The Guru Report: Lucy Olsen Leads Villanova to Huge Big East Upset of No. 22 Marquette While Texas Tech Pulls Big 12 Upset if No. 24 Iowa State

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

Looking into the week following the latest round of chaos of upsets that saw five of the Top 10 take losses heading into Monday’s newest poll, though one came as a result of two playing each other, an opportunity opened for Villanova similarly to one at the outset of 2022-23 the Wildcats took advantage and rocketed off to a landmark record for the program.

 

The two non-UConn ranked teams in the Big East lay ahead on the schedule coming to Finneran Pavilion and given they resided in the bottom five, a sweep plus a loss by any other down below could see a return to prominence next week after the next vote by the national media panel.

 

Besides, both No. 22 Marquette and No. 21 Creighton were forecast in front of the Wildcats by the conference coaches in fourth place when the outlook was released back on Media Day in Madison Square Garden.

 

To some, the scenario was a pipe dream in comparison.

 

When Villanova got jump started last year winning at Princeton, Maddy Siegrist was just getting warmed up for a ride into history plus beating the Tigers occurred on the road.

 

This edition heading into Wednesday night’s visit from Marquette though on a five-game winning streak, that included last week’s escape in overtime at home against Georgetown, was not that far removed from the late-November/early December series of squandered leads that included a setback to a decided underdog in St. John’s.

 

Of course, the Guru forecast did not say it was going to happen, he only was pointing out the benefit if it did happen.

 

Thanks to Lucy Olsen and Christena Dalce here in the closing minutes and unranked Texas Tech beating No. 24 Iowa State, which moved onto the list Monday following a pair of ranked wins in the Big 12, two of the three ingredients are now in Villanova’s hands after the Wildcats’ pulsating 66-63 win over the Golden Eagles, who controlled a carrot-on-a-stick lead most of the way in the closely fought contest until crunch time arrived.

 

Olsen, the heroine of the Georgetown win, owned all of the 8-0 finish that ran the junior’s total to 37 just behind her career-best 40 earlier in the season.

 

“… Six or four weeks ago, we are either taking a rushed shot or I'm calling a timeout in order for us to get set, so it's really nice to see that understanding and growth come into play and for them to be rewarded for it,” Villanova coach Denise Dillon said. “Never giving up six, down six mentality came back tonight.

 

“The stand was huge, they're the team that scores, they score efficiently at a high percentage, the awareness of that was great,” Dillon said. “I felt the group we had out there, as Lucy said, was connected, with the recognition of switching screens, keeping them in front and not bailing them out period.”

 

 

Dalce double-doubled with 10 points and 14 rebounds along with a block party of seven, including four rejections in the last minute of which two happened rejecting a pair of Marquette three-pointers in the final five seconds.

 

“We're getting more comfortable out there, my pace was better today, I wasn't trying to force stuff and I let the game come to me,” said Olsen. “We've been in these situations a lot this year and I feel like even though we lost a few in the beginning, it's really helped us learn that we don't need to freak out, nice and calm and I feel like our communication is really good, we were keeping each other in check, not getting too overwhelmed or looking too far ahead.”

 

Added to the cause of Villanova (12-5, 5-1 Big East) Bella Runyan made three from deep to propel her 11-point effort while Olsen now has six 30-point games in season one of the post-Siegrist era. The latest came off 12-of-19 from the field, and 11-13 from the line along with five assists.

 

Marquette (15-3, 4-3) got 21 points aided by five makes from deep courtesy of Mackenzie Hare while Liz Karlen had 16 points and seven rebounds and Jordan King collected 16.

 

“I just don't like to lose, so every game I'm going into, we are just trying to get the win,” Olsen said. “Marquette’s a great team so it definitely helps us, while I'm not looking ahead too far, just one at a time.”

 

The opposition is done for the week, next playing UConn, so if the Wildcats can finish the job Sunday on Creighton, always a tough out, they’re hold on second will be tighter.

 

Outside the conference, Iowa State is also done, gaining a forfeit win in the conference standings, the second of two announced Wednesday by TCU, off injuries preventing enough healthy players to field a team.

 

Elsewhere in the Big East, despite the slew of injuries, UConn, back in the Top Ten at nine following a period dropping to 17, the program’s lowest in three decades, continues on its roll through the league.

 

The Huskies (15-3, 7-0) won at Seton Hall 83-59 in South Orange, N.J., as Paige Bueckers scored a season-high 32 points. The former national player of the year as a freshman in 2021 missed last season with a knee injury.

 

The Stanford upset loss to Colorado Sunday that temporarily halted Tara VanDerveer from moving into a tie with retired Duke men’s coach Mike Krzyzewski for the collegiate win record at 1,202, allowed Geno Auriemma to move within six of the Cardinal coach at 1,195 with the Huskies winning their 11^th straight and 37 in a row against the Pirates (11-7, 3-4).

 

Stanford will host Oregon Friday and Oregon State Sunday giving VanDerveer a chance to tie and break the record at home in Maples Pavilion in Palo Alto, Calif.

 

UConn hosts DePaul Sunday.

 

In two other conference games, St. John’s (11-8, 5-2) at home beat Butler 60-42, dropping the Bulldogs to 8-9 overall and 0-6. 

 

Georgetown won at Providence 73-71 in Rhode Island as Kelsey Ransom scored for the Hoyas (13-4, 3-3) with four seconds left in regulation, dropping the Friars to 8-11 and 2-4.

 

The Rest of the Local Scene: Three other games were played, two in the Patriot League featuring a split as Lehigh beat visiting Navy 81-65 in Staples Arena in Bethlehem, Pa., while league-leading Holy Cross dropped Lafayette 80-57 in the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa., falling to 6-10, 1-4.

 

In the win by Lehigh (10-6, 2-3), Ella Stemmer broke out of her scoring slump, collecting 21 points.

 

The Leopards in the loss to the Crusaders (11-5, 5-0) got 16 points from Mikayla Andrews.

 

In the Big Ten, Rutgers (6-14, 0-7) is still seeking its first conference win after suffering a 96-68 loss at Illinois (8-8, 2-4).

 

Destiny Adams scored 26 for the Scarlet Knights with six rebounds while Mya Petticord had 16 points and six assists. Chyna Cornwell collected her 500^th rebound.

 

All five starters scored in double figures for the Illini.

 

The Scarlet Knights next host Michigan Sunday at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Pscataway, N.J. at 2 p.m., their 50 Season’s Celebration Game. 

 

On Saturday, Lehigh hosts American at 2 p.m., while Lafayette visits Bucknell at 2 p.m., in Lewisburg, Pa., both Patriot League games airing on ESPN+.

 

The National Scene: In the Big 12, Texas Tech upset No. 24 Iowa State (12-5, 6-1) at home in Fort Worth 71-63, the winning Red Raiders (14-5, 3-3) getting 16 points from Bailey Maupin, while Rhyle McKinney and reserve Jasmine Shavers each scored 15.

 

No. 7 Kansas State got the other conference forfeit win off shorthanded TCU.

 

In the Big Ten No. 18 Ohio State (14-3, 5-1) won 84-76 at Maryland (11-6, 3-3), handing the Terrapins their first home loss as Rebeka Mikulasikova scored 20 for the Buckeyes and Taylor Thierry had 17.

 

Jackie Brown-Turner, Bri McDaniel and reserve Lavender Briggs each scored 16 for Maryland.

 

No. 16 Indiana (15-2, 6-1) beat visiting Minnesota 85-62 as Mackenzie Holmes scored 32 for the Hoosiers and Grace Grocholski scored 19 for the Golden Gophers (13-4, 3-3).

 

Looking Ahead: On Thursday, locally, Rider visits Siena at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in suburban Albany, N.Y., while Penn State hosts Purdue at 7 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center in State College on the Big Ten Network.

 

On Friday in the Coastal Athletic Association Drexel hosts Hofstra at 6 p.m. at the Daskalakis Athletic Center and Delaware at 7 p.m. visits William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va., both on FloHoops.

 

Nationally on Thursday, in the Southeastern Conference, No. 10 LSU is at Alabama at 9 p.m. while Tennessee is at Mississippi State on the SEC Network.

 

In the Atlantic Coast Conference No. 14 Virginia Tech is at Duke at 8 p.m., while No. 23 North Carolina is at Georgia Tech at 8 p.m., on the ACC Network. 

 

And that’s the report.