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.