The Guru Report: Columbia Win at Penn Sets Ivy Showdown at Princeton; Drexel, Villanova, Delaware Keep Rolling; St. Joe’s Nips Davidson

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA — As Penn kept up in the first half at home in The Palestra with Columbia Friday night the thought occurred that perhaps the visiting Lions might have walked into a trap game given where the Ivy League scheduled them on the short road trip from New York to the geographical southern sector of the campuses of the Anncient Eight.

A 16-8 third quarter by the visitors put an end to those fantasies though the Quakers got within four with just under four minutes remaining in regulation before Columbia extended the differential to 10 entering the last minute and an ultimate 66-57 victory.

An hour to the north Princeton at home in Jadwin Gym had little difficulty gaining a 75-37 victory over Cornell and so the stage is set for the first collision between the two remaining unbeaten teams in the standings Saturday night at 5 p.m. on ESPN+

Down here, Penn (7-12, 2-5 Ivy) will tip off an hour early with Cornell (7-11, 2-5) trying to snap what is now a five-game losing streak all in league games.

For Columbia coach Megan Griffith, the promised land she envisioned upon returning to her alma mater to take the Lions (16-3, 8-0) into the mix that had been occupied by Princeton (15-4, 7-0) and Penn has arrived.

The win here over the Quakers led by 17-point performances from Kaitlyn Davis and Abbey Hsu completed the Lions’ first season-sweep in the series since 2010. And it also tied a program record as the eighth straight knotting with the 1985-86 when Columbia was a Division III squad.

“It’s a huge testament to the mindset and embrace of our culture,” said Griffith, a native of King of Prussia, whose second pseudo homecoming will be Saturday’s game with the Tigers where she served a long stint under former coach Courtney Banghart, now with North Carolina, who the other night recorded her 300th victory.

“We said we had unfinished business from two years ago and this team is just on a mission now … Every game counts. I’m glad we got the sweep but it’s on to the next one and that’s been our approach all season,” Griffith said. “This has always been a difficult place to play. It was important to do well tonight to set us up for what’s next.”

Davis, who also had 15 rebounds, echoed Griffith, two-time reigning Ivy player of the week, saying, “We just try to do what we need to do to get the job done … get a stop, score, get a stop. It’s a great win. It was the next one on the schedule. … that’s the one we wanted and now we’re focused on the next one.”

Two years ago Columbia had reached an early milestone target in making the four-team field for the Ivy tournament, but the joy was short-lived when the Ivies became the first conference to cancel their postseason event due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Then last winter the league presidents cancelled the entire season.

Jaida Patrick, whose shot before time expired going into the break for a four-point lead, also had a double double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Carly Rivera dealt nine assists.

Columbia also held down Penn’s Kayla Padilla to to 11 points but Sydney Caldwell had a career-high 20 points as a reserve. Jordan Obi had 12 points and nine rebounds.

“We spread ourselves a little bit defensively and they got in the gaps,” Penn coach Mike McLaughlin said of the second half flip by the Lions. “And they finish. They do a great job. They made some tough shots, too. And rebounds were a great separator all night (51-42).

“I was really happy with Sydney. She had been out for three weeks and been working hard to get back.”

After a long run finishing first or second in the pre-tournament era part of the last decade and landing in all three title games two here and one at Yale, McLaughlin said his team is aware getting to this year’s tournament in March at Harvard is becoming more problematical.

“They understand where the people before them have been. They’ll respond. This is the first back-to-back for our younger group. Losing to Harvard last week really hurt.”

Meanwhile, up north at Princeton it was just another day at the office, a culture begun under Banghart and continued under Carla Berube, who played on UConn’s first NCAA championship team.

Grace Stone had 14 points and seven rebounds, while Abby Myers scored 12, and Julia Cunningham scored 11.

Princeton jumped to a 13-3 lead and extended the differential to 18-5 at the end of the first period and then held Cornell scoreless for eight minutes before hitting the break with a 20-point lead that held the rest of the game.

The Tigers picked up 34 points off 22 Cornell turnovers and now have 33 straight conference wins, second longest in the nation.

Siegrist Leads ‘Nova to Big East Rout at St. John’s:  Part one of a season sweep of the Red Storm in the conference last month saw the Wildcats pull one out in overtime at home at Finneran Pavilion on the Main Line.

Part two was over quickly up at Carnesecca Arena in Queens in an afternoon meeting that was dominated by Villanova 82-58 off another dominating performance from Maddy Siegrist, who scored 34 points, shooting 15-of-22 from the field while grabbing seven rebounds and getting two steals.

The native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., who had a contingent of family and friends at the game, now has 13 career games of 30 or more points, including five this season.

In the sixth straight win over St. John’s Lior Garzon had 17 points, while grad student Brianna Herlihy had 10 rebounds for the Wildcats (14-6, 8-3 Big East), who host Georgetown at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Khadija Bailey had 18 points for the Red Storm (7-15, 3-9), while Camree Clegg scored 11 points.

Villanova dominated the boards 42-22.

Back home later Friday night former longtime Wildcats women’s basketball coach Harry Perretta, who retired in 2020, was one of the inductees into this year’s Villanova athletics Hall of Fame class.

Perretta has been doing analysis recently on the Big East Digital Network.

Meanwhile, in other Big East action, the No. 10 UConn hosting Butler game was postponed due to weather issues in the Midwest involving the Bulldogs. The Huskies play their renewed rivalry with No. 7 Tennessee Sunday at noon in Hartford on the FOX network.

Marquette edged visiting Providence 51-59 but Creighton upset host DePaul 77-68.

Drexel and Delaware Keep Streaks Alive: The Dragons following their double overtime win Sunday at William & Mary had it much easier at home Friday night in the Daskalakis Athletic Center in West Philadelphia, beating UNC Wilmington 72-39 in a Colonial Athletic Association contest for their 14th straight win. The program record is 16.

Hannah Nihill had 19 points, shooting 7-for-11, while Keishana Washington had 15, Tessa Brugler scored 13, and Mariah Leonard had 10 for Drexel (17-2, 9-0 CA), whose win streak is second longest in the nation and second longest to 16-straight in program history.

Sierra DaCosta had 12 points for UNCW (3-15, 0-8).

“Just so excited for this win tonight, to win at home, and for everyone to be able to participate as part of that win,” coach Amy Mallon said of the night fans were allowed back in the arena. 

“They’re part of every win, but to be able to get them on the floor tonight shows that we took care of business right from the tip. We won as a team and wiw what we came out to do.”

Drexel hosts College of Charleston Sunday at 1 p.m. on the Flohoops streaming network, which also airs Delaware game, though Friday the game was also on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The Blue Hens, which returned to winning after suffering its first CAA loss at the hands of Drexel, controlled Charleston 103-79 in the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark.

Jasmine Dickey continues to overrun program records set by the legendary Elena Delle Donne and against Charleston (11-9, 3-6 CAA), she scored 52 for both career and arena highs. Dickey also had a career-high 18 rebounds, 10 on the offensive boards for Delaware (14-5, 8-1), which has won eight-straight at home.

Charleston got 27 points from Jenna Annecchiarico while Latrice Perkins had 20, and Arynn Eady scored 19.

On Sunday, UNCW will visit at 1 p.m.

Elsewhere in the CAA, Towson completed a sweep of William & Mary, winning on the road in Williamsburg, Va., 76-60 at Kaplan Arena.

Rayne Tucker had 20 points, six rebounds, and two blocks for the winning Tigers (16-4, 7-2 CAA), who stayed right behind Drexel and Delaware in the standings. Aleah Nelson added 15 points, including three from beyond the arc. Additionally, Tarriyonna Gary had 11 points.

Towson forced the Tribe (6-13, 1-7) into 19 turnovers.

On Sunday, the Tigers go to Elon in North Carolina for a game that tips at 2 p.m.

Saint Joes Wins, La Salle Loses in A-10 Action: In the first of a weekend home-and-home series caused by Friday’s makeup of a COVID protocol postponed game, Saint Joseph’s edged Davidson 67-66 rallying and going ahead on Mackenzie Smith’s game-winner in the Atlantic 10 contest with six seconds left in regulation.

The Hawks (7-13, 3-5 A-10) had trailed by 10 in the third period.

Talya Brugler had 18 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for the visitors against the Wildcats (12-9, 3-6). Katie Jekot had 11 points with nine assists. Smith had 11.

Saint Joseph’s returns for the second part of the series with the Wildcats Sunday in Hagan Arena on Hawk Hill at 2 p.m.

La Salle, meanwhile, in the first of two weekend games playing teams with a Ram as its mascot at home in Tom Gola Arena fell short to defending Atlantic 10 champion VCU 62-56.

Kayla Spruill had 18 points for the Explorers (12-9, 5-4), who were coming off of completing a season sweep of Saint Joseph’s Wednesday night.

On Sunday La Salle will host Rhode Island at 2 p.m.

Nationally Noted: No. 8 Arizona got its revenge on No. 19 Oregon after a narrow loss in their first meeting last month defeating the Ducks 63-48 at home in McKale Center in Tucson, ending an eight game win streak.

Oregon (14-6, 6-2 PAC-12), which missed a chance to go up two in the loss column on each of the rest of the membership except Stanford, had beaten Arizona in overtime at the buzzer in their first meeting.

Endiya Rogers had 17 points and Nyara Sabally had had 15 for the Ducks.

Cate Reese had 13 points for Arizona (16-3, 6-3).

“Credit them — you could tell they played harder than us,” said Oregon coach Kelly Graves. “And that’s how it came across.”

Oregon committed 21 turnovers of which the Wildcats got 22 points.

Oregon is at Arizona State in Tempe Sunday at 4 p.m. on the PAC-12 network.

Down in Texas in the first of two home-and-home Big 12 games, No. 9 Baylor beat visiting No. 13 Texas 75-63, opening with an 18-7 run by the Bears (16-5, 6-3).

Aliyah Matharu had 17 points for Texas (15-5, 5-4 A-10).

Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith had 25 points for Baylor, while Sarah Andrews scored 17 points, and Jaa’Mee Asberry scored 15.

On Sunday the teams will go to Austin where Texas will host Baylor at 4 p.m. on ESPN2.

Looking Ahead: On Saturday, besides the two Ivy games mentioned, Rider returns from a week off and the Broncs will try to snap their losing streak when they visit Marist at the McCann Center in Pughkeepsie, N.Y., in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.

Lehigh is at Boston U, the Patriot League leader for a game at 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

No. 16 BYU is at Gonzaga for a West Coast Conference showdown at 5 p;.m.

On Sunday, in the Big Ten, Penn State hosts Northwestern at 7 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa., on B1G+. 

Temple hosts East Carolina at noon in McGonigle Hall on ESPN+. 

The Owls’ Mia Davis, who Wednesday set a new career-mark for the program in scoring and now has 2,208 points has a shot at the record 2,401 held by Napheesa Collier, now in the WNBA, who played for Connecticut before the Huskies left to return to the Big East.

Davis is close to eclipsing Tulane’s Kolby Morgan for third place (2,240) and UConn’s Katie Lou Samuelson (2,343) for third.

On Monday, Rutgers, yet to win a Big Ten game this season, is at No. 23 Ohio Stateat 6 p.m.

And that’s the report.