the 49-second mark, Siegrist rejected a shot by Kennedy Brown going for the lead and Oregon State committed a turnover chasing the possession.

Brianna Herlihy got fouled with 22.5 left and canned both free throws for a three-point advantage and setting up potentially at worst overtime if the Beavers hit from deep.

But Mullin hampered a pass.

Mack then missed a shot going for broke to tie the game and Mullin got the rebound.

A contingent of Conestoga-associated athletes were at the game as was Drexel transfer from Bucknell Tessa Brugler and her sister Talya, a freshman at Saint Joseph’s.

Shots were hard to come by, Siegrist notwithstanding, but Dillon and her staff were pleased with the work done on the Oregon State guards, limited to 3-for-24 from the field.

“Their posts are great,” Siegrist said of the opposition. “They’re just big girls. We knew we were going to get outmatched, so we wanted to try and force them off the blocks and make them take tougher shots.”

Villanova shutout the Beavers 17-0 on points off turnovers, forcing 15 miscues, while the Wildcats committed just three.

“You don’t realize that when you’re playing,” Siegrist said, pleasantly surprised on the low number on the part of Villanova. “Against a good team like this you have to capitalize your possessions because we didn’t get a ton of offensive rebounds.”

The boxscore reflected that statistic, Villanova being dominated 50-32.

Oregon State’s Jelena Mitrovic had career highs of 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Taya Corosdale had 10 points and 11 boards. Mack, in her hometown appearance, had 11 points, six of which came from a pair of three-balls.

Besides Siegrist, Villanova’s Herlihy had 10 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

“Against a big team like Oregon State I knew we would be in trouble, but I felt we put forth effort to give ourselves some extra possessions.”

Taylor Jones, the opposition’s 6-foot-4 sophomore did not play.

Alluding to that situation, Siegrist’s recent absence, and several notable ones elsewhere such as the injuries on UConn, including sophomore Paige Bueckers, Dillon said, “I tell the team when you go out there, the only thing you need to focus is your team is the team for this season that is on the floor for that game. And you need to do your best with what you have.”

Villanova is off until Dec. 21 when the Wildcats travel to La Salle at 1 p.m. for the next Big Five game, their last for the season and owning a 2-1 mark. La Salle will come in at 1-0, the only team left who could go 4-0 and win the City Series outright.

Penn State Knocks Youngstown State From the Unbeaten: And now there are only 10 overall unbeaten Division I teams following the Lady Lions’ 78-58 win over Youngstown State at home in the Bryce Jordan Center in State College to drop the Penguins to 8-1 while moving up to 6-5.

Freshman guard Leilani Kapinus had a career-best 20 points, shooting 9-of-14 from the field while also grabbing seven rebounds, dealing four assists, and rejecting three shots, and grabbing a pair of steals.

Anna Camden had her second career double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Makenna Marisa had 12 points and Shay Hagans had nine points and a career best six steals. Ali Brighm off the bench had eight points and eight rebounds.

As a team, PSU had 10 rejected shots.

Across three quarters the Lady Lions did not allow a field goal, a stretch of 19 minutes, 29 seconds.

Three Penguins each scored nine points — Lindsey Mack, Malia Magestro, and Chelsea Olson.

“We have been talking over the last six games, how our assists numbers have gone down,” said Penn State coach Carolyn Kieger. “I think that has been a key contributor to our struggles on the offensive end the last couple of games, but to see us get back in that positive assist turnover ratio was huge for us.”

Penn State is idle until Saturday when the Lady Lions travel to play Duquesne in Pittsburgh.

Rutgers Ends Six-Game Slide in Win Over Delaware State: Whatever works and in this situation playing and keeping a team winless in the MEAC’s Delaware State (0-8) did the trick to give the Scarlet Knights a 74-36 triumph over the Hornets in the Scarlet Knights’ Jersey Mike’s Arena.

The entire 16-member roster saw action and 13 scored at least a point while 14 grabbed at least one rebound.

Depth was a large part of the ticket with the Rutgers (5-7) bench outscoring the Hornets’ 51-9.

Awa Sidibe had 15 points off 5-5 from the field including 1-1 deep, and 4-for-5 on the foul line. Sakima Walker had 11 points and seven rebounds, while Tyia Singleton, Osh Brown, and Chyna Cornwell each scoring eight points.

Defensively, Rutgers owned the board 40-20, while the team assisted on 24 of 30 shots. The squad set a season low on making just 11 turnovers and in points comparison off the miscues, Rutgers owned that stat, also, 21-2.

Sidible got eight of her points in the opening period and the team launched several runs into the half 

The score was 33-16, and it kept growing from there.

It’s the third time this season the Scarlet Knights’ bench outscored the entire opposition squad.

Rutgers stays out of Big Ten waters on the second outing, hosting Central Connecticut State at 7 on Tuesday on the Big Ten plus streaming network.

Navy Sinks Rider:  A 13-8 advantage after one period didn’t hold up long as Navy outscored the Broncs in each of the next three periods on the way to a 73-59 victory. 

Though the Broncs still held a slim 23-22 edge at the break, the Midshipwomen made it 51-36 the rest of the way.

The Navy bunch snapped a five-game losing streak to improve to 3-7 while Rider is now 2-7.

“I thought Navy dis a great job and we did not,” Rider veteran coach Lynn Milligan said of the way the game evolved in the second half. “We wrapped up the non-conference season obviously not the way we wanted to and we’ve got to, between now and Saturday, become a better basketball team. We’ve got to make sure that we are putting things behind us, learning from the mistakes we made, and being ready to open MAAC play.

“I think we tried to execute the game plan. I just don’t think at certain times we did a really good job of it.

“I thought Navy did a good job in the second half of changing up their defenses. I thought we had too many turnovers in the second half and gave them some easy buckets on their defense. So we have to do a better job.”

Navy is 6-0 in the series. The Midshipmen’s Jennifer Coleman just missed a triple double, scoring 27 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dealing nine assists.

Rider’s Lenaejha Evans had 18 points, while Mikayla Firebaugh had 15 points, and Jessika Schiffer scored 11.

Navy’s depth had a lopsided advantage, outscoring the Broncs. 24-4.

Rider gets into MAAC play in the deep end of the pool, opening at home Saturday at 2 p.m. hosting Quinnipiac, the conference favorite.

The National Scene

South Carolina Darts Through Another Obstacle: It was a 1-8 rankings match in part two of the nationally televised Jimmy V doubleheader but had not Maryland suffered some illness and injury on their Thanksgiving weekend trip to the tropics, perhaps the numbers would have been closer.

But to the unbeaten Gamecocks, their goal is to keep winning and beat the talent they are facing, no matter what the other team’s ranking number is, or, in some cases, even has one.

Zia Cooke scored 20 points to propel a 66-59 victory for South Carolina (10-0), it’s fourth over a top 10-ranked opponent with another nationally-ranked opponent in the near future when the Gamecocks meet No. 19 Duke.

Aliyah Boston had 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Brea Beal scored 10 and grabbed 10 rebounds. Laeticia Amihere pulled down eight off the boards.

Maryland’s Angel Reese scored 20 and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Ashley Owusu had 11 points for the Terrapins (9-3).

The visitors seemed headed to turning the momentum their way, trailing 53-47 in the fourth quarter and launching an 8-0 run and two-point lead.

The Terrapins hadn’t beaten a No. 1 ranked team since belonging to the Atlantic Coast Conference and doing so over North Carolina in 2006.

Boston had a season-high seven blocks. Cooke also scored her 1,000th career point as did Boston.

South Carolina had 61 rebounds, fourth most in a single game since Staley took over the program prior to the 2008-09 season.

The Gamecocks play at Duke this week on Dec. 15 on the ACC Network and then on Dec. 21 No. 4 Stanford visits at 7 p.m. on Dec. 21. UConn comes visiting for the regularly scheduled meeting early in 2022.

“Obviously, they respected our post players,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “They pressed us a lot more to slow us down. We really couldn’t find a good pace.

“We knew the game was going to be won on rebounding and the last three minutes is where we won the game.”

Said Maryland coach Brenda Frese, “A great game between two really, really good teams. 

“Really proud of our team’s fight to come into this building and compete the way we did for 40 minutes. This is why I built this schedule., which was to prepare us for March,” Frese said.

“To be in these battles and this kind of intensity and this kind of energy. Our team has really grown up. A terrific response.  You see Faith (Masonius) and Katie (Benzan) since the Bahamas — the energy for us. Angel just showed why she’s one of the best big guards in the country. She was a really had matchup. She really drew a lot of fouls, made a lot of great plays for us. Disappointed to not get the win, but proud of our fight.

The Terps next visit Coppin State, Dec. 21, in Baltimore.

Louisville Sprints to Finish to Edge Kentucky: No. 7 Louisville in what had been a tight game, outscored No. 14 Kentucky 11-4 in the final 3 minutes, 47 seconds to break away to a 64-58 win at the winning Cardinals KFC Yum! Center in the first part of the two-site ESPN Jimmy V doubleheader.

Three Louisville players scored in double figures led by Chelsea Hall with 15 points.

“It was a great team effort,” Cardinals coach Jeff Walz said. “It was a really good basketball game. Not saying it was pretty, but the effort was good.”

Louisville was one the last five games in the annual in-state rivalry in the Blue Grass State that was connected this year to the annual set of games involving fundraising in the fight against cancer.

Hailey Van Lith and Ahlana Smith, both added 13 points each to the attack. 

Furthermore, Emily Engstler had 10 rebounds.

Louisville used a 10-2 third quarter run after the break to create some separation from the Wildcats.

“We knew that coming out in the second half we wanted to stop them,” Hall said. “We focused on three stops in a row and we did that.”

The winners gained 21 points from 21 Kentucky turnovers.

The Wildcats’ Rhyne Howard, a contender for national player of the year, had nine points and connected on just one attempt from beyond the arc.

“I thought we competed,” Walz said. “I thought we did a great job just trying to grind things out. We continue to get down a stance and try and guard.”

Kentucky wasn’t done, however, and took a one-point lead in the last quarter with three minutes left in regulation when Smith started the winning finish, hitting a jump shot in the paint.

“(Walz) told us from the jump it would come down to the wire … I felt like we did that,” she said. “We kept our composure.”

Prior to Louisville’ game next Sunday against Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, the Cardinals will host Eastern Kentucky Thursday.

TCU Upsets Texas A&M:  Besides the Villanova upset of No. 23 Oregon State, TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, upset No. 18 Texas A&M 87-75 as Lauren Heard scored 33 points and Aja Holmes topped her personal best by two points, scoring 22 points. Heard’s total included a program second-best with 18 foul shots made, including 13 in the fourth quarter.

The Horned Frogs (4-4) launched a 10-0 run at the game’s outset and never trailed.

TCU had lost eight straight to the Aggies (9-2).

Kayla Wells had 20 points for the Aggies, while Qadashah Hoppie had 17 points as a substitute, Jordan Nixon scored 13 and dealt seven helpers, and Sydney Robie scored 10.

“I don’t got any excuses,” said Women’s Hall of Fame coach Gary Blair, who will retire from the Aggies at the end of this season. “We got beat by a team that played better.”

A&M will host Rice on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Other Results to Note: No. 4 Stanford topped visiting Pacific 91-62 to increase Tara VanDerveer’s Division I women’s coaching win record to 1,131. UC Davis visits Wednesday before traveling to play at No.9 Tennessee and No. 1 South Carolina. … In a Big Ten Conference match between ranked teams, No. 10 Indiana beat No. 20 Ohio State, 86-66 while No. 15 Iowa State just got past Northern Iowa, 70-69. No. 6 Arizona looking to jump into the Top 5 won, as did No. 22 Notre Dame, No. 9 Tennessee, No. 2 N.C. State, No. 24 LSU, No. 13 Michigan, and rallying late No. 17 South Florida 64-57 over previous ranked VCU 74-67.

Rhode Island clipped Maine, 45-44; while Creighton beat Arizona State 69-62; and West Virginia on the road beat James Madison 75-68 in overtime.

And that’s the report.

The Guru Report: UConn Stops One Game Slide Topping UCLA While Saint Joseph’s Gains Big Five Win Over Temple and Drexel Still Streaking

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA —  The Big Five women’s final outcome will be decided later, not sooner; Drexel is still winning; and No. 3 UConn’s additional dastardly date(s) with the dubious for now has been avoided.

That was the upside of wins by Saint Joseph’s here over Temple in a Big Five game Saturday afternoon at the Owls’ McGonigle Hall; No. 3 UConn’s narrow win over UCLA at the Prudential Center up north in Newark, N.J; and Drexel’s non-conference win across town at the Dragon’s Daskalakis Athletic Center over Longwood.

As for the rest of the locals, Princeton was upended at home in the Tigers’ Jadwin Gym by Seton Hall; La Salle couldn’t overtake St. John’s up in Queens at the Red Storm’s Carneseca Arema; and Delaware, missing the injured nation’s top shooter was handled in the Midwest by host Northwestern.

To avoid accidentally omitting it from the conversation, looking ahead at the rest of the weekend, nationally and locally on Sunday, No. 23 Oregon State for the first time will be clashing with Villanova, happening 1 p.m. at the Wildcats’ Finneran Pavilion with Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist looking to go for a second straight game after returning from a hand injury last week and posting 36 points and 17 rebounds at James Madison in a win.

A huge national doubleheader battle has No. 1 South Carolina hosting No. 8 Maryland at 3 p.m. after No. 7 Louisville hosts No. 14 Kentucky at 1 p.m., both on ESPN as part of the Jimmy V fundraising event on the women’s side;  and No. 10 Indiana is at No. 20 Ohio State in a 7 p.m. Big Ten Network attraction.

Two other locals on Sunday have Penn State hosting Youngstown State at the Bryce Jordan Center while Delaware State visits Rutgers at the Jersey Mike’s Arena; both at 2 p.m. on the Big Ten supplemental streaming network; and Navy is at Rider at Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J., at 2 p.m.

For the first time, long time, win or lose, Saint Joseph’s found the mark and kept turning back Temple comebacks and brief go-ahead leads in a 73-63 win by the Hawks (4-6, 2-1 Big Five) over the Owls (5-4, 1-1), who had a three-game win streak snapped while Saint Joseph’s has now won three straight.

“We’ve been coming and getting better, we just weren’t finishing,” said Saint Joseph’s coach Cindy Griffin, “even down in Houston.”

The current streak followed six straight losses following a lopsided season-opening win.

The Hawks shot 48.1 percent from the field and 52.9 percent from behind the arc, and also 12-for-16 from the line, while Temple with a slightly different set of numbers went 48.1 percent but four less from long range.

Katie Jekot set a career-high with 25 points, including 5-for-9 from the perimeter, and 8-for-9 beyond the arc. She also had six rebounds, six steals and five assists.

That’s two straight games, including the preceding one against host Penn, Jekot had personal best shooting from beyond the arc.

Mackenzie Smith from Nova Scotia had 12 points, while Lovin Marsicano and Emma Boslet, her best, each scored nine points.

Boslet also matched a personal best with four assists, while freshman Laila Fair grabbed seven rebounds.

“We’re still finding ourselves,” Griffin said. “Now it’s about momentum, finding ourselves going into finals.”

When they emerge, the Hawks will host Vanderbilt at noon on Dec. 21, break for the holidays, and then host the annual Hawk Classic following Christmas.

Vanderbilt is under new coach Shea Ralph, a former longtime assistant as well as player at UConn.

“Really happy with the way we shared the ball today,” Griffin said. “We moved the ball, really, really well, and that’s who we are.”

As for Temple, which is off a week until traveling to Northwestern next Friday in Evanston, Ill., “I just thought we were tired,” coach Tonya Cardoza said. “Guarding them just physically wore us out. We just looked sluggish today. We were gasping for air. We couldn’t get stops. I thought we reverted today to going back to the last play and getting down on ourselves.”

Jasha Clinton had 24 points for Temple, while Mia Davis had 18 points and nine rebounds.

The game at Northwestern will tip at 8 p.m. on the Big 12 supplemental streaming network.

Drexel Win Streak Hits Four: The Dragons led all the way in a 79-57 win over Longwood (3-6), getting closer to the start of defending their Colonial Athletic Association title, tipping off against Towson, which has lost just one game, on New Year’s Eve.

Still ahead is a non-conference game against Ivy representative Yale, Tuesday at 5 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the Drexel men.

Hannah Nihill had 23 points and dealt seven assists, while the helpers has her now one of five active players across NCAA divisions with 1,000 points, 400 assists, and 250 steals in her career.

Keishana Washington had 21 points, while Kate Connolly had 14 points, and Tessa Brugler scored 11 for the Dragons (7-2), whose two losses are a two-pointer in the season-opener here to Marist and to Nebraska in a tournament on the West Coast..

Career highs in rebounding were set by Mariah Leonard with 16, while Jasmine Valentine grabbed 11.

“Really excited about this win,” said second-year coach Amy Mallon. “We had 23 assists to 27 shots — that’s just a coach’s dream. It also shows the balance in scoring with four players in double figures.”

Added Nihill, “We knew this team was going to pressure us a lot so everyone out on the court was an option to be a good passer today.”

UConn Outlasts UCLA: Following the earlier upset loss at Georgia Tech, the first setback to an unranked team in 240 games, the No. 3 UConn Huskies were in danger of suffering back-to-back losses for the first time since 1993 when they faced UCLA but stayed enough ahead to close out the Bruins with a 71-61 win in the second game without reigning national player of the year Paige Bueckers.

The Huskies (6-2) nearly totally collapsed at the end again, having a 61-51 lead on the Bruins (5-3) evaporate in the last 1:20 remaining with 37 seconds left.

This time however, when the advantage dropped to four, UConn was able to get a final kick to the victory.

Dorka Juhasz, the transfer from Ohio State was perfect 5-for-5 from the field, scoring 16 points with 16 rebounds, while Evina Westbrook had 17 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds.

Bueckers suffered a fractured knee in the last minute of Sunday’s win over then-No. 24 Notre Dame in Storrs and UConn was held to 44 points in the ensuing game at Georgia Tech.

The last back-to-back losses were in March, 1993, two years before the Huskies beat then-No. 1 Tennessee to earn their first-year No. 1 ranking.

While UConn will likely drop out of the top five for at least a second time in a long run, the Huskies were also in danger of dropping out of the top 10 in an even longer run.

“The one thing I’ve completely given up on is consistency,” Auriemma said. “Whatever I see today I’m convinced I won’t see tomorrow. I’m convinced I won’t see the next day. So, I guess that’s the way life is going to be.” 

Auriemma moved closer to Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer’s all-time Division I women’s win total 1,130-1,125 with the Cardinal coach’s team facing Pacific at home Sunday’afternoon.

Charisma Osborne had 26 points for the Bruins, while Jaelynn Penn scored 10 with seven rebounds, while UCLA is now winless in seven meetings with Geno Auriemma’s program.

He revealed after the game, Bueckers, originally forecast to be sidelined for at least six weeks, is considering surgery, which would have her out of action until near the end of February.

Caroline Ducharme had 14 points for UConn, Christyn Williams had 11, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 10 points and eight rebounds in the game that was part of the Never Forget Tribute Classic , a fundraiser for a 9-11 related charity.

The game, broadcast on ABC, was the first women’s collegiate game aired by the network, which has aired WNBA regular season and playoff games.

Not totally out of the woods yet, UConn next hosts Louisville Sunday in Uncasville, Conn., home of the WNBA Connecticut Sun and Big East women’s tournament.

Princeton Upset by Seton Hall: Until Saturday afternoon, falling to Seton Hall at home 70-60, Ivy favorite Princeton had not lost to a visiting team in Jadwin, since becoming head coach two years ago following Courtney Banghart’s move to the University of North Carolina.

They win a combined 22 road and home games in 2020, then were shut down by the league last years, and had won their early home games this year, though the streak was already in jeopardy without regard to the Pirates with No. 11 Texas due to arrive in a few weeks.

But Seton Hall beat the Longhorns to getting the job done, winning 70-60.

Abbey Meyers had 16 points for Princeton (6-3), whose first loss was several weeks ago to at Rhode Island on the road, followed b one at Fordham, both contenders in the Atlantic 10.

Julia Cunningham scored 14, and Ellie Mitchell had 10 points and 19 rebounds, the most by a Tigers star since future first-round WNBA pick Bella Alarie played for Banghart and one year under Berube.

Andra Espinoza-Hunter had 21 for Seton Hall (4-4), while Lauren Park-Lane scored 20, and Sidney Cooks scored 10.

Princeton outrebounded the Pirates 48-27 in the loss. 

Mid-American contender Buffalo visits Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Delaware Falls at Northwestern: Even if Jasmine Dickey, the nation’s leading scorer, had not been hurt her last game at SMU, the Blue Hens were still going to be an underdog to the host Wildcats, who won 76-53 to improve to 7-3, while Delaware is now 6-4 after the game at Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill.

Jewel Smalls had 15 points and seven rebounds for the visitors, while Ty Battle scored 10, and Ty Skinner dealt seven assists, matching her personal best.

Caileigh Walsh had 18 for the Wildcats, who host Temple Friday night.

Delaware is off for finals until VCU visits the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark on Dec. 22 at 1 p.m.

St. John’s Sacks La Salle: The Red Storm victimized another Big Five team following recently wining at Temple defeating the visiting Explorers 83-70 at Carnesca Arena in Queens, N.Y.

With the best Red Storm rebounding performance since 2018, Danielle Patterson had a career-high 17 and completed a double double with 14 points.

Leilani Correa had 25 points, while Kadaja Bailey scored 14, and Unique Drake 10 for St. John’s (5-4).

 

La Salle (6-4) stayed on contention in the first half on St. John’s, which is playing a back-to-back spurt, traveling to Wagner on Staten Island, N.Y.

Claire Jacobs scored 23 for the Explorers, while Kayla Spruill scored 19.

La Salle is off until next Saturday, hosting Sacred Hearted 2 p.m. at the Tom Gola Arena, TrueMark Center.

Nationally Noted: In other scores of note, Providence topped visiting Quinnipiac 68-50; Massachusetts beat host. Columbia 87-75; Ole Miss beat host Hofstra 59-37; No. 11 Texas bested visiting Idaho 83-43; Towson, with just one loss, topped host American U. 79-61; Kansas State beat host South Dakota State 79-73; and Oregon beat visiting Long Beach State, 68-59; while in a key cross-mid-major battle Troy edged Middle Tennessee 77-76.

In the ACC, Syracuse routed visiting Clemson 86-46.

And that’s the report.

The Guru Report: Penn Loses Close to Stony Brook

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Only one local team was on the Friday night card and slim pickings became no pickings for the Penn Quakers who went visiting to Long Island and fell 75-69 to one of the new mid-majors on the block - defending America East champion Stony Brook.

Once again on the Quakers side junior Kayla Padilla was the show, scoring 29 points in this one propelled by five from deep.

She also dished six assists while Jordan Obi had 18 points and eight rebounds and Mia Lakstigala had 12 points and seven rebounds.

But by the time the action ceased at Island Federal Credit Union Arena Penn (4-7) was stuck with its sixth straight setback and the Seawolves (8-1) continued on the move.

India Pagan had 20 points and eight rebounds for Stony Brook, while Gigi Gonzalez had 14 points and 10 each were collected by Earlette Scott and Leighah-Amori Wool.

Nairimar Vargas grabbed 14 rebounds.

True the inordinate situation involving the juniors and seniors being suspended four games each until Sunday’s game with No. 19 Duke at home in The Palestra has been impactful but now it’s holiday break until traveling to Morgan State on Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. in Baltimore. 

And then it’s all or nothing st all when the Ivy race to the four-team playoffs at Harvard get under way.

Looking Ahead: A key attraction occurs at noon Saturday when Temple and Saint Joseph’s meet at the Owls’ McGonigle Hall on North Broad Street on ESPN+ in a Big Five clash with Temple 1-0 in the City Series round robin and the Hawks 1-1.

On Saturday at 2 p.m. Drexel hosts Longwood University while Princeton hosts Seton Hall at noon in Jadwin Gym and La Salle travels to St. John’s at 1 p.m. in Queens.

The national slate features UCLA at No. 3 UConn at 1 p.m. at the Prudential Center at 1 p.m. in Newark, N.J.

Coming out of Thursday’s upset loss in Atlanta to Georgia Tech that’s the first of it’s kind in 240 games to an unranked foe. It’s been ages since the Huskies lost two straight, that could result in dropping out of the top 10.  The game will air on the ABC-TV.

On Sunday No. 23 Oregon State visits Villanova at 1 p.m.