The Guru’s WBIT Semifinals Report: Villanova Fends Off Penn State Rally With Olsen Scoring 21 in No. 1 Seeds Battle While 4-Seed Illinois Routs No. 1 Washington State

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Villanova coach Denise Dillon has a team in a postseason national title game for the second time in her distinguished career on the sidelines.

The Wildcats held down Penn State’s scoring power Monday afternoon in the new NCAA organized 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament semifinals at Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, emergingwith a 58-53 victory to advance to Wednesday night’s championship at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

“It’s a true testament to the growth of this team and finding a way to get that “W” today to keep playing is exciting (after defeating) a really, really good Penn State team playing some of their best basketball in the postseason,” Dillon said.

“But we are beyond excited to have one more game in us to battle on Wednesday.”

 Dillon guided Drexel in 2013 to the championship of the long-running WNIT, which still exists, but whose field this year is reduced from 64 to 48 teams.

Villanova will face a second straight Big Ten team in Illinois (18-15), a fourth seed, which routed No. 1 Washington State 81-58 in Monday’s second game. The Cougars finished at 21-15 in their final appearance as a Pac-12 team heading for the West Coast Conference with Oregon State next season.

That left top seed and AP third ranked Southern Cal as the last of the diminished Pac-12 still in the postseason facing third seed and 10^th-ranked UConn in an Elite Eight game later in the evening in the NCAA tournament’s Portland Regional 3 in Oregon to complete the Final Four meeting this weekend in Cleveland for the national title.

Earlier in Albany Regional 2, NCAA career scoring leader Caitlin Clark powered top seed and second-ranked Iowa to a successful revenge match of last season’s title game felling third seed and eighth ranked LSU 94-87.

Clark had a near triple-double 41 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds, and connected on 9-20 attempted 3-pointers.

Back in the WBIT, Illinois’ Makira Cook scored 20, Genesis Bryant had 18, including her 1,000^th, helped by three from deep on an overall 7-11 from the field, Adalia McKenzie scored 14, and Camille Hobby scored 12 with eight boards, giving the Wildcats another prolific scoring bunch to defend.

Astera Tuhina scored 20 points for Washington State and Eleonara Villa collected 14.

Villanova’s Lucy Olsen, third in the nation a year after teammate all-American Maddy Siegrist was the NCAA leader, had 21 points, including 3-5 from deep, with six assists and six rebounds, while Kaitlyn Orihel sizzled at 5-9 from the field and 13 points, Bella Runyon had 10 points and four assists, and Christina Dalce had six points and seven boards.

Penn State’s Leilani Kapinus had 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, transfer Ashley Owusu scored 11 on a poor 2-11 from the field while Makenna Marisa was held to eight points, most coming from a perfect 2-2 from deep.

“I want to congratulate Denise and Villanova,” Penn State coach Carolyn Kieger said. “They played a really hard game against our offense and really shut us down.

“Obviously, we had a great defensive performance, but our offense didn’t show up. You’ve got to show up on both ends to be tough in April if you want to win.”

The Wildcats (22-12) and Lady Lions (22-13) were both No. 1 seeds advancing at home in three earlier games, but while Villanova handled VCU and Virginia, and gained a revenge win over Big Five champion Saint Joseph’s, Penn State rallied in all its wins to get to Indy.

It looked like the Lady Lions might do it again after the Wildcats steadily moved from a slim two-point halftime lead to 43-33 at the end of the third period and a 12-point high at 45-33 on Olsen’s jumper with 9:25 left in regulation.

But Villanova went the next five and a half minutes without a point as Penn State clawed within a basket at 45-43 at the 5:14 mark before Olsen a minute later hit a three-pointer assisted by Runyon.

The Lady Lions had their own scoring problems with a three-minute drought after narrowing the deficit and Villanova went up 51-43 with 2:25 left.

But then the Wildcats went back into a slump and the opposition was within a basket on a pair of free throws with 1:05 remaining.

Dalce’s two from the stripe with 56 seconds made it a four-point lead for ‘Nova nine seconds later.

Kapinus went 1-2 from the line cutting it to 53-50 with 46 seconds left, then blocked Olsen but committed a turnover and Drexel transfer Kylie Lavelle fouled Olsen, who made it 54-50 at the eight second mark.

Penn State turned it over again and Olsen canned two more a second later to make it 56-50.

Owusu cut the differential in half with a three with five seconds to tick off the clock.

“I’m really proud of our defensive lineup’s effort tonight,” Marisa said. “They got us back into things. They got us back into the game. Unfortunately, we couldn’t pull it out but I’m proud of them.”

Lavelle fouled Orihel with three seconds left and the Wildcat sank both for the final score.

“For us, everything was one stop at a time,” Orihel said of the swings late in the game. “If something didn't go our way on offense, we were determined to get it back on defense.

“So, I think every timeout, we talked about being in the present moment. So, if something didn’t go our way, we were trying to focus on the next play, and I think that’s what helped us win today.”

Olsen added, saying, “We tend to make games a little more exciting than we want it to be.

“But because we have done so much during the season, we were prepared for it.”

Dillon talked about still being active to the very end of the season.

“It's tremendous. To be playing in April is unbelievable, and again, just bring it back to our young women who didn't finish the year, regular season play or (Big East) tournament play as they wanted, and then having an opportunity to continue to play.

“They regrouped, they refocused, reconnected, and showed up every day for us at practice, and showed up for each other and put themselves in the best position to continue to play.

“And then they got a taste of a couple of wins early, and just feeling it,” she continued.

“…we did not shoot the ball well here today at Hinkle. You know, the ball wasn’t falling for us like it has the last three games but our defense sure was on point … it gives us a chance to be successful.

“Credit to (the team) for sticking to what they do best, just the effort and energy and playing down to the wire to get themselves to play in a championship game.”

Said Illinois coach Shauna Green who left Dayton of the Atlantic 10 last season moving to the Illini of the win, “I could not have been more pleased with our start … our start was going to be important.

“I thought our defense was on point.”

Washington State coach Kamie Etheridge said of the loss, “Just a real simple message. We got beat by a better team. I thought they were spectacular.”

As for playing Villanova, Green said, “We are not satisfied though yet. We had one goal when we were fortunate enough to be invited into this tournament.

“We we said we wanted to go 1-0 five times, and we have one more, but you know, it's going to be a really tough team in Villanova.

“Brings me back, I know it's not the same coach, but I have nightmares of when I was at Providence as an assistant and listening to Harry (Perretta) call out every play, and it was always my scout, and I know Denise does such a great job running the same kind of system.

“I know we have a tall task against a really, really well-coached team in Villanova. But we’re here and we’regoing to come ready to play.”

WBIT RESULTS THROUGH THE SEMIFINALS /CHAMPIONSHIP 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 (16-16F) at No. 1 Villanova (20-12) W:73-55

 

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 (28-5) W:63-61 at No. 2 California (19-15F) 

 

THIRD ROUND (THURS: 3-28-28 ESPN+)

7 p.m.

No. 3 Saint Joseph’s (28-6) at No. 1 Villanova (21-12) W:67-59

 

 

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 (26-9F) at No. 1Penn State (21-12) W:74-66

 

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 (21-12F) at No. 2 Mississippi State (23-11) W: 68-61

 

THIRD ROUND (Thurs: 3-28-24 ESPN+)

6 p.m.

No. 2 Mississippi State (23-12F) at No. 1 Penn State (22-12) W:92-87

 

JAMES MADISON QUAD

 

FIRST 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 (28-5F) at No. 4 Illinois (16-15) W:79-62

 

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 (23-12F) at No. 3 Tulsa (25-9) W:73-61

 

THIRD ROUND (Thurs: 3-28-24 ESPN+)

7:30 p.m.

No. 4 Illinois (17-15) W:69-61 at No. 3 Tulsa (25-10F)

 

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 (25-9F) at No. 1 Washington State (20-14) W:73-47

 

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 (18-15F) at No. 2 Toledo (28-5) W:72-71

 

THIRD ROUND (Thurs: 3-28-24 ESPN+)

9 p.m.

No.2 Toledo (28-6F) at No. 1 Washington State (21-14) W:63-61

 

NATIONAL SEMIFINALS

Monday, April 1

Hinkle Fieldhouse

Indianapolis, Indiana

2:30 p.m. ESPNU

No. 1 Villanova (22-12) W: 58-53 vs. No. 1 Penn State (22-13F)

4:30 p.m. ESPNU 

No. 1 Washington State (21-15F) vs. No. 4 Illinois (18-15) W:81-58

 

Championship

Wednesday, April 3

7 p.m. ESPN2

No. 1 Villanova (22-12) vs No. 4 Illinois (18-15)