The Guru Report: Reversal Winning Sweep From Rider, Rutgers and Penn State While UNC Upsets Louisville As Does Alabama to Tennessee

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — Three of the teams in the Gurus’s local group that struggled the most and played Thursday night all turned in impressive victories beginning here in Rider’s Alumni Gymnasium where the Broncs topped nearby Monmouth 51-41 to gain a season split in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

 Meanwhile, while in the Big Ten, Rutgers, which entered last weekend with an 0-12 record in the conference and defeated longtime rival Penn State now has a two-game winning streak after winning at Minnesota 79-61 for a season split and at home at the Bryce Jordan Center, the Lady Lions recovered from the loss to the Scarlet Knights to beat Nebraska 83-76 for a split.

After being close in the first half with a couple of lead changes, Rider (7-16, 5-9 MAAC) began to take control late in the third period and then, unlike several games that got away, the Broncs made sure Monmouth (13-10, 8-6) wouldn’t take off for the races in the fourth and built a lead that grew to as many as 15 off a 10-0 run across the two periods to stay out of danger the rest of the way.

Throwback Thursday was not a theme but the performance harkened back to the recent vintage days of the Stella Johnson senior season era when the Broncs enjoyed one of their all-time seasons.

“Everyone did their part tonight,” said veterans Rider coach Lynn Milligan. “We put on the board tonight, `Do your job,’ and we did that tonight. I was really happy with our defensive effort tonight.”

Additionally after a week of practice following the last game before another scheduling crunch kicks in to the end of the regular season, the staff felt it was nice to see the squad rewarded for some of the work they put in during the idle stretch.

“Defense wins,” Milligan continued. “We’ll find a way to get buckets. I thought we executed really well tonight and got some wide open looks, but they didn’t fall. When that happens you have to ride on your defense. It’s nice to win here. I thought we had a great crowd, I thought the energy was in the building, and I thought we played really well in front of our home fans.”

Amanda Mobley, who had been out with an injury and who announced she’s coming back for a fifth year, compared the two games with the Hawks talking improvement in Thursday’s game.

“We’re getting ready for playing back-to-back-to-back in the MAAC tournament (in Atlantic City) and even though we have rest days we can get used to getting  our bodies recovered and ready to playinjg those back-to-backs.”

On Saturday, the Broncs host Canisius in what will also be a senior day at 2 p.m. and then Monday night, Marist visits.

The game was Monmouth’s last visit as a MAAC team with intentions announced to join the Colonial Athletic Association, of which Drexel and Delaware belong, next season.

Lenaejha Evans had 16 points, while Makayla Firebaugh scored 14, while Raphaela Toussaint grabbed 12 rebounds.

Rutgers Downs Minnesota: A 20-7 second quarter got the Scarlet Knights (9-17, 2-12 Big Ten) on top to stay on the way to a 79-61 victory over the Golden Gophers at Williams Arena, their first win in five tries in games played in Minneapolis, which is also the host city for this season’s Women’s Final Four.

A 14-0 run in that second quarter enabled Rutgers to go on with their highest score of the season. 

Lasha Petree had a game-high 20 points, shooting 7-for-13 from the field, including 3-of-6 from deep while grabbing seven rebounds and dealing a pair of assists. Ash Brown posted yet another a double double with 12 points and 11 rebounds to make it number 59 among active players, tops in the NCAA.

Tyia Singleton had 12 points, while Shug Dickson scored 10, and Sayawni Lassister had dealt five assists with seven points.

When Minnesota (12-15, 5-10)  visited last month, coach Lindsay Whalen, a former USA Olympics, Golden Gophers, and WNBA great, missed the game due to emergency surgery and assistant Carli Thibault, the daughter of WNBA Mystics coach Mike Thibault , ran the team.

“I thought we played with great pace, we played with great energy, and I thought our players played with great focus and because they did, we got to 50-50 balls, we kept them off the boards, and we did a great job on the offensive boards,” said Rutgers interim coach Tim Eatman. “And I so proud of them, they’re starting to reap the rewards for all their hard work.”

Next up is a chance to get a split with Purdue on Sunday when the Boilermakers visit Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J., on B1G at 1 p.m.

Penn State Finish Handles Nebraska:  The Lady Lions rallied from a 13-point deficit using a 15-0 eruption to go ahead with six minutes left in the fourth period and go on to an 83-76 victory over Nebraska (19-7, 8-7 Big Ten) in the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa.

Makenna Marisa helped the cause at Penn State (10-15, 4-11) with 22 points, six rebounds, and eight assists, while Kelly Jekot knocked down four from deep and scored 13 points, while Niya Beverly scored 12, Maddie Burke and Anna Camden each scored nine.

On the defensive end, the home team had 13 steals, seven blocks.

Alexis Markowski had 23 points and seven rebounds,  while the Huskers got 15 points from Isabelle Bourne, and Sam Haiby had 11 points, Bella Cravens and Jaz Shelly each scored 10.

On Monday Penn State visits Michigan State at 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network

Nationally Noted: Continuing in the Big Ten, a big national game of note, No. 13 Maryland at home in the XFINITY Center in College Park downed No. 18 Ohio State 77-72, while No. 5 Indiana, with a chance to move up in the next Associated Press women’s poll, beat Northwestern 69-58.

The Terrapins (20-6, 12-3 Big Ten) moving into sole possession of second place in the conference won their eighth straight game as Angel Reese had 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Diamond Miller scored 18, Katie Benzan scored 11, and Mimi Collins scored 12. 

Maryland has won eight straight, while longtime coach Brenda Frese has 20 or more games in 18 straight seasons.

Taylor Mikesell scored 29 points for Ohio State (19-5, 11-4) in her return game to her former university.

“Just proud of how this team continues to respond to adversity and whatever is thrown their way,” Frese said. “Ohio State, obviously a phenomenal team, they punched early. In the first half, we had way too many turnovers. I think we had 10 at the half and just really kind of needed to settle down at halftime, but the response out of the locker room was terrific.”

Since joining the league in 2014, Maryland is 63-5 against the conference at home. Thursday’s win snapped a two-game losing streak to the Buckeyes.

The Terrapins head to No. 9 Michigan Sunday at 3 p.m. in Ann Arbor on the B1G. 

Indiana hosts Iowa at 5 p.m. on the B1G on Sunday.

UNC Upsets Louisville: A huge upset in the Atlantic Coast Conference No. 24 North Carolina at home in Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill edged No. 3 Louisville 66-65 as the Tar Heels (20-5, 15-5 ACC), as Kennedy Todd-Williams put UNC ahead with a pair of free throws with 16.2 seconds left and then Louisville (22-3, 13-2) failed to connect on two final missed plays.

“Man, we just beat a really, really good basketball team,” said Tar Heels coach Courtney Banghart. “Which is a signature win we’ve been waiting for.”

Banghart has been rebuilding the program, the project in the third year since making Princeton of the Ivy League a national powerhouse.

Todd-Williams had 19 points, while Deja Kelly scored 18.

Hailey Van Lith scored 17 for the visiting Cardinals, who were 8-0 in the series with the Tar Heels since leaving the Big East for the 2014-15 season.

Though the loss may have cost Louisville a chance to catch No. 5 NC State at the top of the conference for next month’s tournament, coach Jeff Walz noted, “You’re still trying to compete for a double-bye in the ACC tournament, and there’s still a lot of basketball left.

“There’s a lot of good teams in this league. It’s a matter of what’s your resolve? What are you able to do when you hit a little adversity?”

Louisville is Banghart’s highest ranked victim since arriving at Chapel Hill, though the Princeton team she left behind  still has yet to lose in the Ivies since her departure.

Elsewhere in the ACC, No. 4 NC State at home beat Wake Forest 92-61 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, while No. 19 Notre Dame upset No. 16 Georgia Tech on the road in Atlanta 72-66.

No. 23 Virginia Tech wiped out host Syracuse, 102-52:

Alabama Blasts Tennessee: Fighting for the top spot in next month’s Southeastern Conference Tournament got slightly easier for top-ranked South Carolina, which crushed Auburn 78-35, while Alabama at home stunned visiting No. 12 Tennessee 74-64.

The Crimson Tide (13-11, 4-9) has won six of the last nine games against the Lady Vols (21-5, 10-3), who have now fallen two games behind the Gamecocks, whom they face Sunday in Columbia at Colonial Life Coliseum at 1 p.m. on ABC.

Megan Abrams tied her career high with the Tide scoring 27 points, while Brittany Davis scored 23.

Alabama controlling most of the night was up 20 heading into the fourth quarter.

“Just, you know, what a tremendous effort by our kids,” said Alabama coach Kristy Curry. “But I want to open by saying our thoughts and prayers are with (Tennessee’s) Jordan Horston. We just hope she is ok, and you hate to see any kind of injury.”

Tennessee’s Tamari Key had 20 points and 13 rebounds, Rae Burrell scored 13, and Horston scored 12 in 30 minutes.

Elsewhere in the SEC, No. 17 Florida at home beat Arkansas, 76-67, No. 21 Georgia beat Missouri 74-49, No. 11 LSU beat host Mississippi State 71-59, and host Ole Miss topped Texas A&M 74-54.

Looking Ahead: Locally Friday night, just two games, both in the Ivy League, in a critical game Penn fighting for a last berth in the Ivy League hosts Yale at 6 p.m. Friday night at The Palestra, while Princeton hosts Brown at 7 p.m. in Jadwin Gym.

Harvard is at Columbia at Columbia at 7 p.m. in national games of note, while in the Big East, Marqquette is at Georgetown at 7 p.m., while No. 10 Connecticut is at Xavier also at 7 p.m.

In the PAC-12, No. 2 Stanford, the defending NCAA champions, is at Oregon State at 10 p.m., the same time No. 8 Arizona is at Washington, and Oregon hosts California.

And that’s the report for Friday AM’s.