The Guru Report: Villanova and Temple Win While Saint Joseph’s Suffers Another Tough Loss

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

VILLANOVA — In the past when the calendar hits February, a month away from March Madness, speculation about Villanova getting a high seed in the NCAA tournament has been an annual norm except that the focus was on the men’s squad.

But the time has come to switch genders and begin asking the question of Denise Dillon women’s squad, currently ranked 19th in the Associated Press poll, just how good are the Wildcats when placed in the national window of evaluation.

In fact, after Wednesday night’s dominating Big East 73-54 win over Marquette for a season’s series sweep here in Finneran Pavilion, Dillon was asked if there’s been any internal discussion about becoming a four seed and a host for the first two rounds.

“Well, maybe if we had won there Sunday,” Dillon said.

“There,” was at No. 5 Connecticut in Hartford, where Villanova (19-4, 10-2 Big East) lost in the final minute, nearly duplicated last season’s stunning upset of the Huskies ending a 169-game blitz during time in both the American Athletic Conference and Big East.

At that time Villanova was projected off and on as a bubble team, being consigned on Selection Sunday to holding  its collective breath until its name showed up on the ESPN bracket reveal telecast.

A year later and at this moment the Wildcats can be considered a lock so now the question is how high.

Having participated in mock bracket exercises at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis several times, but none since the recent conversion from the old RPI indicator to the .NET used by the selection committee, if the field were announced right now, the Wildcats would not make it to a four seed.

But they certainly should be on the table for discussion — perhaps we’ll know that fact soon with the first of the committee’s reveals, as is done in collegiate football, of its Top 16 soon to be announced.

By the way, two local administrations are on the current NCAA panel — Villanova’s Lynn Tighe, who, by rules, would have to be out of the room anytime the Wildcats are part of the discussion, and Saint Joseph’s athletic director Jill Bodensteiner, who served in the past when she was Notre Dame’s top women’s athletic administrator when Hawks alum Muffet McGraw coached the Irish.

Charlie Creme, who is the ESPN’s Joe Leonardi bracketologist of the women, has been listing ‘Nova as a six, meaning the Wildcats would end up opening at one of the three-seed pods, seeing them in the second round if advanced. Several of those 3’s are capable of being upset.

Additionally, that’s better than being a 5-4 where in the Sweet 16 you bang into a top seed early.

The best ever Big Five placement was a two-seed by the famed 2003 Villanova group, which from mid-season on has the best RPI ever produced among the Big Five projecting as a three or four seed before stunning UConn in the Big East championship at Rutgers and announced as a two when the field was revealed.

But this squad has a lot going for it.

On Wednesday morning, the Wildcats’ .NET number was 16, which clearly gets them to the starting point of home sites deliberation.

After the loss to UConn, the squad actually jumped from 21 to 19 from the AP national media panel.

Senior Maddy Siegrist, who had 24 points, eight rebounds, and three blocked shots, continues to lead the nation in scoring, 28.4 points a game prior to the opening tip against Marquette (14-8, 7-6).

She’s now Villanova’s all-time scorer for men or women and also the all-time women’s scoring champion in the Big Five.

Incidentally, the previous holder of the local crown, lasting 22 seasons, Penn’s Diana Caramanico attended Wednesday’s game, and Siegrist showed an envelope with a personal note from the Quakers’ great she received.

Right now, Villanova has a 1.5 lead in second place on Creighton, with whom the Wildcats split the season.

There’s enough left on the schedule that cruise control is not an option but allowing another close loss here to UConn on Feb. 18, a Saturday afternoon in which Siegrist is projecting to shatter the Big East all-time record, that the improbable but do-able run of the rest of the table will grow the profile.

There’s a game up at St. John’s, the team the Wildcats pulled the dynamic rally here and likely thirsting for revenge; a home-and-home with contending Seton Hall.

DePaul, having an uncharacteristic off year has a visit here and despite the record can’t be discounted. And one or possibly two in this group will likely have to be dealt with a third time in the Big East tournament quarterfinals and semifinals next month at The Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.

As for the numbers on Wednesday’s win along with Siegrist’s statistics, Lucy Olsen scored 16 and dealt six assists with four steals, and Christina Dalce, a strong candidate for the most improved player award,  had a career-high 13 points and 14 rebounds, the sophomore’s second career double-double.

“It’s my team, for sure giving me that confidence, said Dalce. “They have such a big impact on me.”

Marquette’s Jordan King had 18 points and four rebounds. Chloe Marotta scored 12 and grabbed nine rebounds.

In the first meeting with the Golden Eagles, eked out a 54-52 win in Milwaukee in late December.

With the Wildcats beginning to understand how good they are and can be in the wake of Sunday’s game in Hartford, they moved from a 13-13 tie at the end of the first quarter to a 24-4 pounding in the next, Siegrist scoring 14 points in the period.

“Our defense created some offense for us today,” Dillon said. “At their place, it was sloppy for both teams. … just stay patient within the offense for clean looks. Our defense stepped up. You can’t run in transition if you don’t get stops and rebounds.”

The Wildcats forced 15 turnovers and held the opposition to 54 points, 12.7 off the Golden Eagles’ 66.7 average.

Siegrist for the Villanova achievement was presented a game-ball prior to the opening tip, this being the first home game since breaking the record several weeks ago at Creighton,

The school and conference also made the game the focal point celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day featuring an all-female broadcast crew on the telecast, dubbed “The Female Forward Game.”

Villanova hits the road Saturday for a visit to Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis at 2 p.m. on FloHoops.

The Siegrist Watch

For one, with the free agent period officially opening in the WNBA, Wednesday, don’t expect the native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to land close to home in April’s draft following the stunning news that in the New York Liberty’s latest super talent attraction, former UConn great Breanna Stewart’s, a native of Syracuse, announced she’s leaving Seattle, where she was part of two WNBA titles, and moving back East to play in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

In saying she wants to help the league grow, playing in the largest market does that. The Liberty recently acquired Connecticut Sun star Jonquel Jones.

Meanwhile, after breaking the two most recent scoring records at Nova and in the Big Five, here’s still what’s possible now filtering the list for Siegrist, who has reached at least 20 points in all 25 points this season.

Best in Philly Six

Gabriela Marginean, Drexel, 2581

Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, 2463, needs 119 points, 8 games left in regular season, average needed — 14.875; if games still need, two or three in BEC tourney; at least 1 postseason.

Big East Scoring Record

Sarah Behn, Boston College, 1546

Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, 1442 needs 105 pts  5 games left to next UConn game, averaged needed —  21.0; end of season if needed — 13.125; see previous for games if still needed.

Local Men’s Scoring Record

Lionel Simmons, La Salle, 3217 — likely out of reach

Michael Brooks, La Salle, 2628

Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, 2463 — needs 166 pts, 8 games to end of season, average needed — 20.75.

Mark Macon, Temple, 2609

Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, 2463 — needs  147 points, 8 games left regular season, average needed — 18.375. see previous for games still needed

Tom Gola, La Salle, 2461

Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, passed on 2/1/23

Combo Ranking as of 2/1/23

Lionel Simmons, La Salle, 3217

Michael Brooks, La Salle, 2628 — needs 166

Mark Macon, Temple, 2609 — needs 147

Gabriela Marginean, Drexel, 2581 — needs 119

Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, 2463

Temple Wins Third Straight Topping Wichita State

A week ago, beginning in New Orleans, the ejection of four players off the Temple roster began, two by voluntary withdrawal; two others first by suspension for “breaking team rules,” and then 48 hours later via dismissal. Additionally, another was already lost for the season via dismissal.

Since then, like the song says on the public address system, all the Owls have done is win. 

First at Tulane, and then back home in the Liacouras Center, beating Central Florida on Saturday, and next the latest, a 72-59 win over Wichita State on Wednesday.

The surviving elegant eight like No. 5 UConn’s coping on injury devastation, is a thin threshold of operation considering the American Athletic Conference rule is similar to the Big East in which the minimum allowance to field a squad is seven healthy scholarship players — one more than the NCAA limit.

“They want to win,” Temple first-year coach Diane Richardson said after the Owls (10-11, 4-4 AAC) got near .500 overall and exactly to that in the conference to move into sixth place. “They want to win and they are willing to do everything.”

Expressing her pleasure with the attitude, Richardson said, “… they’re coachable. So when we need to make changes, they are with it.”

The lead over the Shockers (13-9, 3-6) grew to 14 points late in the third period and that was enough to fend off a closing rally.

Caranda Perea had a career-high 17 points, helped by three-of-four fired down from deep. Aleah Nelson, who followed Richardson from Towson when she was hired last spring, scored 15.

“At the beginning of the game, my teammates just found me and I got a few open shots,” Perea said, noting that Nelson was on her the whole game to shoot.”

The collective performance enabled the home team from being damaged by Wichita State’s Trajata Colbert’s game-high 25 points.

Defensively, the Owls picked up 16 points from forcing 16 turnovers.

Temple survived despite being out-rebounded 50-36, though Richardson was aware of the threat posed in that category from the opposition.

“Wichita State does a great job with their bigs,” she said, calling the post players “a magnet for offensive rebounds.” She praised Colbert’s ability, adding on the preparation for the game, “We knew we had to box them out. We tried as much as we could, but that is their MO. That’s what they do, and they do that well.”

Just when it seemed Temple’s direction might head south at the finish, Tarryiyonna Gary nailed one from beyond the arc, getting the advantage back to double digits at 12 points, and a 6-0 run at the end got the Owls back to the victory lane again.

“We did not get rattled in the end,” Richardson explained. “… showing a lot of tenacity as a team.”

Speaking of going south, that’s Temple’s next stop as the Owls play at Houston on Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN+ in the Lone Star State.

The overall record of the Cougars at 8-13 and the league mark at 5-3 offers a mixed bag view how this one might go. 

Saint Joseph’s Falls Short in Double Overtime at Rhode Island

Record-wise, in one month the Hawks’ Cinderella season has become loaded with pumpkins.

After soaring to a record-tying 14-3 start matching the inaugural season 22 years ago under alumna Cindy Griffin, Saint Joseph’s has dipped to 1-6, the latest in a second straight extended game, a 77-73 double overtime loss to Rhode Island in an Atlantic Ten game at the Ryan Center in Kingston.

The anguish in this strength for those that go way back and have seen it all in Philly is the nature of the slide much like the baseball Phillies infamous 10-game meltdown in 1964 that cost them the pennant and trip to the World Series.

All five were winnable — 58-56 at UMass in a game that got away in the closing minutes; 61-58 at home to local rival La Salle causing a season split; 71-65 at home to Fordham; a brief break pounding Saint Bonaventure; then on Sunday a 94-90 overtime setback at Richmond.

Wednesday’s game, the Hawks (15-7, 5-5 A-10) were playing the top of the league in Rhode Island (18-3, 9-0), whom they knocked out of the conference tourney last season at Wilmington Del., in the quarterfinals.

Though the Rams were up 14-8 after the first period, Saint Joseph’s recovered to chase them all the way and showed no quit down nine late in the fourth  but rallied and forced the first overtime on Talya Brugler’s two foul shots with 7.9 seconds remaining in regulation.

Avoiding defeat in the first overtime, Mackenzie Smith scored a layup and then blocked a game-winning attempt from the opposition to extend the affair for another five minutes.

But with 1:35 left in overtime number two, Rhode Island launched a three from deep to snap a tie and move to the win.

Brugler scored 24 for the visitors with six rebounds and two blocks and a pair of steals playing all 50 minutes. Laura Ziegler had eight points, 13 rebounds, a career-high seven blocks and tied a personal best with six assists playing just one minute less than Brugler. The individual rejects were the most in a decade since Samira van Grinsven did likewise against Providence on Nov. 12, 2012.

Olivia Mullins scored ten points and as a team the Hawks thrived on the line making 17-of-18 points.

It’s the first set of consecutive overtime games for Saint Joseph’s in eight seasons and the first involving two extra periods dating back to a 70-61 win at Princeton in 2010-11.

Rhode Island’s Maye` Toure` had a double-double 18 points and 18 rebounds.

One stat spoke to Saint Joseph’s deficiency being out-rebounded 60-40, including 22-9 on the offensive glass.

The Hawks are now off a week to try to shake off the recent setbacks though their fan base take solace in these games were against the league’s best and Saint Joseph’s was right there in everyone, meaning it’s possible all can still end well.

When the break is over next Wednesday VCU will visit Hagan Arena at 7 p.m. on ESPN+

VCU Ends La Salle Streak

The Rams, by the way, on Wednesday in the only other local game played, offered a ticket to La Salle to join Saint Joseph’s on misery row, though the Explorers via the calendar, took their seats first in a morning game in Richmond that ended with the hosts ruining the La Salle win streak with a 53-38 triumph.

This one was still competitive at the half 21-21 before VCU (7-14, 4-5 A-10) made someone else suffer at the final result.

The fourth quarter, the Rams surging at the end became the undoing for La Salle (14-9, 5-3).

Mia Jacobs had 10 points for the Explorers and grabbed six rebounds as did Kayla Spruill on the boards.

La Salle will be back home at Tom Gola on Saturday hosting UMass at 2 p.m. on ESPN+, the game also serving as the Play4Kay Paint it Pink breast cancer awareness game.

Nationally Noted: Well, considering that No. 1 and unbeaten South Carolina looms ahead Sunday, the first meeting of the two squads since the Huskies fell to Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks in last season’s NCAA title game, perhaps the narrow 64-54 Big East win at Providence suggests maybe No. 5 UConn escaped in a trap game.

But whatever, coach Geno Auriemma’s squad (21-2, 13-0 Big East) made it 14 straight wins since the loss at Maryland outside the conference..

“We’re already focused on that game, it’s going to be an exciting challenge for us” said Dorka Juhasz, who had 19 points and 17 rebounds, while Nika Muhl scored 14.

Providence (13-11, 4-9) was helped by 20 UConn turnovers. Olivia Olsen had 13 points for the Friars, while Janai Crooms and Nariah Scott each scored 11.

Elsewhere in the Big East, DePaul continued its season struggle, losing at Creighton 83-74 in Omaha, Nebraska.

The winning Bluejays (15-6, 9-4 Big East) stayed in pursuit of Villanova ahead of them as Morgan Maly had 21 points, Lauren Jensen scored 19, and Emma Ronsiek had 16 points.

Aneesha Morrow had 34 points for DePaul (11-11, 4-7) while Darrione Rogers dealt 12 assists.

In the Big Ten, No. 10 Ohio State snapped its three-gamed losing streak of last week that caused the Buckeyes to plunge from second to 10th in the AP Poll, beating host Wisconsin, 90-67.

In the Big 12, No. 12 Iowa State on the road was upset by Kansas State 78-77, though a Cyclones’ three-pointer at the finish by Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw made it a one-point loss. 

Looking Ahead: It’s a lite night locally, Thursday, Penn State, which got whipped at Maryland on Monday night, hosting Northwestern in a Big Ten matchup at 7 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center, on the B1G+ subscription network.

Rider trying to get untracked visits Quinnipiac at 6 p.m. in Hamden, Conn., in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game on ESPN3.

Nationally, South Carolina warms up for its Sunday game at UConn, hosting Kentucky at 7 p.m. on the SECN, a Southeastern Conference matchup in Columbia.

At 8:30 p.m. on ESPN in the Big Ten, Maryland is at Iowa in a battle of ranked teams in the conference.

Locally, the weekend focus in the Ivy League occurs Friday and Saturday at league-leader Columbia, with Penn looking for a sweep visiting at 6 p.m. on ESPN+ 

Princeton visits at 4 p.m. on Saturday, looking to avenge its loss last month to the Lions at Jadwin Gym, ending a long win streak in the series.

In the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) on Friday, Drexel is at Northeastern while Delaware is at Hofstra, both games at 7 p.m. on FloHoops.

Princeton first visits Cornell at 6 p.m. on Friday, while Penn visits the Big Red on Saturday at 4 p.m.

And that’s the report.