The Guru Report: Siegrist and Washington, The Nation’s 1-2 Scoring Punch, Lead Villanova and Drexel to More Victories

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Another day across the nation and another one filled with upsets and near-upsets.

Out here in Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion on the Main Line, however, and down at Drexel in West Philadelphia Sunday afternoon, the consistency of recent weeks continued to be maintained.

Maddy Siegriest, the nation’s scoring leader, shook off Butler’s defense here with a double-double 36 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Wildcats to a 68-58 victory in the Big East while not to far away Kieshana Washington, holding second place to the Villanovan, posted 27 points sending the Dragons to an 81-64 win over new member Stony Brook in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

“They zero in on one person, entirely,” said Villanova coach of what her team (14-3, 5-1 Big East) is presented many times by the opposition. “It’s so impressive what Maddy Siegrist continues to do.

What she has been doing is running well above the preseason forecast of that moment Siegrist moves past the fabled Shelly Pennefather busting a decades-long program career record of 2,408 points.

She is now at 2300, just 109 away from the coffers being hit to re-do the Pennefather tributes and create the ones for her which along with the men’s success decorate the front of the renovated arena.

The current list of combined Philly-Six and Big Five women high scorers with the cut at Siegrist now looks like this.

Gabriela Marginean – Drexel -2581

Diana Caramanico – Penn 2415 (Big Five)

Shelly Pennefather – Villanova 2408

Mia Davis — Temple 2376

Sue Moran – Saint Joseph’s 2340

Maddy Siegrist – Villanova 2300

As for rebounding in Wildcats annals, she’s moving close to the second place spot held by Lisa Ortlip.

Pennefather is first, also, attacking the glass at 1,171, then Ortlip at 945 and Siegrist’s daily re-edited total is at 926.

Not counting the loss to Iowa State of the Big 12 or win at La Salle of the Atlantic 10/Big 5, since the setback here to now No. 25 Creighton, the Wildcats have won four straight in the Big East.

In spite of Siegrist’s efforts and Butler (6-11, 1-7) missing players, though Villanova held the lead it took till the end to wrap it up so credit the Wildcats’ defense for part of the lion’s share of credit.

“In the the first quarter, I thought we were good,” Dillon said of the game that drew a lively crowd of 2,101 off the mascot birthday promotion of Will D. Cat, plus a baby race.

“Starting to get a little bit more on the in between (2nd and 3rd quarters). Brooke Mullin and Bella Runyon, they set that tone on the defensive end. We’re going to continue to rely on them. We got to get a little more of that presence.”

Penn State transfer Maddie Burke helped the offense with 13 points, nine off making three shots from deep. Mullin dealt five assists and Lucy Olsen had three steals.

Butler got 16 points from Kendall Wingler and Trinity White scored 10.

Siegrist, who now has seven 30-point games this season, and 26 overall. She was unstoppable a year ago becoming Big East player of the year.

However, the Wildcats, who got a battle to the end Wednesday from Georgetown, now it a nothing given stretch.

Wednesday it’s off to DePaul which was idle Sunday due to postponement from No. 5 Connecticut’s side due to a shortage of per available scholarship players (injuries) per a Big East rule.

On Saturday, No. 24 St. John’s visits followed by Xavier Jan. 17, then it’s off to Creighton for a return match and UConn. February will have both games with Seton Hall.

“We said for years, now UConn has separated themselves, but any other game it’s a battle. Let’s just try to find a way to stay locked into that and not get ahead of ourselves by any means.”

Meanwhile at Drexel, locked in a 20-20 tie after the first period, the Dragons (12-3, 4-0 CAA) bolted to their seventh straight win and are one of two remaining CAA teams unbeaten in conference play with new member North Carolina A&T.

Tori Hyduke scored 13 for the home folks, while Grace O’Neil had 11, and Maura Hendrixson dished 11 assists.

Stony Brook (9-6, 3-1), which dropped its first CAA contest, got 18 points from Anastasia Warren, while Gigi Gonzalez scored 13, and Sherese Pittman scored 11.

Washington moved into second behind Gabriela Marginian in career scoring for the Dragons with 1,918 points and at her current pace is likely to join Siegrist as the second 2,000-point career scorer in the area this season.

Drexel next heads to new member Hamton Friday in the Virginia tidewater region. Tip time at the Hampton Convocation Center is 7 p.m., the game aired on Flohoops. The Dragons will have two more road dates before returning to the city.

La Salle Falls at Rhode Island — The Explorers, picked second in the Atlantic 10, headed to one of the other top contenders in the conference and fell to the Rams 70-59 at the Ryan Center in Kingston.

Charity Shears had 13 points for La Salle (9-8, 0-2 A-10), shooting 5-of-9 from the field, and 3-of-7 from deep. Kayla Spruill off 4-of-8 scored 10, and Mia Jacobs also scored 10.

Claire Jacobs and Molly Masciantonio each scored nine.

The board battle was telling in the loss, the Explorers outrebounded 34-14.

Rhode Island (12-3, 3-0) got 24 points and 11 rebounds from Maye Toure, while Sophie Phillips scored 14.

La Salle is back home in Tom Gola Arena Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. in an A-10 game at 6:30 p.m.

Lehigh and Lafayette Again Split Patriot Results: Making good on a promise of more Patriot League wins, Lehigh topped visiting Navy 77-42 at home in Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa., using a fast start to get the job done.

“First thoughts are man did we come out ready to play,” said first-year coach Addie Micir. “That’s not just shooting, we did it on on the offensive end, too, so I’m really pumped up about that.”

The Mountain Hawks (7-8, 3-1) pressured the Midshipwomen (0-15, 0-4) into 17 turnovers and blocked eight shots.

Frannie Hottinger had 15 points and 11 rebounds for Lehigh and Jamie Behar scored 15, while Ella Stemmer had 10 points, three steals and two assists.

“Ella’s turned herself into a two-way player,” Micir said. “She has absolutely worked this season to turn herself into a defensive stopper.”

The Mountain Hawks got 39 of their 77 points from the bench.

Maren Louridas had 15 points for Navy.

Lehigh is on the road this week visiting Holy Cross at 7 p.m. on Jan. 11 and American on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the nation’s capital at Bender Arena. Both games will air on ESPN+.

Lafayette, meanwhile, lost on the road to Bucknell, 56-44, at Sojka Pavilion in Lewisburg, Pa.

Jess Booth and Makayla Andrews each had 13 point for the Leopards (3-11, 0-4 Patriot), while Kayla Drummond scored 12 points.

Emma Theodorsson scored 23 for the Bison (5-10, 1-3), while Tai Johnson scored 10.

Somebody will have a league win the next game with Lafayette hosting Navy Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Kirby Sports Center at 6 p.m.

Nationally Noted I — The Shockers - More upsets continued to occur cross the nation, beginning with this time No. 22 North Carolina on the upside stunning No. 4 Notre Dame 60-50 in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at home in Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill.

Reserve freshman Paulina Paris had a game-high 16 points as the Tar Heels (10-5, 1-3 ACC) ended a four-game losing streak and picked up their first conference win. The UNC rookie got 11 of her points in the fourth quarter. Deja Kelly scored 14, Alyssa Ustby scored 12, and Anya Poole had eight rebounds.

“They’ve leaned into some close games but not losing faith,” UNC coach Courtney Banghart said.

Going ahead near the end of the third quarter, the Tar Heels took a 39-34 lead into the final 10 minutes and are now a perfect 9-for-9 when winning at this stage of the game.

Though not getting to the line through three-quarters of the game, UNC was 11-for-14 in the final frame.

“I came in and I was just trying to do what I could to help the team win,” Paris said. “When I was open, I drove, I shot and tried to find my teammates. I guess once the first shot went in, it was easy from there on.”

Olivia Miles had 15 points and Lauren Ebo had a career-high 19 rebounds for the Irish (12-2, 3-1), who dropped their first ACC meeting.

This makes the Tar Heels with two Top Five victims, having beaten then-No. 5 Iowa State in Portland, Ore., in November, but overall they are 3-3 against ranked squads. They also have a win over then-No. 18 Oregon. 

The upset feel over No. 10 N.C. State earlier last week in the ACC apparently was to the liking of Boston College, which pulled another stunner, beating Florida State for the first time at home in Conte Forum, 77-71, in overtime in another ACC encounter.

The Seminoles (15-3, 4-1 ACC) joined Notre Dame on the first ACC loss shelf and had just slammed Clemson by 31- points.

Dontavia Waggoner scored 21 for the winning Eagles (13-5, 3-2), while Taina Marr had 17 points and seven assists, though her attempted game-winner with 19 seconds left in regulation was off the mark.

The Eagles with a defensive stand got it to overtime and then gained control.

Sara Bejedi had a career high 26 points.

Miami echoed BC in the conference, slightly better with two straight actual wins over Top 25 squads, beating No. 9 Virginia Tech 77-66 in Coral Gabes, Fla.

“This league is nuts, there’s no other way to say it,” said Miami longtime coach Katie Meier. “You have to shoot 53 percent from the field, 44 percent from three, and 86 percent from the free throw line to win a nail biter at home. That’s how good Virginia Tech is. Holding them to 66 is like holding another team to 40.”

The visiting Hokies (13-3, 3-3 ACC) had 20 points and eight rebounds from Elizabeth Kitley, the reigning ACC player of the year.

Reserve guard Jasmyne Roberts, making her second start because of an injury, had a career-high 23 points and a team-best eight rebounds for the winning Hurricanes (10-6, 3-2)

Fresno State transfer Haley Cavinder had 19 points and snapped a 60-60 tie with a shot from deep.

Miami previously beat North Carolina on Thursday.

“After we almost beat Notre Dame (66-63 loss) we’re like, We can play with anybody. We’re almost there. We’re this close,” Roberts said. “After that game is when we started getting more confident and jelling.”

In the Big 12, No. 17 Oklahoma at home topped No. 11 Iowa State 82-79 as the Sooners (12-2, 2-1 Big 12) got 23 points from Ana Llanusa, 13 each from Naveah Tot and reserve Skylar Vann, and 10 from Taylor Robertson.

Ashley Joens scored 27 for the Cyclones (10-3, 2-1), while Lexi Donarski scored 20, while Nyamer Diew, a reserve, scored 14.

While in the Big 12, No. 23 Baylor did something this week that was never done in the program before, including all those years under Kim Mulkey, now at No. 7 LSU.

The Bears won at Oklahoma during the week and on Saturday, facing potential separation from the current second-longest appearance streak in the AP women’s poll, won at No. 21 Kansas, the first time they’ve ever beaten two ranked team on the road back-to-back.

Nationally Noted II - Escapes No. 1 South Carolina won 58-51 at Mississippi State (12-5, 1-3) in a Southeastern Conference meeting to stay unbeaten (16-0, 4-0 SEC) and ensure continuing at the top of the AP poll when the new one is released early Monday afternoon.

Zia Cooke had 16 points, while Aaliyah Boston, the reigning national player of the year, had 12 points and 15 rebounds.

No. 7 LSU has a matching record with the Gamecocks after winning at Kentucky 67-48 in Lexington, the 16-0 being the best start in the program’s history.

However, things were not so comfy at the top for No. 2 Stanford and No. 3 Ohio State, besides some other PAC-12 rival battles involving No. 12 UCLA and Southern Cal, and No. 15 Arizona and No. 18 Oregon.

After beating Bay Area rival California 90-69 in the PAC-12 at home on New Year’s Eve, the second-place Cardinal in the rankings found things much different on the other shore in Berkeley, trailing to the near very end before rallying for a 60-56 win over the Golden Bears (10-5, 1-3 PAC-12).

Cameron Brink had 25 points and 17 rebounds for Stanford (16-1, 4-0), while Haley Jones had 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Cal’s Leilani McIntosh was the only player on the home team in double figures, scoring 19 points.

NBA star Stephen Curry was at the game.

“It’s really a game that could be really good for our team in the long run,” said Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, whose all-time Division I women’s victory total grew one more to 1,173. “It felt like root canal in the short run.”

Since it’s sole loss to No. 1 South Carolina in overtime at home, the Cardinal have won 11 straight.

Jones put Stanford in front with a shot with 1 minute, 17 seconds left in regulation.

Brink and McIntosh each missed a shot in the last minute and Cal’s Claudia Langarita missed one with 14 seconds left.

“It was a good look, she’s capable of knocking that down,” Cal coach Charmin Smith of her player’s failed attempt.

Stanford has won 38 straight games in the conference, including the two league crowns and in the postseason.

“Every stop mattered and every basket mattered,” Jones said. “I think we were taking good shots down the stretch, credit to Cam, she was hitting everything.”

Meanwhile in the PAC-12 city rivalry in Los Angeles, Southern Cal let go of a double digit lead enabling No. 12 UCLA to emerge at home in Pauley Pavilion with a 61-60 victory.

Southern Cal (11-4, 1-3 PAC-12) went up by 12 points in the third period but the Trojans in a heavily foul-called second half lost two players and the Bruins (14-2, 3-1) in the final period began to find their mark.

Rayah Marshall and Kayla Williams each scored 15 for USC, while Okako Adika scored 11, and Destiny Littleton scored 10.

UCLA had a game-high 22 points from Londynn Jones, while Emily Bessoir scored 11.

USC returns to the Galen Center at home this weekend, and coach Lindsay Gottlieb will face Cal, the team she took to a Final Four, on Friday night at 7 p.m. while UCLA will be playing Stanford. The visiting teams switch next Sunday.

And in the other PAC-12 of note, simply a rivalry of ongoing ranked teams in recent years, No. 15 Arizona rallied home in Tucson beating No. 18 Oregon 79-71.

Shaina Pellington had 14 points and six rebounds, and dealt six assists for the host Wildcats (14-2, 4-1 PAC-12), while Madison Conner, who did not play in the first half, scored 16 points.

Jade Loville scored 13, and Esmery Martinez scored 11, while Cate Reese scored 10 for Arizona.

Oregon (12-4, 3-2) got 18 points from Grace VanSlooten, while Te-Hina Paopao and Endyia Rogers each scored 17, and Chance Gray scored 10, while Phillipina Kyei had 10 rebounds, her eighth straight game getting caroms in double digits.

Over in the Big Ten, it looked like the magic of Illinois was going to continue, building a 17-point lead in the third period at No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus.

Then the Buckeyes exploded and rallying to an 87-81 win at Value City Arena.

Illinois (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten) had won seven straight under former Dayton coach Shauna Green.

Kendall Bostic had a career-high 27 points and 14 rebounds for the visitors, while Genesis Bryant scored 20 with five assists, she also made four from deep; Makira Cook had 12 points, eight assists, and three rebounds, while Brynn Shoup-Hill scored 10 with four rebounds.

On the Buckeyes’ side they moved from setting the best start ever at 16-0 in program history to now having the best second-half comeback.

Taylor Mikesell had 31 points, shooting 11-of-22 for Ohio State (17-0, 6-0), including 7-of-14 from deep. Cotie McMahon added 22 points, while Hevynee Bristow grabbed eight rebounds.

Looking Ahead: There’s no games of note Monday but the new poll, which should continue to be interesting, is released at 1 p.m.

On Tuesday, Saint Joseph’s hosts Loyola Chicago at 7 p.m. in an Atlantic 10 game at Hagan Arena in which a win will enable veteran coach Cindy Griffin to match the best 16-game start at 14-2, matching her first year back at her alma mater in 2001-02.

Penn takes a break from its Ivy weekend that shot the Quakers to the top as the only member unbeaten in league play. They play Hartford at 7 p.m. in The Palestra. Both games are on ESPN+.

You were already told most of Wednesday, we’ll be back with that on Tuesday.

And that’s your report.