The Guru Report: Drexel and Rutgers Fall to Ranked Teams While Temple Tops La Salle in Big Five Play

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

PHILADELPHIA — Four local squads played Sunday with Drexel here in the Daskalakis Athletic Center and Rutgers up in Central Jersey hosting ranked teams while at uptown Temple and host La Salle collided in a Big Five game whose outcome set the course for the final stages of the annual City Series.

 

Meanwhile the best news for Penn State in a rout of nearby Saint Francis, Pa., was not the stats of the action but other news more critical to the Lady Lions’s involvement in the Big Ten race coming just around the corner.

 

Here at Drexel, the Dragons hosted No. 22 Florida State of the Atlantic Coast Conference and gave the Seminoles a challenge in the first quarter, trailing 19-16 after the first ten minutes before being subjugated the rest of the way in a 76-56 final score.

 

“Ta’Niya Watson, last season’s national freshman of the year award winner from the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), shot 7-for-16 from the field and 7-of-9 from the line to finish with a game-high 22 points for the visitors (8-3), while O’Mariah Gordon scored 14 points, Sara Bejedi scored 11, and Makayla Timpson scored 10.

 

But in trying to at least achieve some goals in a heavy underdog role, the Dragons (4-4) outrebounded FSU 39-35, and matched the Seminoles on connected shots from deep, each connecting five times on their respective attempts.

 

Though dominated in the paint, 46-16, with 10 more offensive rebounds Drexel won the battle for second chance points 15-7.

 

Villanova transfer Brooke Mullin scored 11 with eight rebounds, each team highs, as were her six assists, while Chloe Hodges scored 10, and Hetta Saatman scored nine with five rebounds.

 

“When you play a Top 20 opponent on your home court, you certainly learn about your team,” said Drexel coach Amy Mallon. “And today we certainly showed a lot of fight.

 

“We were able to achieve some goals on the defensive ends, we were able to limit some things, obviously they’re a very talented team. For us, playing this type of team will help us in conference play because they do a lot of things we’ll see.”

 

A 15-0 run in the second quarter had its effect in delivering damage.

 

“That, scoring inside, scoring in transition, and the fouls”, Mallon noted.

 

Though the Dragons were a perfect 9-for-9 on the line, that total was eclipsed by Florida State shooting 15-for-18.

 

Before heading for the break over Christmas next weekend, Drexel on Wednesday and Thursday will play against predetermined opponents, both reigning conference champions, who were part of the NCAA opening rounds weekend at Villanova last March, in the Homewood Suites Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.

 

First, they’ll see ASun champion Florida Gulf Coast, located nearby the tourney site, on Wednesday at 7 p.m., followed by reigning Horizon champion Cleveland State at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.

 

Then they’ll conclude the 2023 portion of the season back here on Friday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m. hosting nearby Division III Arcadia.

 

The chase for glory in the now-named Coastal Athletic Association begins Friday, Jan. 5, hosting Hampton at 6 p.m. on the FloHoops network.

 

Rutgers hosted one of the Final Four teams of last April, playing No. 16 Virginia Tech in Jersey Mike’s 
Arena in Piscataway, where the Scarlet Knights fell 84-59.

 

Kenny Brooks, who previously was a longtime coach at James Madison in the same general area of the Old Dominion State, picked up his 500^th career victory.

 

Matilda Ekh was on fire with seven from deep, scoring 27 points for the Hokies (8-2), whose two defeats were to No. 4 Iowa at the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte, N.C., and at reigning NCAA champion LSU, who Va. Tech met in the national semifinals concluding a season with a program-record 31 victories.

 

Early in the second period, the visitors went on an 11-0 run that enabled them to go ahead of Rutgers (6-8) and stay.

 

Reigning ACC player of the year Elizabeth Kitley had 11 points and eight rebounds for Va. Tech, which connected with 17 shots from beyond the arc, while Georgia Amoore scored 18, as did Olivia Summiel, who also grabbed 11 rebounds for a double double.

 

Kaylene Smikle continued her outstanding play for Rutgers with 22 points, reserve Kasondra Brown scored 15 and Chyna Cornwell had 9 points and 11 rebounds.

 

The Hokies have an in-state game Thursday hosting William & Mary, while Rutgers is off until the continuation of Big Ten competition visiting Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena in the metro Chicago community of Evanston, Ill.

 

Temple Routs La Salle in Big Five Play

 

The Owls took the short trip up North Broad Street to play La Salle in Tom Gola Arena and when they returned with an 85-61 victory, they had the first overall three-game win streak and second since last season, coach Diane Richardson’s first with the program, which occurred in a cross-over, end-of-January into February run.

 

Following Aleah Nelson’s explosive output Thursday in a home win over Delaware, on Sunday it was Tarriyonna Gary’s turn, the Owls reserve coming back from missing that game due to a scratched eye and scoring 23 points to match a career high.

 

Through ups and down, the Owls (6-5, 2-2 Big Five) have been on a constant high end playing the Explorers (3-7, 0-2 Big Five), running their win streak in the series Sunday to nine straight as they finished 2-2 in the City Series.

 

Last season Gary’s 23 points came in a narrow loss to Villanova, then ranked 24^th, in the Liacouras Center.

 

Having beaten Penn at home last Sunday, it’s the first consecutive win streak in Big Five action since beating Villanova and the Explorers in December 2019.

 

“I was very pleased with the defensive effort that our team showed today,” Richardson texted, continuing the emphasis on that portion of concentration. “The defense and the forced turnovers were instrumental in our win.

 

“We are finally learning the right rotations.”

 

Tiarra East scored 13 points, Ines Piper and Demi Washington each scored 10, and Rayne Tucker grabbed 10 rebounds.

 

Molly Masciantonio scored 12, and Gabby Turco scored 10 for La Salle.

 

With La Salle still to play Villanova, hosting the Wildcats Thursday, and then visiting Saint Joseph’s on January 15^th, a noon game at Hagan Arena on the CBS Sports Network, there are three remaining outcomes.

 

A Saint Joseph’s win on La Salle gets the Hawks an outright sweep at 4-0.

 

A Villanova win Thursday and La Salle win over Saint Joseph’s, one of two that also count in the Atlantic 10 standings, then it’s a tie with the Hawks and Wildcats at 3-1.

 

A La Salle win Thursday automatically gives Saint Joseph’s the title outright even if the Hawks would fall to 3-1 because none of the other teams would have lost only one game.

 

This is the last City Series setup before the women switch into the “Classic” arrangement the men’s side began this season.

 

After Thursday, La Salle is off until beginning Atlantic 10 competition on Dec. 30 (ESPN+) visiting George Mason in Fairfax, Va.

 

Temple on Thursday will have its annual Education Day promotion hosting Northwestern of the Big Ten at 11 a.m. (ESPN+), a game that is also a homecoming for Wildcats coach Joe McKeown, a native of Northeast Philly and Father Judge graduate.

 

The Owls then go on break until Dec. 30 beginning play in the American Athletic Conference hosting Texas-San Antonio (UTSA) at 1 p.m. (ESPN+) in the Liacouras Center.

 

Penn State Handles St. Francis (Pa.)

 

The Lady Lions hosted their neighbors from nearby Loretto and made quick work in a 119-43 victory at the Bryce Jordan that snapped a two-game losing streak.

 

The total from Penn State (8-3) was the second highest in program history and it came with scoring leader Makenna Marisa sidelined after leaving early in the extra period of last Sunday’s overtime loss at Ohio State, carried off the court with an apparent leg injury.

 

While fearful of a worst-case scenario at the time with the continuation of Big Ten play soon to begin, it's been indicated that she will likely return sooner than later, missing perhaps just a few games.

 

Meanwhile the Lady Lions had solid ball control with just eight turnovers while forcing SFPA (1-10) into 25 miscues leading to 45 points for the home team.

 

The rest of the stats were a delight to the hosts and gruesome to the visitors: 60-18 points in the paint, 25-9 second chance points, 22-4 fast break points, and 46-12 off the bench.

 

Leilani Kapinus had a career-night with 25 points, while redshirt freshman Moriah Murray had a personal best 18 points with five assists, and another career performance came from Jayla Olden, also with 18 points.

 

Ali Brigham was also in double figures with 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, while Shay Ciezki had 15 points and Tay Valladay scored 11.

 

Penn State finishes non-conference play Wednesday hosting Central Connecticut at 11:30 a.m. The visitors are under first-year coach Waynetta Veney, who was associate head coach at Temple to Tonya Cardoza, who is now back on Geno Auriemma’s staff at UConn.

 

The National Scene: South Jersey’s Hannah Hidalgo, who is emerging along with Southern Cal’s JuJu Watkins as one of the top two freshmen in the nation, had 23 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and seven steals in a 76-39 victory for No. 14 Notre Dame (8-1) of the ACC over in-state rival Purdue (6-5) of the Big Ten.

 

Pirior to the game, a statue of retired coach Muffet McGraw, who starred at Saint Joseph’s here as a player, was unveiled in front of Purcell Pavilion.

 

No. 20 Creighton on the road beat Drake 89-78 as Emma Ronsiek scored 25 of her 31 points in the second half, while Lauren Jensen scored 22.

 

No. 21 Gonzaga at home defeated South Dakota State 83-58 with Eliza Hollingsworth scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds for the Zags (11-2).

 

VCU at home in Richmond bested nearby Old Dominion 64-50, dropping the Lady Monarchs (8-1) from the unbeaten column.

 

Sarah Te-Biasu had 13 points for the Rams (10-1) of the Atlantic 10 and Timaya Lewis-Eutsey scored 11.

 

TCU (11-0) downed Lamar 68-51 at home in Fort Worth, setting up Wednesday’s 7:30 p.m. visit from Omaha. The Horned Frogs will be after its all-time win streak in the program’s 47-year history.  A win also matches the men’s mark reached in 2017-18.

 

In another rivalry PAC-12 opener, Arizona sailed over Arizona State 91-52 on the road in Tempe as Kailyn Gilbert scored 19 for the Wildcats (8-3, 1-0 PAC-12). Helen Pueyo scored 18 points.

 

Jalyn Brown had 19 for the Sun Devils (7-4, 0-1).

 

Arizona on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at the Footprint Center in Phoenix hosts Gonzaga as part of the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Classic.

 

 Washington State’s Charlisse Leger-Walker had a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, her second this season and a second career triple-double, while Tara Wallack and Jenna Villa added personal bests of 21 and 18 points respectfully in a 95-48 home win over Houston in Pullman.

 

Bella Murekatete added 10 points and 14 rebounds in a battle of schools with Cougar mascots.

 

The hosts are 11-2 overall and 0-1 in the PAC-12 while the Cougars of Texas are 8-2.

 

Looking Ahead: On Monday, locally, Rider hosts Quinnipiac at 7 p.m. in Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J. (ESPN+), while the big attraction of the day, nationally, will be No. 2 UCLA’s visit to No. 12 Ohio State at 6:30 p.m. on FS1 in Columbus.

 

No. 17 UConn, off its big win Saturday over No. 18 Louisville, hosts Butler at 7 p.m. in Hartford for the start of Huskies participation on this season’s Big East slate.

 

No. 6 Southern Cal comes out of its break hosting Fullerton at 10 p.m. as the Trojans move closer to the start of Pac-12 play.

 

And that’s the report.