The Guru Report: Siegrist Second Half Explosion Keeps No. 11 Villanova Humming

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

Neither snow, nor rain, nor Seton Hall’s first-half defense Monday night could prevent Villanova’s postwoman from completing her task of delivering her now 11^th-rank Wildcats to one more regular season triumph – an 83-56 victory over the Pirates in Walsh Gym in South Orange, N.J., to wrap up the Big East schedule as the second seed and get ready to head to the conference tournament this weekend at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

 

Who could blame coach Tony Bozzella for getting to do whatever necessary to avoid a similar plundering the native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. heaped on his charges several weeks ago in their previous meeting on the Main Line when Siegrist spun a slew more records while collecting 50 points against Seton Hall (17-13, 10-10).

 

The nation’s leading scorer only put up a few shots and went to the half with just eight points listed alongside her name.

 

“I think my job was to be a decoy tonight,” Siegrist told the TV sideline reporter with a big smile afterwards. “I’ll do what it takes to help my team.”

 

Not to worry.

 

From the get-go the other Maddie as in Penn State transfer Maddie Burke took care of business with a pair from deep and a jump shot from the lane to get the ‘Cats going.

 

Then came the third period when Siegrist performed her Bermuda Triangle act making the opposition disappear.

 

In fact, she turned the 10 minutes into a highlight from the previous occasion shooting 6-for-9 and scoring 16 of Villanova’s 29 points.

 

When it was all said and done there was the familiar special total in many games this season, finishing with 32 points, shooting 10 for 16 from the field, and a perfect 11-for-11 from the line.

 

That action completed running the season table for ‘Nova (26-6, 17-3), putting up 20 or more points in all 32 games.

 

Only WNBA All-Star Kelsey Plum’s run of 35 straight for the University of Washington in 2017 has been better.

 

Christina Dalce had a double-double 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Burke scored 12 with five rebounds. Brooke Mullin added eight points and five rebounds with three assists.

 

Seton Hall’s Azana Baines was the lone Pirate in double figures with 22 points.

 

Siegrist’s career mark is now over 2,700 points at 2,712.

 

Only La Salle’s Lionel Simmons among all the men and women who have played at the city’s six Division I schools has scored more.

 

Only Elena Delle Donne at Delaware and Kelly Mazzante at Penn State have scored more than all the women at the 13 regionally followed programs in the state.

 

And Siegrist is likely to set the single season points mark this weekend among all the men and women who have played in the Big Five.

 

Meanwhile, off the most chaos all season in the Associated Press women’s poll with 15 teams taking hits, the Wildcats by picking up wins off DePaul and Providence bolted from 15^th to 11^th, the highest in program history matching the rankings in the final polls of 2003 when the team advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight and the 1982 final poll when Villanova advanced to the AIAW Final Four at The Palestra and finished third.

 

A year ago, this time, Villanova was being mentioned as a bubble team as it advanced to the championship.

 

Now 12 months later, off the two NCAA reveals projecting ‘Nova as a four seed, the Wildcats are looking at two victories into the Big East title round as might be enough to be a participating host for the first two rounds.

 

As a two-seed in the Big East, the Wildcats get a bye to Saturday’s quarterfinals at 7 p.m. against the winner of Friday’s 7-DePaul/10-Providence game.

 

Advancing to the semifinal on Sunday could be a match with dangerous 3-seed Creighton, unless the winner of 6-seed Seton Hall/11-seed Xavier takes care of the Bluejays.

 

Saturday’s game will air on Fox Sports 2.

 

Meanwhile after a season loaded with injuries and an uncharacteristic two conference losses with several other escapes, No. 9 UConn, which plunged out of the top five earlier Monday, topped Xavier 60-51 at home in Storrs to claim another in a mammoth collection of conference titles out of the Big East and the period spent in between in the American Athletic Conference.

 

But the joyful heading to the postseason mantra was not to be found.

 

“It’s time we stopped blaming injuries, stop blaming fatigue, stop blaming tired,” said Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma, who was back within 10 of Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer with 1175 victories, the top two with runaway totals in Division I.

 

“We are where we are.”

Auriemma had a lot to criticize but also took his own accountability.

 

“We look like a poorly coached team, and that’s me and my staff.

 

“Somewhere along the line, maybe after the South Carolina game, we lost our way.”

 

UConn will meet the Butler/Georgetown winner on Saturday.

 

On the pace of the tournament that includes three consecutive days, he noted, “If we don’t get some things fixed, I don’t think we’ll be playing three games.”

 

Baylor Upsets No. 12 Texas

 

Poised to win its first outright Big 12 title in several decades, No. 12 Texas was upset by Baylor, itself out of the rankings for the first time in several decades, the Bears winning on the road 63-54 at the Longhorns’ new Moody Center in Austin.

 

Freshman Darianna Littlepage-Buggs had 19 points and 13 rebounds for Baylor (19-10, 10-7 Big 12) off the bench.

 

Sarah Andrews had 17 points and seven rebounds, while Ja’Mee Asberry collected 10 points.

 

The Longhorns (22-8, 13-4) got 15 points and 13 rebounds while Rori Harmon scored 12, seven rebounds and seven assists. Shaylee Gonzales scored 10.

 

No. 16 Oklahoma is on the ‘Horns’ heels as the final week of the season concludes heading into next week’s Big 12 tourney.

 

Baylor has been 4-0 in road wins over Top 25 games but the Bears fell off the pace early in the season, which will cost them a 13^th straight Big 12 regular season crown.

 

And that’s the report for Monday.