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.