The Guru Report: Siegrist Becomes Philly’s Best Ever Women’s Star Scoring 39 to Lead No. 14 Villanova to Season Sweep of St. John’s

Updated near the top with more big east records broken by Siegrist.

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

JAMAICA, N.Y.  - Already established as best-ever scorer for men and women at No. 14 Villanova, and the tops for local women in Big Five history, Maddy Siegrist gave a dazzling encore Wednesday night to last weekend’s 50-point performance by scoring 39 here in Carnesecca Arena, becoming the new all-time No. 1 among all Philadelphia Division I schools leading the Wildcats  to a 73-57 victory in a Big East matchup.

The native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.,  reached 2,610 points, passing Drexel great Gabriela Marginean (2006-2010), who held the previous mark at 2,581.

In the local men’s and women’s combination, Siegrist moved to No. 3 behind the La Salle combination of Lionel Simmons, not likely to pass his 3,217; and Mo Brooks’ total of 2628, needing just 29, while passing Temple’s Mark Macon’s cumulation of 2,609.

And she set more Big East records Wednesday with her performance here at St. John’s.

Among the records broken – BIG EAST women’s basketball single-season points (485 and counting).

Siegrist’s latest Philadelphia milestone came from the line on two foul shots with five minutes, nine second left in the first half.

Next up, getting another shot at what was a near second-upset of No. 6 UConn, signs are pointing to a second-ever sellout Saturday afternoon when the Huskies visit at 2:30 p.m. on the FOX main network.

In that one, Connecticut won in the last minute, holding on 63-58.

The evening nearly became a tie for first in the conference, UConn winning 62-60 over Creighton in the closing minute at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs with Caroline Ducharme, returning from a 13-game absence in the concussion protocol, scoring all 10 of her points and game-winner in the fourth quarter.

Instead, in second place, Villanova (23-4, 14-2 Big East) widened its lead on the Bluejays (18-7, 12-5) to 2.5 games with four remaining while the loss dropped Saint John’s to a tie for fourth (19-6, 10-6) with Marquette (17-8, 10-6).

Since the Wildcats have swept both teams, they clinch a potential tie-breaker and will finish at least second or third ahead of next month’s Big East tourney at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., the home of the WNBA Connecticut Sun.

In a first, in what has been common practice on the men’s side, which has seen two national titles under retired coach Jay Wright, a lottery was held for the student section because of the demand for Saturday’s game and a wait list has developed.

Villanova’s only other sellout on the women’s side was in 2004.

If the home team and UConn come to a tie on Saturday and then win out, UConn would get the tie-break off a sweep of Creighton but if the Bluejays drop behind Marquette, Villanova gets the tie-break off its season sweep. 

For a brief while it looked like the Red Storm might avenge last month’s fourth-quarter meltdown on the Main Line, when Siegrist scored 18 in the final period.

But in this one, ‘Nova holding a five-point lead, including Siegrist’s 11th point to break the Philly women’s career record, she collected 19 in the next period.

“We weren’t doing a great job switching and they capitalized and knocked down some big shots,” Dillon said. “But when it gets tdo 10, we just go right back to Maddy and she makes a big play or gets fouled.

“It’s a great thing when you have a player who wants that and proves that the ball should be in her hands at crucial times.”

Siegrist entered the night as the nation’s scoring leader (29.1 ppg) and being the reigning Ann Meyers and Naismith Trophy national player of the week after the 50-point performance.

The reigning Big East player of the year, Siegrist continued to extend her conference record with her 16th career player of the week honor

Villanova has won 14 of the ‘Cats last 15, the lone loss the narrow setback to UConn.

Against the Red Storm, she was 15-of-26, 3-of-7 deep, and 6-of-8 from the line.

Christina Dalce helped set the attack for the visitors and defense with six points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots.

Lucy Olsen scored 14 points.

“When she’s getting her points, if somebody else scores in double figures, you lose,” said St. John’s coach Joe Tartamello.

“She is so hard to stop in the flow of the game,” he said. “I’ve been in this league 20 years … she’s as difficult as anyone I’ve seen in my time here,”

Citing examples, he noted the UConn greats, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, among others.

Mimi Reid was the only Red Storm player scoring in double figures with 23 points.

Ironically, Villanova coach Denise Dillon, who returned to her alma mater three seasons ago following the retirement of long-time mentor Harry Perretta, was in a long run at Drexel when Marginean set the previous local mark.

“I didn’t think after ‘Gabby that you’d have somebody who could score at that pace or so efficiently,” Dillon said. “Lucky for me to get a chance to coach Maddy as well.”

Dillon comparing the two noted how Marginean was able to get to the foul line a bunch while Siegrist just hits shots from everywhere.

As has occurred the previous three trips here, with her hometown not far away, Siegrist drew a large crowd of her own. Villanova has won all four of those games.

“It means everything,” she said of the group that not only included friends and family but also a bunch of youth players. “My family has been so supportive. That’s for sure something I’ll look back on the most and cherish forever.”

Added Dillon, “It’s not bad when you come into an opposing team’s gym and feels like you’re home court.”

Siegrist has scored 30 or more points 12 times this season and 29 overall.

Caitlin Clark, who trails Siegrist and just ahead of Drexel’s Keishana Washington, scored 24 points, with six rebounds and eight assists for No. 7 Iowa (21-5, 13-2) in a 91-61 win over Wisconsin in a Big Ten game at home at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

In the UConn (23-4, 15-1) game with Creighton, coach Geno Auriemma extended his career win mark to 1172, second all time in Women’s Division I behind Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer, who is the leader at 1,181.

“It wasn’t an easy ten,” Auriemma said of Ducharme’s heroics. “But they’re the kind of points we’re used to seeing Carolina get in those moments. So, she’s back just in time. It’s a great Valentine’s Day gift.”

Lou Lopez Senechal scored 17 to top her Huskies teammates while Aaliyah Edwards scored 12, and Dorka Juhasz had 10 points.

Creighton (18-7, 12-5)  got 15 points from Morgan while ending a six-game win streak. Rachel Saunders and Lauren Jensen each scored 13.

Ducharme’s game-winner with the score tied came on a pair of free throws with 4.8 seconds left.

Saint Joseph’s Win Streak Reaches Three Led By Bruglar’s Career Effort

Talya Brugler, last season’s Atlantic 10 rookie of the year, also had a huge outing among the five local schools who played Wednesday, scoring a career-best 34 points to lead the Hawks to their third straight win in the Atlantic 10, triumphing at Davidson, 72-56, in North Carolina.

The Saint Joseph’s sophomore was 14-for-17 from the field for Saint Joseph’s (18-7, 8-5 Atlantic Ten), while Mackenzie Smith and Julia Nystrom each scored nine, while Smith also grabbed six boards.

Laura Ziegler had seven points and nine rebounds.

The Hawks outrebounded the Wildcats (12-13, 5-6) with a 35-19 advantage.

It’s now the most wins on Hawk Hill since the 2017-18 season when the visitors were 19-15 and got picked for the WNIT.

This weekend could be called a three-day Philly vs. New England challenge.

Drexel is hosting Northeastern from Boston on Friday night at 6 p.m., needing a win to stay ahead in the Colonial Athletic Association. On Saturday is the UConn-‘Nova game, while on Sunday, Saint Joseph’s at Hagan Arena hosts Rhode Island, which is unbeaten in the league.

When the two teams met last month, the Hawks lost 77-73 in double overtime, part of a 1-5 run, all of which the differential was five or less points.

Rutgers Tops Northwestern

The Scarlet Knights rallied to a 62-48 win on the Wildcats (8-18, 1-14 Big 1 B1G) for the locals, in a Big Ten game in Piscataway, N.J. St Jersey Mike’s Arena.

Rutgers (11-16, 5-10) was tied heading into the last period and then exploded with a 20-6 fourth quarter for the victory.

In the process for the game, the Scarlet Knights forced Northwestern into 28 turnovers.

“I was really pleased with our defensive intensity in the fourth quarter,” said first-year coach Coquese Washington. We had to finish off the game with a strong defensive quarter and we did that.”

 Chyna Cornwell had eight points for the hosts while grabbing a career-high 17 rebounds. Kaylene Smikle scored 21 and grabbed seven rebounds with a career-high five steals.

Kassonda Brown also scored in double figures with 12 points helped by 6-for-6 at the line while Awa Sidibe scored 11 with nine rebounds.

The Scarlet Knights had advantages on Northwestern on second chance points (14-7), fast break points (22-5), and points off turnovers (24-11).

Coming up for Rutgers is a two-game road trip, beginning with a stop at Wisconsin in Madison, Monday, on the B1G network and then visiting No. 12 Michigan next Thursday in Ann Arbor Thursday at 7 p.m. on the subscription B1G+.

Lehigh Wins, Lafayette Loses in Patriot League

In a big night for the Mountaineers, they grabbed a 72-38 road win at Navy in Annapolis as Mackenzie Kramer gained her 1,000th career point in the game against the Midshipwomen (1-24, 1-13 Patriot League).

Kramer had 18 points and reached her milestone just one game after Frannie Hottinger, who had a double-double with 15 pointds and 15 rebounds for Lehigh (13-12, 9-5), who nxt host American U. At 4 p.m. Saturday at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa.

Lafayette, meanwhile, fell to Loyola, Md., 66-55 at home in the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa.

The Leopards (8-16, 5-9) got 16 points and eight rebounds from Makayla Andrews against the visitors (8-17, 3-11), while Abby Antognoli scored 11.

Loyola, Md., got 20 points from Taleah Dixon, while Lex Therien scored 17 with 20 rebounds, and Bri Rozzi scored 10.

Lafayette will remain home Saturday, hosting Army at 2 p.m., both game will be on ESPN+.

Looking Ahead

La Salle hosts Fordham at 11 a.m. Thursday in the annal Education Day game in the Atlantic 10 against Fordham in Tom Gola Arena, while Rider hosts Saint Peters in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference at 7 p.m. in Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J. On ESPN3.

Penn State hosts No. 13 Ohio State at 7 p.m. in a Big Ten game in the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa., on the B1G.

On Friday, besides the Drexel game in the CAA, Delaware visits Hofstra at 7 p.m. in Hempstead, N.Y. on Long Island on FloHoops.

Locally in the Ivy, Penn can wrap up a berth in the four-team conference tournament, visiting contending Yale at 6 p.m. in the Lee Amphitheater in New Haven, Conn., on ESPN+, while Princeton visits Brown at 7 p.m. in Providence, R.I., at 7 p.m.

Meanwhile, Columbia visits Harvard at 7 p.m. looking for a sweep on ESPN + to attempt to stay on top of the league, locked with Princeton, or getting separation if the Tigers lose.

On Saturday, the two visitors switch sites, Penn traveling to Brown and Princeton to Yale both at 5 p.m. on ESPN+.

The other home Saturday games locally have Houston visiting Temple at 2 p.m. in the American Athletic Conference at the Liacouras Center at 2 p.m. on ESPN+, while Quinnipiac visits Rider in a MAAC game at 7 p.m.on ESPN+.

Nationally, on Thursday, in the Southeastern Conference, Tennessee is at Arkansas at 7 p.m. in Fayetteville on ESPN+, while No. 1 South Carolina, following its big win over previously unbeaten LSU will host Florida at 7 p.m.

In the Atlantic Coast Conference, teams trying to get back into the ranking are Louisville, which visit Notre Dame at 7 p.m., on ESPN, while N.C, State just fell out after a long run and hosts North Carolina at 8 on the ACCN.

Michigan visits No. 2 Indiana at 8:30 p.m. on the conference network, while in the Atlantic 10 the top two teams battle a second time with UMass, the reigning champion, trying to give Rhode Island its first loss, playing in Kingston at 

6 p.m. on ESPN+.

On Friday in the PAC-12, Stanford hosts Southern Cal at 11 p.m. on the PAC-12 Network, while California hosts UCLA at 9 p.m., and Utah at the same time visits Arizona in a game between ranked teams.

On Saturday, in the Big 12, Iowa State is at Baylor in the Big 12, while JMU at 2 p.m. visits Old Dominion in the Sun Belt.

On Sunday at 4 p.m. at Virginia Tech hosts N.C. State on ESPN2.

With Ohio State already hit with another loss, and Michigan the underdog playing Indiana, if Virginia Tech loses, a path exists for Villanova to move into the Top 10 for the first time ever, pending how its game goes against UConn.

And that’s the report.