The Guru Report: Drexel Wins and Delaware Falls in OT in the CAA; Stanford’s VanDerveer Ties Career Win Record

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

PHILADELPHIA — Drexel continued to protect home court in the early stage of the Coastal Athletic Association schedule with a 56-38 win here Friday night in the Daskalakis Athletic Center over Hofstra while in the only other local participant game on the evening card, also in the CAA, Delaware fell 78-72 in overtime to William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

 

Nationally, 24 hours after the Atlantic Coast Conference owned the news with three unranked teams beating ranked ones, the PAC-12 out west moved to center stage with three major results.

 

A wire-to-wire 88-63 win by No. 8 Stanford over visiting Oregon in Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, Calif., advanced Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer’s win total to 1,202, tying her with retired Duke Men’s coach Mike Krzyzewski for the collegiate win record in the sport.

 

The 70-year-old VanDerveer can take sole ownership of the record Sunday when the Cardinal (16-2, 5-1 PAC-12) hosts Oregon State (15-2, 4-2) at 5 p.m. on the PAC-12 network.

 

In two other PAC-12 games involving four ranked teams besides Stanford in The Associated Press women’s poll, No. 5 UCLA won 76-68 at No. 3 Colorado (15-2, 5-1) in Boulder, the Bruins (15-1, 4-1) pulling away near the end of the closely fought contest.

 

No. 20 Utah, which has been sliding from the Top 10 since losing a key player with an injured knee, stunned No. 6 Southern Cal 78-58 at home in Salt Lake City.

 

Both Washington teams, ranked earlier, beat the two visiting Arizona squads, with Washington topping Arizona 62-60 in Seattle while Washington State in Pullman beat Arizona State 79-64.

 

In the victory that brought the Stanford coach even with the combined men’s and women’s total, the Cardinal shook off last Sunday’s loss at Colorado that delayed the milestone arrival a week.

 

Of her coach, Kiki Iriafen noted in the postgame celebration, “Tara’s been winning since our parents were kids.”

 

Krzyzewski’s total included a stint at Army, while VanDerveer, who began coaching in her 20s, previously turned programs around at Idaho and Ohio State spanning 45 seasons, the last 38 on The Farm after former Penn athletic director Andy Geiger in a similar capacity hired her away from the Buckeyes.

 

Iriafen had 21 points, shooting 10-17 from the field, with 15 rebounds and two blocked shots. Talana Lepolo added 13 points and eight assists.

 

However, of concern projected high WNBA first round draft pick Cameron Brink left during the first quarter with a leg injury, though she was on the court for the post-game celebration lifting VanDerveer before heading for an X-ray.

 

Chance Gray had 19 points and five assists for Oregon (11-8, 2-4).

 

“I think any young coach out there, that's who you should watch,” said Oregon coach Kelly Graves of his colleague. “That's how you should coach, and I'm really happy for them.

“I’m also happy for us that we weren't the record setting one. We're just the tying one. But I'm happy for her. She deserves everything that she's getting and has gotten.”

 

VanDerveer could have reached the total even sooner, but in 1996 she was on leave to coach the U.S. Olympic squad.

 

The only coach close to her total is Hall of Fame UConn’s Geno Auriemma at 1,195 heading into Saturday’s Big East visit from DePaul.

 

VanDerveer played before Title IX became law but got involved in coaching soon theresfter.

 

“It's like a dream come true. To have a dream and watch it play out,” VanDerveer said.

 

“I planned to go to law school because there were no coaches. That was not a job for women. My timing was horrible for playing but it was very good for coaching. I was a head coach when I was like 24 years old.

 

“I'm just really thankful that it's not a ‘JOB’ job. I love coming to the gym, it was just fun at practice today. Just to experience this is more than I ever could have dreamed of.”

 

Said Iriafen, “This is just an amazing experience being here and being coached under her. The opportunity to make history on Sunday is really exciting.”

 

Meanwhile, UCLA was one of the last two unbeaten teams with No. 1 South Carolina last Sunday when the Bruins lost to Southern Cal and fell from second to fifth the next day when the current poll was released.

 

Now they’ll likely reverse direction after the upset at Colorado before the Buff’s largest crowd in program history (11,338 sellout) and the concluding game on the trip at Utah is not until Monday for TV purposes.

 

Stanford transfer Lauren Betts in a homecoming appearance had 20 points and 13 rebounds for UCLA while Charisma Osborne had 22 points. 

 

“I don't think it really affected us,” Betts said of the crowd of which they had already played in front of packed houses three times this season. “It was just a really cool experience and I'm grateful that we got to play in front of that crowd.”

 

Jaylyn Sherrod had 17 points for Colorado, one of four Buffs in double figures. 

 

UCLA controlled the boards 44-27 and Angela Dugalic joined Betts with 13 of her own boards.

 

“Very, very disappointed and frustrated with our rebounding,” said Colorado coach JR Payne. “because I do think that determined the outcome of the game.

 

“But just I mean, two heavyweights, right? Like two of the best teams in the country. First top five matchup,” Payne noted. “I thought we competed on every single possession. I think our offense got stagnant, which we haven't seen really at all this year. And the defensive rebounding just absolutely crushed.

 

 

“But they're a great team, very well coached. You know, a lot of talented players on the floor, both sides, so proud of our team.”

 

In the other blockbuster PAC-12 game, the star of Southern Cal past topped the new one from Southern Cal present.

 

Alissa Pili, who transferred from USC (13-2, 3-2) before last season to Utah, had 37 points shooting 13-16 from the field including 5-6 from deep for the Utes (13-5, 3-3), who had slid deeper from out of the Top 10 after the season-ending knee injury to Gianna Kneepkens led to a series of losses.

 

The win over Southern Cal should cause a reversal though a chance for an extra win playing UCLA is delayed until Monday so the outcome will factor a week from now.

 

JuJu Watkins, the freshman sensation, scored 26 for the Trojans, who have a chance to recover by playing at Colorado Sunday.

 

The Local Scene: In the CAA win by Drexel (9-7, 4-1), starting homecoming weekend, Chloe Hodges scored 14 points with a career-high nine rebounds and personal best six steals playing Hofstra (7-8, 2-2) while Amaris Baker scored 12, Jasmine Valentine tied a career-high with 11 points to go with a season-best nine rebounds, and Laine McGurk scored 11 off the bench.

 

“Anytime you see a stat with four people in double figures, different people stepping up, it gets me excited because it shows we’re growing more as a team,” said Drexel coach Amy Mallon.

 

“Great win, 19 assists on 22 shots, that’s team basketball.”

 

On Sunday at 1 p.m. on NBC Sports, Monmouth, which ousted the Dragons from the tourney last year as a new member, visits. The Hawks went on to take the conference title and win the NCAA automatic bid.

 

In the Delaware game, Tara Cousins had 19 points for the visiting Blue Hens (6-10, 2-2), while Chloe Wilson scored 13, and Ande’a Cherisier scored 12.

 

William & Mary (8-8, 4-1) had nine makes from deep and four players score in double figures led by Cassidy Geddes with 20 points, while Anani-Lee Cauley scored 17, and Nylah Young double-doubled with 11 points and 10 rebounds and Alexa Mikesha did likewise with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

 

On Sunday, Delaware visits North Carolina A&T at 1 p.m. on FloHoops.

 

 

Looking Ahead:  Locally on Saturday, it’s Ivy Showdown Day, with Penn visiting Harvard at 2 p.m. in Lavietes Pavilion in Cambridge, Mass., while at 4 p.m. in a game between last season’s co-champs prior to the Ivy tourney, Columbia visits Princeton in Jadwin Gym on ESPNNews.

 

In the Patriot League, at 2 p.m. both games for start times and airing on ESPN+, Lehigh visits American U. in Washington, D.C., while Lafayette is at Bucknell in Lewisburg, Pa.

 

In the MAAC, Rider hosts Mount St. Mary’s at 4 p.m. on ESPN+ at Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J.

 

In the Atlantic Ten La Salle is at VCU at 1 p.m. on ESPN+ in Richmond, Va.

 

The A-10 on Sunday has a major showdown, Saint Joseph’s visiting Rhode Island at noon on ESPNU in Kingston while at the same time in the Big East Villanova hosts No. 21 Creighton at Finneran Pavilion on CBSSN.

 

In the Big Ten, Rutgers hosts Michigan at 2 p.m. in Jersey Mike ‘s Arena in Piscataway, N.J. while Penn State hosts Nebraska at 1 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park.

 

Temple at 1 p.m. in the Liacouras Center in a key American Athletic Conference game on ESPN+ hosts front-runner and new member Charlotte. The two used to be rivals in the Atlantic Ten.

 

Nationally on Saturday, DePaul visits No. 9 UConn at 2 p.m. in Storrs, on SNY and the Fox App, while in the Sun Belt Old Dominion visits James Madison at 2 p.m., the duo past rivals in the  CAA.

 

In the Big 12, No. 7 Kansas State hosts Kansas; No. 11 Texas is at Oklahoma State; at No. 24 Iowa State gets a forfeit win off TCU unable to field a team that is healthy.

 

On Sunday in addition to all the PAC-12 action already addressed, at noon in the Big Ten, No. 2 Iowa is at 

No. 18 Ohio State at noon on NBC; Vanderbilt is at Tennessee at 3 p.m. on the SEC Network; Duke at noon on the ACC Network is at No. 4 N.C. State followed at 2 p.m. by No. 23 North Carolina hosting No. 13 Louisville.

 

And that’s the report.