The Guru NCAAW Report: A Local Sweep For Penn, Rutgers, Delaware, and Lehigh; Notre Dame Upset Again; West Virginia and Texas Set to Collide in Florida
By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru
It was a sunny Saturday for all four locals in action turning up victories.
Nationally, however, in another heavy day of MTE events, Irish eyes were not smiling again as No. 3 Notre Dame took a second straight upset, this time at the hands of unranked Utah.
Let us begin.
Down at the FGCU Homewood Suites Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., Penn completed a 2-0 sweep following its win over Chattanooga by beating Cal Baptist 64-51.
A pair of runs in the first and fourth quarters at FGCU’s Alico Arena carried the Quakers (6-3) and left CBU (0-8) still searching for its first victory of the season.
Stina Almqvist double doubled her way for the first time this season and sixth in her Ivy career with 20 points and 11 rebound, providing an attack with three shots from deep and six assists while Mataya Gayle scored 14 points with three assists.
Saniah Caldwell had six points, six boards, and three assists, while Tina Njike off the bench made all three shots for seven points and also grabbed seven rebounds.
Penn had early control off a 13-0 run in the first quarter and after the Lancers made a foul shot, tacked on four more.
The Quakers then had shooting difficulty over the next two quarters and trailed 38-36 heading into the final period but then heated up and closed out the win with a 13-0 run.
Opponents each day were predetermined so Penn did not play the host Eagles (5-2), who matched the Quakers’ two-day sweep by taking a 61-53 triumph over Chattanooga (4-5).
Set to play in the 5th place game launching the women’s triple-header inaugural Big Five Classic Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. at Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion, Penn will learn its opponent following Sunday’s Temple 2 p.m. visit to La Salle at the John E. Glaser Arena.
Meanwhile, Rutgers and Delaware bounced back and salvaged splits in their two events as Rutgers (5-3) in its Battle on the Banks at the Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J., beat Georgia Southern 77-60 using a 22-5 third quarter with a 17-0 run to drop the opposition to 5-2.
In the other game, Marquette (4-2) completed a 2-0 sweep following its two-point win over Rutgers by downing Md.-Eastern Shore 74-48 as Skylar Forbes had 18 points, eight boards, two blocks, and two steals to keep her tournament average to earn MVP honors.
In the Scarlet Knights’ win, Kiyomi McMiller had 25 points and JoJo Lacey scored 15 while each grabbed personal bests 11 rebounds.
Destiny Adams matched a career high with six steals and Zachary Perkins off the bench had a personal best eight boards.
Rutgers is off till next Sunday when the Knights begin Big Ten play opening at Wisconsin in the Kohl Center at 3 p.m. in Madison (B1G+).
Delaware at the Big Easy Fleur de lis in New Orleans dominated Evansville 65-54 as Chloe Wilson had 16 points and 10 boards while the Blue Hens (2-5) also rode Ande’a Cherisier’s first double double of 13 points and 11 boards.
Additionally, Ella Wanzer and Jiya Perry each collected 11 points off Evansville (2-5) in the first meeting of the two programs.
Delaware is off until Saturday when in-state rival Delaware State visits the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark at 2 p.m. (FloSports).
Lehigh in its annual Christmas City Classic at Stabler Arena in Easton, Pa., which is a pure tourney format, downed Marist 56-39 and will meet Valparaiso for the title Sunday at 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+).
The Mountain Hawks (5-2) have not won their own tourney since 2010.
Lily Fandre had 14 points for Lehigh while Ella Stemmer scored 12.
No one for Marist (4-4) scored in double figures, Lee Morgan came close with nine points.
Valparaiso (3-4) advanced beating North Dakota 76-57 as Leah Earnest scored 18 points to send the Fighting Hawks into the third-place game at noon.
The National Scene – Notre Dame Trips Again in the Tropics
A day after No. 17 TCU flattened the Irish (5-2), unranked Utah (6-2), which recently barely escaped Saint Joseph’s at home, delivered a 78-67 upset in the Cayman Islands Classic in Georgetown.
Gianna Kneepkens scored 16 points for the Utes while Kennady McQueen scored 15.
It was a poor quarter that was costly again for ND just as it was in the 76-68 loss to TCU, this time in the third shooting 2-11.
Jenna Johnson and Mat Wilke balanced Utah’s attack with 14 points each.
Notre Dame got 22 points from Sonia Citron while Liatu King had 16 points and 11 boards and Merchantville’s Hannah Hidalgo scored 16.
The Irish could continue to suffer until Maddie Westveld and several others return from injuries, especially with No. 5 Texas due to visit South Bend (Ind.) next Wednesday as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.
TCU (8-0) in the MTE competition got a second straight duo performance from Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince in the 87-46 rout of South Florida (4-5).
In this one, Van Lith, who was on LSU last season, had 23 points, while Prince had 17 points and 13 rebounds with three blocked shots. Madison Connor added 14 points, and Taylor Bigby scored 10.
Vitoria Blasigh had 14 for the Bulls.
TCU next hosts Florida Atlantic on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. and then hosts No. 4 South Carolina next Sunday night at 7 p.m. (ESPN2) in the Coast-to-Coast Challenge, both games in Fort Worth, Texas.
Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks, a week after the handling from UCLA that knocked the defending NCAA champions out of No. 1, made their second straight blast of an opponent in the Fort Myers’ Tip-Off in Florida, decimating Purdue 99-51.
MiLaysia Fulwiley had 14 points, one of seven players in double figures for S.C. (7-1).
Ashlyn Watkins and Tessa Johnson each score 13, Chloe Kits and Bree Hall scored 12, Joyce Edwards scored 11, and Maddy McDaniel scored 10.
Purdue’s Destini Lombard scored 24 points.
It was one of Purdue’s worst losses in history.
South Carolina is at No. 13 Duke on Friday in Durham, N.C.
No. 12 West Virginia and No. 5 Texas Head to Rivalry Reunion
No. 5 Texas may no longer be in the Big 12 but the SEC Longhorns will see their former Mountaineers rivals Sunday in the Gulf Coast Showcase championship in Estero, Fla., after both advanced with strong statements.
West Virginia (8-0) in a battle of unbeatens toppled Boise State 82-47 as Sydney Shaw scored 20 points, 12 off four makes from deep, while JJ Quinerly scored 14.
Elodie Lalotte scored 11 for Boise State (7-1).
Texas (6-0) knocked Butler (6-2) into the third-place game with Boise State with a 94-59 rout as freshman Justice Carlton off the bench scored 30 points, shooting 12-15 from the field.
Rori Harmon had 13 points while the Longhorns also got 10 each from Kyla Oldacre, Aaliyah Moore, and Bryanna Preston.
Butler’s Caroline Strande had 14 points, while Riley Makalusky and Lily Carmody each scored 11 points.
Ranked Teams Rule
Though Notre Dame was upended, every other AP ranked team in action Saturday won.
In non-MTE games, No. 24 Louisville (5-2) won 79-71 at Colorado (6-2) using a 16-0 run in the fourth quarter as Nyla Harris scored 14 points as did Jayda Curry, with 10 in the final quarter.
No. 18 Ole Miss smothered Alabama State 89-24 at home in Oxford as the Rebels (5-2) got 16 points, six boards, five assists, and four steals from Sira Thienou.
In the ACC challenge this week, Ole Miss is at No. 20 NC State Thursday at 7 p.m. (ESPN2) in Raleigh, while Louisville hosts No. 8 Oklahoma before playing No. 2 Connecticut Saturday night in the second game of the Champions Classic in Brooklyn at 9:30 p.m. in the Barclays Center after Tennessee opens at 7 with Iowa on the FOX doubleheader.
Elsewhere, all part of MTE Events, No.1UCLA handled Fresno State 57-41 in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Honolulu as Lauren Betts had 20 points and 12 boards for the Bruins (7-0), who can complete a sweep of the three-day event by beating host Hawai’I Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
No. 15 Iowa State recovered from its blowout by South Carolina in the Fort Myers Tip-Off Island Division by beating MTSU 75-59 as Audi Crooks had 21 points for the Cyclones (6-2) in Florida. They return home to Ames to host SC Upstate on Tuesday.
No. 10 Maryland in the Navy Classic beat nearby George Mason 66-56 as Rutgers transfer Kaylene Smikle scored 16 for the Terrapins (7-0) with some key shots late helping to hold off the Patriots (6-1). They complete the weekend event in Annapolis, Md., Sunday meeting Toledo at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+) while George Mason meets host Navy.
Noteworthy
Atlantic 10 defending champion Richmond in the Daytona Beach Classic in Florida stayed unbeaten by edging Oklahoma State 57-53 as Maggie Doogan scored 22 for the Spiders (8-0) who are home Wednesday hosting Georgetown at 6 p.m. (ESPN+).
Bowling Green (4-4) in the same event pulled a narrow 79-78 win over Arkansas as Paige Kohler scored 25.
Kansas edged Auburn 61-60 in the Paradise Jam Island Division in Saint Thomas, V.I., as S’Mya Nichols scored 28 for the Jayhawks (7-1) and Celia Sumbane scored 16 for the Tigers (5-3).
In the championship of the Fort Myers Tip-Off Shell Division, Michigan beat Virginia Tech 76-65 as freshman Syla Swords scored 24 for the winning Wolverines (7-1), who next open Big Ten play next Sunday hosting Northwestern.
Carys Baker led the Hokies (6-2) with 15 points. They next visit Georgia Wednesday in the ACC/SEC Challenge Series.
Looking Ahead – The Holy War Sends the Winner to the Big 5 Classic Title Game
For the non-partisans, unfortunately on the new Big 5 pod schedule, the one conflict at 2 p.m. Sunday requires a choice between Temple at La Salle or Villanova at Saint Joseph’s.
The completion of the two games will set the lineup for Friday’s inaugural women’s triple-header Big 5 Classic at Villanova beginning with the 5th place game (3:30 p.m.), 3rd place game (5:45 p.m.), and championship (8 p.m.) all airing on NBC Philadelphia Sports Plus.
One side of the bracket is clean. Penn at 0-2 will be in the fifth-place game while Sunday’s Villanova-Saint Joseph’s outcome sends the winner into the championship and loser into the 3rd place game.
On the other side if Temple beats La Salle, the Owls at 2-0 are in the championship, the Explorers play Penn for fifth and Drexel at 1-1 is in the third-place game.
However, La Salle with its roster loaded with new arrivals has been getting some recent cohesion so if the Explorers win, that pod will be knotted and a three-way 1-1 tie will have to be broken. Stay tuned.
On Sunday’s national slate among games not mentioned, Ivy regular-season co-champion Columbia is at No. 13 Duke at noon on the ACC Network.
Maine is at Indiana at 2 p.m.
Quinnipiac is at Miami in the title game of the Hurricanes’ tourney at 2:30 p.m.
And with that, we will have gotten through the busiest weekend of the year outside of the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
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