The Guru Report: Brugler and Ziegler Power Saint Joseph’s Over Rider While Penn State Stays Perfect at 14-0 in Bucknell Series

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

PHILADELPHIA —Two seasons ago as the women’s basketball losses mounted in November and December here at Saint Joseph’s on Hawk Hill outsiders began to speculate in light of actions that had  been taken in other programs whether changes might not be too far away in the future.

 

When asked of someone who might be knowledgeable if the temperature might be rising on the proverbial hot seat, the reply was in the negative.

 

“Despite what the record says, the culture is promising on the roster with a lot of young talent,” the Guru was told. “And they can’t afford to be paying two salaries when time is still left on existing contracts.”

 

And truth be told once the Atlantic Ten portion of the schedule took over the Hawks were piling up weekly freshmen honors.

 

Down the stretch the pace of winning began to improve and A-10 rookie of the year honors went to Talya Brugler with longtime coach Cindy Griffin’s youth brigade placing three other classmates on the conference five-member newcomer team.

 

Those honors were cashed in the next several days as the Hawks upset Rhode Island and made a deep run to the semifinals in the A-10 tourney.

 

A year ago, becoming a little more experienced, Saint Joseph’s rode that momentum to a blazing start setting new records until suffering some competitive but tough losses and then getting bounced earlier than expected by a Saint Louis squad that went on to capture the championship.

 

Thus, reflecting the ending to 2022-23, the inside performance of Brugler with 22 points off 10-of-11 from the field, and Laura Ziegler with a double-double 19 points and 16 rebounds in Tuesday night’s dominating 71-49 over visiting area opponent Rider in the season opener for both squads in a non-conference matchup, indicated that unfinished business is an applicable theme to the Hawks on the road ahead.

 

“These two did a terrific job of finding each other and finding their teammates and their teammates found them,” Griffin said as the trio sat at the postgame press conference.

 

Julia Nystrom, who was another of the rookies on that squad as was backcourt mate Mackenzie Smith, had eight points and five assists while Smith had five points and four assists. 

 

Chloe Welch, a grad student and transfer from A-10 rival Davidson, was the fifth Hawks starter and scored seven points.

 

After the Broncs scored the first basket of the game, Brugler quickly knotted the score, then Sanaa Redmond took the lead back for Rider.

 

 However, Nystrom downed a three-ball, Brugler connected, and Ziegler nailed a shot from beyond the arc and the Hawks controlled the action the rest of the way.

 

Brugler and Ziegler talked about how much a year together now has them even more solid on a squad picked second behind Rhode Island by the A-10 coaches.

 

“I think that she’s just really improved her court awareness of what shots she knows can hit, and she’s taking them,” Brugler said. “Also her rebounding is phenomenal, as you can see on the stat sheet, she out-rebounded everyone.”

 

Ziegler countered, noting, “Last year Talya was a great mentor to me, taking me under her wing, she helped me a lot during the season.”

 

She followed up Brugler 12 months later with the top A-10 rookie award.

 

Saint Joseph’s defense in Hagan Arena was solid enough that no Rider player reached double figures till late in the game, Jessika Schiffer scored 15 points, Redmond had 11, but Makayla Firebaugh was held to six points.

 

“They obviously have two great bigs and they were both terrific tonight,” said veteran Rider Lynn Milligan, who once here was an assistant to Griffin. “They’re all conference players for a reason.”

 

Saint Joseph’s visits Ivy Leaguers Yale Saturday at noon in New Haven, Conn., on ESPN+, while on the same network Sunday at 5 p.m. Rider in its home opener at Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J., will host Merrimack of the Northeast Conference but joining the Broncs in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference next season.

 

Penn State Powers Past Bucknell: Six Lady Lions scored in double figures powering to a 94-51 win at home in the Bryce Jordan Center over the nearby Bisons of the Patriot League in the season opener for both teams.

 

Bucknell has yet to beat its Central Pennsylvania neighbors in 14 tries though Tuesday was the first meeting in a decade.

 

Shay Ciezki scored 18 for Penn State, which is looking to move up the Big Ten standings when league play arrives later next month.

 

The defense was intense, coach Carolyn Kieger’s bunch mined 26 turnovers into 31 points.

 

Makenna Marisa scored 14, Drexel transfer Kylie Lavelie was 5-for-5 scoring 13 points, with Tay Valladay (12), Mariah Murray (10), and Jayla Oden (10) completing the list of high scorers while Leilani Kapinus grabbed nine rebounds.

 

Penn State remains home to host another Patriot League foe when Navy visits Friday at 5 p.m. airing on the B1G+ subscription network. 

 

Lafayette Falls at Syracuse: In the season opener for both teams, the Leopards of the Patriot League, the third and last local on Tuesday’s Slate, lost 75-41 to the Orange of the Atlantic Coast Conference, which got 17 points and 11 rebounds from Dyaisha Fair, while two others on Syracuse also double-doubled.

 

Alyssa Latham had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Alaina Rice had 10 points and 11 rebounds. 

 

Kyra Wood on Syracuse scored 12 off the bench, and starter Sophie Burrows scored 10 points.

 

No one of Lafayette reached double figures, the highest scorer being Kay Donahue with nine points.

 

The Leopards stay on the road Saturday, traveling to East Tennessee State, at noon on ESPN+ in Johnson City. 

 

ETSU, the preseason favorite in the Southern League, fell at Kentucky, 74-66, the season opener for both teams.

 

Noteworthy: Tom Shirley Partially Retires: The longtime successful coach of Jefferson University announced he was stepping down from his other long role as the school’s athletic director.

 

He is the winningest active coach in Division II history at 849-376 and fifth winningest across all divisions.

 

“We will miss his leadership across all Jefferson athletic teams, but we’re incredibly happy that he will continue to coach our women’s basketball team,” said interim president Dr. Susan Aldridge, of Shirley, who came from DeSales to the Rams in 1989 and was promoted to the AD role from associate athletic director in 1992.

 

The National Scene: Following Monday’s wild season-opening day, it got calmer on the limited slate.

 

No. 11 Tennessee welcomed home former star Bridgette Gordon, who was part of the Guru’s induction class in 2007 into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, and then pounced on her Florida A&M group for a 93-64 victory in the season opener for both squads.

 

Wake Forest transfer Jewel Spear scored 20, the second most by a transfer in her Knoxville debut.

 

In another dual season opener, Genesis Bryant had a career-high 32 points for No. 23 Illinois in an 81-61 home victory over Morehead State at home in the State Farm Center in Champaign.

 

In other results of note, Seton Hall topped visiting Iona, 75-32; A-10 favorite Rhode Island at home thumped Northeast favorite Sacred Heart, 91-40, and Bowling Green edged visiting Cleveland State, 89-86, the successful debut for former Dawn Staley aide, Fred Chmiel.

 

Looking Ahead: In the only local game on Wednesday’s card, before moving forward in the 6 p.m. tip against visiting Norfolk State at the Daskalakis Athletic Center, Drexel will briefly look back to recently graduated Keishana Washington, the second all-time scorer in program history and 2023 CAA player of the year as she becomes the the third Dragon behind Barb Yost and Gabriela Marginean to have her uniform number retired.

 

Nationally, poised to regain No. 1 in Monday’s Associated Press women’s poll while becoming the all-time consecutive appearance leader at 566 straight weeks, following defending NCAA champion LSU’s upset loss to No. 20 Colorado, a now-healthy UConn team will host Dayton in the season opener for both teams at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs.

 

The game tipping at 7 p.m. will air on FloHoops and SNY.

 

Elsewhere, Texas opens at 8 p.m. on the Longhorn Network against SWAC contender Southern, Sun Belt favorite James Madison hosts Mid-American favorite Toledo on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. in one of the challenge series between the two conferences, and Oregon at 9 p.m. on PAC-12 Plus hosts Ark.-Pine Bluff in a PAC-12/SWAC legacy series contest.