The Guru WBIT Report: Saint Joseph’s, Villanova, and Penn State Sweep First Round

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA — The three local teams in the NCAA inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament – Saint Joseph’s, Villanova and Penn State — all won in different ways Thursday night to advance to Sunday’s second round, though the Lady Lions (20-12) in their game hosting Belmont (26-8) of the Missouri Valley Conference will be held Monday at 6 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center in State College.

The 32-team bracket is so organized that believe it or not, Saint Joseph’s and Villanova are on a collision course one win away from meeting for the second time this season, which would be next week at the Wildcats’ Finneran Pavilion.

The Hawks first have a Sunday trip to California of the Pac-12 at 4 p.m. in Berkeley playing the Golden Bears (19-14), who outdueled Big West champion Hawaii 65-50 at home to end the Rainbow Wahines’ season at 20-11.

Saint Joseph’s (27-5), here at Hagan Arena on Hawk Hill, set a season record for overall wins Thursday night and exorcized a demon from a year ago, beating Seton Hall 54-47 to avenge an opening loss to the Pirates (17-15) of the Big East in the WNIT at Walsh Gym in South Orange, N.J.

The Hawks quickly fell behind 9-0 until Talya Brugler stopped the scoreless streak with a pair of free throws but then the deficit reached 11 before Paula Marina took her only shot and connected with the home team’s first field goal with 4 minutes 28 seconds left in the opening period.

That set the stage for a continued 12-2 run that brought Saint Josephs within a point at 15-14 with just under two minutes left in the first period.

“That was their run, and we just needed a stop on defense to kind of push us forward, and I think we got that the next possession,” Mackenzie Smith said. “Paula came in and made a key layup and that was the momentum for us.”

The Hawks defense continued to thrive in the second quarter holding the Pirates scoreless with Chloe Welch making a shot from deep to put them in front for the first time 17-15 with 6:55 left in the second quarter.

The lead grew by as many as five though Seton Hall got within a bucket just before the halftime break, trailing the visitors 28-26.

Laura Ziegler’s three-ball gave Saint Joseph’s its best lead of the game at 38-30 but the Pirates cut it in half at 38-34 by the end of three periods.

Gabby Casey’s three built the Hawks lead to seven with 8:03 left in regulation but Seton Hall did not allow the home folks to break the game open and when the Pirates went up 45-44 on two foul shots from Kae Satterfield the recent home loss to Fordham and Atlantic 10 quarterfinals loss to sixth-seed Rhode Island, the Hawks were third, that likely cost Saint Joseph’s a spot in the NCAA tournament, came to mind and it might be another short-lived time playing in the postseason.

Not to worry.

Smith’s driving layup regained the lead and Saint Joseph’s got more rebounds to claim the victory.

“Very proud of our team,” said veteran coach Cindy Griffin. “I thought we came very focused.

“Our last couple of practices have been tremendous. We were intentional about what we were doing,” she said. “We knew we were going to be playing again; we just didn’t know where or who.”

Satterfield had 14 points for Seton Hall while Savannah Catalon scored 11, the only two players in double figures for the Jerseyites.

Smith scored 15 for the Hawks with eight rebounds, Brugler scored 15 with 5 blocks, and 5 boards, while Ziegler was eight rebounds with eight points and Chloe Welch scored 10 points.

Saint Joseph’s led 8–3 connecting with the long ball.

It helped playing a familiar foe.

“We know that they’re aggressive. We know that they are very disciplined on both ends of the floor. We know that they’re physical,” Griffin said.

“So just knowing that and knowing that we need to be better than what we were a year ago. I think that these guys took it very personal. They wanted to improve, obviously come out with a win, but just doing all the little things that we didn’t do last year was definitely a learning experience, so I think it helped us.”

Once again rebounding was key, especially after Seton Hall’s brief lead late in the game, the Hawks limiting the Pirates to one shot and finishing with a 39-28 differential on the boards.

“It’s a matter of the team responding, and they responded, and it’s great to see they’re rewarded for their hard work and their focus,” Griffin said. “It’s March, so the ball can bounce one way, or it can bounce the other way, and you just have to try to make it bounce your way as many times as you can to give you more opportunities, and that happened today.”

With the 27^th win, this edition has become historical in Hawks lore.

“We want to keep playing together,” Griffin said. “You know this group is special, and we want it to continue as long as we can. The 27^th is something that is great.

“I think it’s something that is great. I think it’s something that we’ll reflect on maybe in a month or two, but right now we’re in the heat of it so we want to get the 28^th.”

Meanwhile, Griffin’s night was not over with her team’s win.

Her younger daughter Hannah is a freshman on Holy Cross and within minutes of Saint Joseph’s game concluding, the Patriot League champions were tipping off against Ohio Valley representative UT Martin in an NCAA First Four game in the Albany 2 sub-regional game in Iowa City, Iowa.

Holy Cross (21-12) went on to win 72-45 against UT Martin (16-17) advancing Saturday to a first-round game in sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 3 p.m. on ABC against No. 1 seed and AP Rank No. 2 Iowa (29-4), the Big Ten tourney champions with Kaitlyn Clark.

The other game has No. 9 and Ivy champion Princeton (25-4) meeting No. 8 West Virginia (24-7) of the Big 12 conference meeting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2.

Senior Cara McCormick had a career-high for the Crusaders with 23 points and seven three-balls. Bronagh Power-Cassidy had 15 points.

In the other First Four game Thursday night completing the quartet of contests across the two nights, in a battle of 11 seeds at UConn’s Gampel Pavilion on the main campus in Storrs, Arizona (18-15) of the soon to be imploded Pac-12 beat Southeastern Conference representative Auburn 69-59, the Tigers ending their season at 20-12.

Jada Williams scored 17 points and Helena Pueyo scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half.

The Wildcats on Saturday will play sixth-seeded Syracuse (23-7), ranked 22 by AP this week, at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

No. 3 UConn (29-5), the Big East champion ranked 10^th this week in the AP Poll, will meet SWAC champion Jackson State (26-6) at 1 p.m. on ABC.

Villanova Vanquishes VCU

After several narrow loses and a couple of bad ones that knocked out Villanova (19-12) of the NCAA, being one of the first ones to miss the field, the Wildcats earned one of the Top 4 seeds in the WBIT 32-team field and took advantage Thursday night beating second-place VCU 75-60 in Finneran Pavilion.

Lucy Olsen, fourth in the nation in scoring, had a game-high 29 points.

“She leads the Big East for a reason,” said VCU coach Beth O’Boyle of Olsen. “One of the things you talk about is how many different ways a player can score, and Olsen is a three-level scorer.”

Being a No. 1 seed comes with the perk of three straight home games, the early rounds are all on ESPN+, if advancing, with the four surviving teams playing in the semifinals and finals in Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

In all 16 teams were seeded with the rest placed regionally where possible.

Virginia (16-15) of the Atlantic Coast Conference was in Villanova’s quad and by beating Big South champion High Point 81-59 at home in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers meet the Wildcats at 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon on the Main Line in a second-round game.

VCU (26-6) had a terrific run in the A-10 but got its NCAA chances hurt, being upset by lower seed Saint Louis in the conference semifinals in Richmond.

The Rams hung with Villanova in the first half, trailing by four at the break.

In the third period, though, the Wildcats opened up a larger lead and cruised the rest of the way.

Like Saint Joseph’s, though, the Wildcats struggled early.

“We have to come out a little tougher in the first quarter and in the first half,” observed Olsen. “But I’m proud of how we adjusted, how we stayed together as a team and didn’t get frazzled when things weren’t going our way.”

Zani Jones had 11 points and four rebounds.

VCU’s Sarah Te-Biasu scored 21 points and Timaya Lewis-Eutsey scored 16 points.

Penn State Rallies Over George Mason

The Lady Lions, like Villanova, have a No. 1 seed, which almost went to waste, the team trailing the Patriots (23-8) by 12 points, 63-51, with 8:09 left in regulation.

After Ta’Viyanna Habib made 1-2 from the line, however, Penn State went on a 16-4 run to get within a point with 1:02 left in regulation.

Drexel transfer Kylie Lavelle blocked a shot with 10 seconds left, the home team trailing 70-69.

A George Mason foul sent Leilani Kapinus to the line with four seconds left in regulation.

She missed the first, made the second to tie it with four seconds left but neither team could score afterwards, sending the game into overtime.

The teams exchanged scores at the outset and then Jayla Oden made two baskets from the line for a 74-72 lead.

Lavelle with 3:23 left extended it with a layup, then Chanaya Pinto scored for PSU, the lead growing to 78-72 with 2:37 left.

The Patriots’ Zahirah Walton’s layup reduced the advantage to 80-77 with 1:38 left.

Oden on the line for the Lady Lions made it a five-point lead with 49 seconds left.

Habib made a three-point shot from deep making it 82-80 before Ali Brigham’s layup with 13 seconds left put the Lady Lions up again by four with 13 seconds left.

That became the final score with Penn State moving on to a Monday game against Belmont, which upset Ball State 77-59.

Kilyn McGuff, the daughter of Ohio State women’s coach Kevin McGuff, scored 22 points for Belmont, while Nyla Hampton scored 14 for Belmont (28-6).

In the Penn State game, George Mason’s Paula Suarez scored 24, helped by 6-10 from deep, while Walton also scored 24 points.

Ashley Owusu scored 20 for Penn State, while Brigham had 15 points and Kapinus scored 13 with 15 rebounds.

“Really proud of Leilani’s toughness out there,” said Penn State coach Carolyn Kieger. “With a career high 15 rebounds, obviously her and Ashley played really composed and really poised.”

James Madison, one of the four No. 1s, was the only one to suffer an upset, losing 81-70 to Stony Brook (28-4).

Georgetown (23-11) won 64-56 at No. 2 Washington (126-12F).

Here’s the compete Thursday results and schedule of round two in the Big 12:

WBIT RESULTS/SKED

(Thurs. results/Round 2 Schedule)

VILLANOVA QUAD

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7 p.m.

VCU (26-6F) at No.1 Villanova (19-12) W:75-60

7 p.m.

High Point (20-112F) at No. 4 Virginia (16-15) W:81-59

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

2 p.m.

No. 4 Virginia (16-15) at No. 1 Villanova (19-13) 

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7 p.m.

Seton Hall (17-15F) at No. 3 Saint Joseph’s (27-5) W:54-47

10 p.m.

Hawaii (20-11F) at No. 2 California (19-14) W:65-60

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

4 p.m.

No. 3 Saint Joseph’s (27-5) at No. 2 California (19-14) 

 

PENN STATE QUAD

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

6 p.m.

George Mason (23-8) at No. 1 Penn State (20-12) W:84-80 ovt.

4 p.m.

Belmont (26-8) W: 77-59 at No. 4 Ball State (28-6F)

 

SECOND ROUND (Mon: 3-25-24 ESPN+)

6 p.m.

Belmont (26-8) at Penn State (20-12)

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7:30 p.m.

North Texas (23-9F) at No. 3 TCU (21-11) W:67-58

7:30 p.m.

Georgia Tech (17-16) at No. 2 Mississippi State (22-11) W:84-47

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

3 p.m.

No. 3 TCU (21-11) at No. 2 Mississippi State (22-11)

 

JAMES MADISON QUADFIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7 p.m.

Stony Brook (28-4) W:81-70 at No. 1 James Madison (23-12F)

7 p.m.

Missouri State (23-10F) at No. 4 Illinois (15-15) W:74-69

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

3 p.m.

Stony Brook (28-4) at No. 4 Illinois (15-15)

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7:30 p.m.

Arkansas (18-15F) at No. 3 Tulsa (24-9) W:80-62

10 p.m.

Georgetown (23-11) W:64-56 at No. 2 Washington (16-15F)

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

3 p.m.

Georgetown (23-11) at No. 3 Tulsa (24-9)

 

WASHINGTON STATE QUAD

9 p.m.

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

9 p.m.

Lamar (24-7F) at No. 1 Washington State (19-14) W:66-46

9 p.m.

BYU (16-17) at No. 4 Santa Clara (25-8) W:60-59

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

4 p.m.

No. 4 Santa Clara (25-8) at No. 1 Washington State (19-14)

 

FIRST ROUND (Thurs: 3-21-24 ESPN+)

7 p.m.

St. John’s (18-14) W:79-60 at No. 3 Florida (16-16F)

7 p.m.

Cleveland State (29-6F) at No. 2 Toledo (27-5) W:76-68

 

SECOND ROUND (Sun: 3-24-24 ESPN+)

2 p.m.

St. John’s (18-14) at No. 2 Toledo (27-5)