The Guru Report: Buzzer Beater Rescues Saint Joseph’s And Snaps Six-Game Skid Enabling Saturday Sweep From the Four Locals While No. 5 Baylor Edges

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA — With two seconds remaining in regulation Saturday afternoon, Katie Jekot found Alayna Gribble in the corner and Gribble found the mark from three-point distance leading to Saint Joseph’s edging Yale 52-49 and snapping a six-game slide that began after an opening night just short of a month ago.

Gribble was the high scorer for the Hawks (2-6) with 14 points while Laila Fair was next, scoring 12, followed by Jekot with 11 points and matching Gribble’s four assists, while freshman Talya Brugler scored eight points.

The team that showed opening night seemed to return from nowhere in the first half as Saint Joseph’s bolted to an 11-0 outburst and an 35-18 halftime lead, though when the lead got to 28-13 with 5:43 left till halftime, no one from either side put another point on the scoreboard for the next four minutes until Yale (5-4) ended the drought but then the Hawks recharged themselves and Dribble gave a preview of what was to come.

However, emerging from the locker room, Yale went into domination mode shaving the huge deficit and outscoring the home team 19-5, Camilla Esbo getting eight of those points.

The Bulldogs kept going and Alex Cade gave the visitors their first lead before Gribble’s trey tied it with 8:29 left.

Jenna Clarke for Yale then tied it a few seconds later, and then another duo drought occurred until Cade snapped the deadlock with two foul shots and Clark hit a three for a five point advantage.

Gribble answer nailed a three-pointer, however, and Jekot off a Yale turnover tied it 48 -48.

Klara Astrom made 1-of-2 from line but Jekot missed one of two immediately afterwards.

The final minute then remained quiet until Gribble’s shot immediately followed by Jekot grabbing a bad pass and the downspin was halted at last.

Emsbo had 1l points and nine rebound, Cade scored 10 and grabbed 11 boards, and Astrom scored 10.

“I thought we started, really, really hot,” veteran Saint Joseph’s coach Cindy Griffin said, “defensively and offensively against a very, very good team. Coming against a good team, coming against a team with a lot of victories in close game. But we stayed focus, stayed calm, especially these two (Jekot and Gribble).

As for when the first drought happened, “We got to do take better care of the ball when we go through those stretches so we can stay hot and give that punch.”

The win came at the right time, possibly spring boarding the Hawks on a run that would come with a win at Penn Tuesday night in The Palestra, then another Big Five game Saturday against Temple in the Owls’ McGonigle Hall, and then after finals hosting Vanderbilt on Dec. 21.

Drexel Handles Maine:  The Dragons brought their own brand of horror on the road to Bangor cruising over scifi author Stephen King’s favorite team in Maine of the America East 57-33.

Keishana Washington poured 25 points over the Black Bears (2-6) for Drexel (6-2), which at the moment is probably the best D-1 team in the area.

Tessa Brugler added 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Maine’s Anne Simon was the only Black Bear in double digits with 10 points, though Maeve Carroll grabbed 12 rebounds.

Drexel is off a week until Longwood visits the Daskalakis Athletic Center Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.

Rider Holds Off Army: The Broncs had a hair-raising 59-57 finish over the Black Knights after Makayla Firebaugh scored with 24.7 seconds left in regulation. The lead then expanded to four for Rider (2-5) after Raphaela Toussaint nailed a pair of free throws.

Army (4-3), whose four-game win streak was snapped, on the ensuing possession missed a three-point attempt but grabbed the offensive rebound and scored and went to the line with one second left.

The home team intentionally missed the free throw and got the rebound and was fouled again, going to the line to potentially tie the score.

However, the Patriot League squad missed both shots and the Broncs emerged with the win.

Each team exchanged sizable sets of ones leading to the dramatic finish.

“We’re gutting it out and the kids are doing a really good job,” said Rider veteran coach Lynn Milligan. “We let it slip away a little bit, but Army is a relentless team and you saw that during the comeback. 

“A lot of these situations are good growth opportunities. These are situations we are going to be in during our MAAC schedule. When you hit the gym and practice the shots you’re going to take in games they’re going to go in.”

Toussaint had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Rider, while Firebaugh was the top scorer with 17 points.  Amanda Mobley dealt six assists.

Next up is a 2 p.m. game Tuesday at Wagner of the Northeast Conference on Staten Island.

La Salle Ekes One Out: The Explorers were the third of four locals who were part of the Saturday sweep who were involved in a nail-biter, winning 64-59 at Saint Francis (Pa.) in Loretto, Pa.

Though trailing by as many as 10 in the second period, La Salle (5-3) was able to get just enough ahead and stay there the third and fourth periods of the second half.

Kayla Spruill had 18 points, while Claire Jacobs scored 15, and Jaye Haynes and Kenya Cote-Lysius each scored nine.

The Explorers gained 30 points off 11 turnovers.

Jenna Mastellone scored 17 for the home team, while Lili Benzel and Jada Dapaa each scored 12, with Dapaa also grabbing 14 rebounds.

La Salle will host UMES on Wednesday at Tom Gola Arena at 6 p.m.

Nationally Noted: No. 5 Baylor narrowly avoided being upset by Missouri as part of the SEC/Big 12 challenge, winning 70-68 at home in Waco, Texas.  NaLyssa Smith had 25 points and 17 rebounds. Lehigh rallied at home to bounce back from Wednesday’s loss at Villanova, beating Binghamton 51-29 after trailing by 15 in the first half.

Looking Ahead: Penn likely is all that stands between Duke and a return to the Associated Press women’s poll for the first time since the preseason vote of the 2018-19 preseason vote.  The unbeaten Blue Devils are coached by former Tennessee star Kara Lawson. Temple is at Duquesne in Pittsburgh, Princeton is at Fordham, Villanova will try to bounce back on its Big East season-opening weekend visiting Creighton and Rutgers launches Big Ten play hosting No. 8 Maryland.

No, 24 is at No. 2 UConn at noon on FS1, Texas is at Texas A&M.

And that’s the report.