The Guru Report: Villanova Balanced Attack Gets ‘Cats Past Holy Cross; La Salle Topples Rider as Does Lafayette to NJIT

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

VILLANOVA, Pa. — Ii was a light schedule for the locals but one in which they produced a solid sweep Tuesday night, beginning over here in Finneran Pavilion where Villanova beat Holy Cross 63-53; up in Central Jersey where La Salle bounced back from its Drexel whipping last week to do likewise to Rider 72-44, while Lafayette at home in the Kirby Sports Center beat NJIT 83-60 in Easton, Pa.

 

Just 48 hours here after the Lucy Olson show in which the talented junior scored 40 in a Big Five win over Temple, one short of the City Series record set by former teammate Maddy Siegrist, as the visiting Crusaders (2-3) sought to limit another explosion, the Wildcats (3-1) went a different route to victory.

 

Senior Bella Runyon produced a double double with 13 points, only three off her personal best, but did come up with a career-high 13 rebounds. The twin stat was her first while she also dealt four assists.

 

Runyon also had 3-of-7 from deep, an area Villanova applied its specialty early finishing with 10 threes overall and a handy weapon considering the Patriot League favorites came back to challenge most of the way.

 

“I think any game where I’m feeling it, especially from the outside, helps me get a little more confidence,” Runyon said. “I haven’t been shooting very well from the outside, so I think coach (Denise) Dillon in my ear and my teammates always telling me keep letting it fly, I finally got the one to fall, and it was like ‘thank God,’ so I just kept letting it fly.”

 

Olsen was still in double digits with 14 points while freshman Maddie Webber from Bridgeville, Pa., scored 13, equaling her output against Temple.

 

“Go back year after year and you can look at a box score — when you have three scorers in double figures, A majority of the time, because we're so focused on defense, we come out on the winning end,” Dillon said. “What we would like to see is just the consistency with knowing who that ‘2’, ‘3’ spot might be.’’

 

Webber is certainly making her case quickly to be in the mix.

 

“She has an ability to score in different ways, she has a real quick step,” Dillon said. “Her getting open shots now is because she's gaining a greater understanding of what we're doing and not forcing things.”

 

Villanova had jumped to a 28-14 lead in the second quarter, but Holy Cross got within seven at the break at 34-27.

 

Concern arose just inside the start of the third quarter when Zanai Jones had to leave after coming down on a Crusader’s foot, her condition unknown in the game’s immediate aftermath.

 

The differential went on to drop two more points to five, but Webber and Runyon with a pair from deep got it back to double digits at 11.

 

If Jones is sidelined, help could come from redshirt frosh Abby Jegede, who beat the quarter-ending clock with a three-ball.

 

“Big shot by Abby Jegede,” Dillon said in commenting on the potential need.  “That’s huge.”

 

Holy Cross was led by Bronagh Power-Cassidy, who scored 14 points.

 

One of their newcomers is Hannah Griffin, one of the daughters of Saint Joseph’s longtime coach Cindy Griffin. 

 

The Crusaders are coached by Maureen Magarity, now in her fourth season. Her dad Bill retired three seasons ago from coaching the Army women.

 

Villanova after Thanksgiving heads to Winston-Salem, N.C., Sunday, to play Wake Forest.

 

The Demon Deacons of the Atlantic Coast Conference just played in the North Shore Showcase in Laie, Hawaii.

 

La Salle Handles Rider: The Explorers (3-2) jumped to a large lead early in the win over the Broncs (2-3) in Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J., allowing coach Mountain MacGillvray to give his bench many minutes of action.

 

Gabby Turco scored 16 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-4 on 3-point attempts. Makayla Miller scored 13, and Jolene Armendariz grabbed 11 rebounds.

 

Rider’s Taylor Langan was the only Bronc in double figures with 13 points and she also grabbed nine rebounds.

 

La Salle is now off another week until the Explorers travel to The Palestra to play the Explorers’ first Big Five game of the season and second for host Penn at 6 p.m.

 

Rider on Sunday travels to north Jersey to play Fairleigh Dickinson at 2 p.m.

 

Lafayette Wallops NJIT: The Leopards (2-3) took their second straight as Makayla Andrews had the hot hand shooting 10-for-15 from the field for 24 points, while Kayla Drummond had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Halee Smith was 3-for-4 from deep to finish with 14 points, and Abby Antognoli was 5-for-10 from the field for13 points and dealt five assists.

 

NJIT (4-2) had three players scoring in double figures with Lyzi Litwinko leading the Highlanders with 13 points.

 

Lafayette on Sunday travels to central Pennsylvania to play St. Francis at 2 p.m.

 

Looking Ahead: Saint Joseph’s Wednesday travels to Temple for the second Big Five game for each at 6 p.m. in the Liacouras Center, following the Owls’ men’s game. The visiting Hawks are 1-0 in the City Series, having beaten Penn, while the Owls are 0-1 with Sunday’s loss to Villanova.

 

The game will air on ESPN+.

 

Penn begins its West Coast trip at Chapman at 4 p.m.

 

Down in the tropics Penn State (5-0) gets a bigger test in the second round of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo in Nassau, Bahamas, playing No. 8 Southern Cal at 9 p.m. on FloHoops.

 

No. 15 Ohio State plays Oklahoma State, which lost to the Lady Lions, at 6:30 p.m.

 

Lehigh plays Marist in the Savannah Hoops Invitational at 2:30 p.m.

 

In the Ball Dawgs Classic on FloHoops at 2 p.m. in true tourney format, No. 13 Florida State plays Northwestern in Las Vegas, followed by No. 4 Stanford playing Belmont at 4:30 p.m.

 

There are lots of tourneys Thursday-thru-Sunday which we’ll list with the next report.