The Guru Report: X Marks No. 22 Villanova Big East Win Over Xavier Putting Maddy Siegrist On the Cusp of Dates With History

By Mel Greenberg @Womhoopsguru

VILLANOVA, Pa. — With Maddie Siegrist quickly scoring the first six points against the Musketeers here in a Big East game in Finneran Pavilion Tuesday night the notion stirred could it be possible that the senior from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., was going to get all 45 points needed to puncture the 36-year-old Villanova career scoring record of the legendary Shelly Pennefather, maybe even tack of seven more to pass the 22-year-old Big Five mark owned by Penn all-timer Diana Caramanico before the Wildcats head for Friday night’s revenge rendezvous against Creighton at 9 p.m. (FS1-TV) in Omaha, Neb.

Siegrist went on to knock a bunch, but not all, of those points off, scoring her roughly national-leading average 27 points with 10 rebounds for another double-double in an easy 76-38 victory as ‘Nova maintained second place behind No. 5 UConn.

Technically, if Siegrist, the reigning conference player of the year, as well as preseason choice, had not at times looked human with a few missed foul shots or bunnies, or suffered the hand injury that took her out of seven games early last season, this report would be further along with other milestones expected before her time here is marked in the front of the arena in the tributes area saluting the men’s and women’s programs past successes.

So, unfortunately to be there live in the Midwest to witness history as Siegrist likely handles the remaining 18 points from her career total of  2,391 or even hits the next milestone at 25 doesn’t offer affordable options.

There was the jokingly thought offered to ‘Nova coach and alumna Denise Dillon how much would it take to withhold her superstar or yank her at 16 until the more easily attainable next stop at UConn in Hartford at the XL Center happens a week from Sunday.

“Hell no,” Dillon responded with a big grin.

And with good reason.

The first Creighton meeting here in December is the ugly one on what is now a gaudy 8-1 in the Big East besides the overall 17-3 that was applied when the Bluejays, then No. 13, sliced and diced the Wildcats 67-46, getting them kicked out of the Associated Press women’s poll.

But Creighton has also since slipped out while ‘Nova two weeks ago returned on what is now a 11-1 run, including eight straight.

Siegrist stuff, all of which we’ll get to in a few paragraphs, notwithstanding, Dillon’s group was a well-oiled machine attacking Xavier (7-12, 0-10) as would be expected, as Lucy Olsen, who scored 19 points, noted, saying in her words why the ‘Cats  won’t allow any stinking trap games.

“You can’t take any team lightly, I mean everyone in the Big East is competitive, you have no idea, so we had to come out really strong, we had to play our game,” Olsen said.

“I just took what the offense gave me,” she said of her performance. “We worked so well as a team, so that made it easier to open it up for me. I think just working as a team helped me get a little bit of rhythm going.”

Fernanda Ovalle scored 12 for Xavier, the sole player in double figures for the opposition as the Wildcats swept the season series.

So now Dillon is in a place she has already been in the past coaching Drexel, handling a team that is NCAA tournament material and guiding it to the best profile while the star player is on the verge of knocking down once thought unbreakable records.

It happened the season when Drexel marched to its first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title and NCAA tournament appearance while Gabriela Marginean soared past every all-time performance on local squads, eclipsing Caramanico, who’s Big Five mark is now imperiled, to become the No. 1 finisher with 2,581 points.

So you’re talking about potentially involved in a tight game, as could occur playing Creighton, while being aware of the impending milestone moment.

“You know milestones are going to be broken if you continue on pace with what you’re doing and you’re on the floor to do it, so it takes care of itself,” Dillon said. “It’s pretty wild, the whole with thing with Keishana (Washington of Drexel) and Maddy (1-2, Siegrist first right now in leading the nation), and Maddy on pace to break Shelly and Diana.

“I said to (former Villanova longtime coach) Harry (Perretta) about Gabby, you think a player like that only comes along once in you’re career, and then Shelly, Gabby, and now Maddy, it’s pretty cool.”

It’s more than cool.

The records about to happen are the first not the last of what is about to be a non-stop ride that when it ends and combine all the men’s and women’s greats as just basketball players in this city, besides Dawn Staley and several others who made their collegiate and pro playing marks elsewhere, Siegrist has enough games left that the potential ranking at the top will read — “L” Train Lionel Simmons, No. 1 at 3,217 and No. 2 Maddy Siegrist at a final number to be determined.

Siegrist, by the way, Monday night is receiving the amateur athlete award at the annual Philadelphia Sportswriters Association awards dinner at the Doubletree at Hilton on Route 70 in Cherry Hill, N.J.

On the women’s Philly list she quickly passed Temple’s Mia Davis Tuesday to move into fourth place behind Marginean, Caramanico, and Pennefather.

“We feel so blessed to have been here during Maddy’s era,” said former Saint Joseph’s star Katie Gardler, whose daughter Kenzie graduated last year and roomed with Siegrist.

Caramanico, who planned to be here if her long-held Big Five mark was about to fall, sent these remarks with the chance that it might happen Friday night.

“Maddy is a dominant force and she can score from anywhere,” Caramanico wrote. “She poses matchup problems for many opponents because of her size, speed, and strength. 

“As for breaking my record, I’m proud to have held that record for nearly 22 years. It was improbable that I had it at all as a 6-2 center with little ability to score outside of 15 feet. 

“Maddy’s domination on the court and record-breaking performance (as well as Mia Davis at Temple) is a sign that women’s basketball is reaching new heights,” she continued. “I had a good run and I’d like to congratulate Maddy…someone as dominant as she is belongs at the top.”

In the Big East, where Siegrist last weekend moved into second in points in conference games now with 1,370, the home office projects she could blast through the top spot held by Boston College star Sarah Behn at 1,546, when UConn plays here next month on Feb.18, a game that will air on one of the Big East national carriers.

After busting the Big East player of the week multiple honors count several weeks ago, she tacked on another this week, her 13th.

Incidentally, for those who ask what about UConn great Breanna Stewart, who didn’t play in the conference, based on her career mark, translating Stewie’s American Athletic Conference time, Siegrist has already topped the projection.

Now here’s what you’re looking at versus the men’s performers:

She has already topped the men’s marks at Villanova, Drexel, Saint Joseph’s, and Penn.

Temple’s Mark Macon is at 2,609, leaving her needing 219 points.

After La Salle’s Simmons, from the pre-Big Five era, Tom Gola’s number is 2,461, she needs 71; Michael Brooks is at 2,628, she needs 237. Two other La Salle greats she already passed, they only played three seasons, are Ken Durrett and Larry Cannon.

Temple Tumbled by Tulsa: In the only other local action Tuesday, the Owls’ finish made the 69-57 loss to Tulsa (15-3, 5-0 AAC), enabling to tie for first with South Florida in the conference, look more respectable in the Liacouras Center.

But the Owls (7-10, 2-3), dropping by 20 after the first quarter, didn’t finally get moving until the fourth period.

Temple’s Tariyonna Gary had a game-high 19 points, her best since her career-high 23 against ‘Nova, a game that saw Siegrist set the Liacouras record for best performance by an women’s opponent.

On Saturday Temple is at Memphis in Tennessee, the game airing on ESPN+.

Nationally noted: Only one game played and the harder No. 5 UConn falls with injuries the tougher the Huskies seem to be.

Leading scorer Azzi Fudd suffered an injury in the previous game on the same knee that had her miss eight games when it got hurt in the loss at Notre Dame and she did not make the trip for the Big East matchup at Seton Hall in Walsh Gym in South Orange, N.J.

That left the team back at the minimal seven healthy players for a game originally set this week for Thursday but became part of a domino move when a matchup with DePaul was set for this Monday, re-set from a postponement earlier when UConn dropped below the seven-player availability limit.

Not to worry.

No problem.

Final score: UConn 103-58, dropping the Pirates (13-6, 6-3) in third two-games back on Villanova. 

Of course, Villanova, not counting the upset the Wildcats pulled last season to breakup a long-running domination of conference games in both the American and Big East by UConn (16-2, 9-0) has yet to play against the national power this season.

Besides Fudd getting tested, Ayanna Patterson and Caroline Ducharme are sidelined in concussion protocol.

Geno Auriemma, whose victory total of 1164 moved him within ten of Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer’s all-time win mark of 1174, said the squad won’t whine over the ongoing injury predicament dating to last season.

“We just show up with the guys we have, and if we can put five guys on the floor then we feel like we have a chance to win every game,” he said. “Tonight was just one of those where everything felt right. We were really on top of our game today,” noting the turnaround from Sunday’s struggle with Georgetown in Hartford.

Dorka Juhasz had a double-double 22 points and 11 rebounds, shooting a personal best 4-of-5 from deep, while Aaliyah Edwards had 21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and four blocks.

Aubrey Griffin scored 22 and grabbed seven rebounds, while Lou Lopez Senechal scored 17, Amari DeBerry had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Nika Muhl served 13 assists.

Seton Hall coach Tony Bozzella praised UConn’s handling it’s situation, calling it “bad luck,” and saying, “And what they have done is still maintain one of the highest quality programs in the country.”

UConn took a close game early in the first quarter and blasted away on a 17-2 run and the differential kept growing from there.

On Saturday UConn hosts Butler in a Big East game on campus in Gampel Pavilion at noon on SNY and Flohoops.

Looking Ahead: Limited action continues Wednesday but locally, it’s still a major contest in the Atlantic 10 as La Salle visits Saint Joseph’s at 7 p.m. in Hagan Arena on ESPN+.

The Hawks took the season opener on New Year’s Eve against the Explorers at Tom Gola Arena, a game that opened conference play but also was the last of the ten-game Big Five city series that allowed the visitors to finish alone in second at 3-1 behind repeat champion Villanova (4-0).

Saint Joseph’s last weekend lost in the closing seconds at UMass the reigning champions and preseason favorites after holding leads most of the way. But the competition left the Hawks believing they can contend for the conference title. La Salle was picked second behind UMass.

Not local, but key to the conference, UMass at 7 p.m. visits Fordham at Rose Hill Gym in New York on ESPN+.

Penn State at 7 p.m. hosts Minnesota in the Big Ten in the Bryce Jordan Center in State College looking to get a split after letting the earlier meeting in Minneapolis get away in double overtime in Williams Arena.

In the Patriot League, Lehigh hosts Loyola, Md., at 6 p.m. in Stabler Arena in Bethelehem, Pa., while Lafayette hosts American at 7 p.m. in the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa.

And that’s the report.