The Guru NCAAW Report: Villanova Snaps 2-Game Losing Streak Winning at Delaware; Victories for Penn State, Princeton and Rutgers; Olsen Scores 25 as Iowa Tops Iowa State

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

NEWARK, Del. — Four locals all playing non-conference emerged from losing streaks for a winning night across the board, though here at the Bob Carpenter Center Wednesday, it was a statistical wash considering that Villanova claimed its 75-65 victory at the expense of area rival Delaware, which due to injuries, fielded just six players.

The two schools meet in a variety of sports, particularly in football, which is in the same conference, but this was just the third women’s hoops meeting in the last 13 years.

For coach Denise Dillon, however, following its home loss to Temple in the Big 5 Classic Title game and Sunday’s closing slide into defeat at Fairfield, the goal was now to start turning things around.

Nationally, the attraction of the night was in the Midwest where No. 21 Iowa at home caught fire with 4:24 left in regulation when Hannah Stuelke scored inside on an assist from Sydney Affolter to regain the lead on neighboring No. 18 Iowa State and the Hawkeyes continued a 13-2 run into the last half minute and an ultimate 75-69 victory.

Back on the local front, Dillon expressed pleasure over seeing her team progress after Sunday’s disappointment.

“Just trying to get this crew back on track and a much-needed win and obviously it was a tough environment to play here at Delaware,” she said. “They’re gritty and they just keep going. I appreciate we found a way to get it done.”

The former Villanova star has a long history coaching against the Blue Hens (3-6) from the rivalry when she was at Drexel in West Philadelphia, in the now-named Coastal Athletic Association.

There may have been an expense to the victory by the Wildcats (6-5), post player Denae Carter, who had gone down briefly in Sunday’s game, went down once more midway in the third quarter with an undetermined leg injury and did not return.

Of course, Delaware has enough of its own concerns forcing to field players out of position.

Villanova took advantage and jumped to a 27-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, an advantage that grew by two more points in the next period before, to the Blue Hens credit, it became somewhat of an even contest the rest of the way.

To the Wildcats’ credit, unlike Sunday’s game at Fairfield where a 13-point lead vanished in the closing minutes, this time they produced answers every time Delaware threatened to offer a repeat rally.

“That was a bit of a difference I would say from our last game,” Dillon said. “Having a lead and watching it dwindle away. And feeling that panic and pressure doesn’t help. But today a different person answering.

“Bronaugh (Power-Cassidy) was hot in the first half, (Maddie) Webber was consistent, she and Lara Edmanson were consistent throughout the game. We had multiple scorers in double figures, which is great,” she added.

“We just have to get a little more consistent on that defensive end.”

Power-Cassidy, a transfer from Patriot League defending champion Holy Cross, was 6-for-12 from the field, including 4-6 on 3-point attempts, for 16 points. She also crossed the 1,500-point career milestone.

Webber was also a .500 shooter, going 8-16 from the field for a team-high 17 points, with 4 assists, while Edmanson was even hotter at a near-perfect 6-for-7 from the field, including making her only shot from deep, for 14 points with six rebounds and five assists.

Freshman point guard Jasmine Bascoe from Canada, was 4-for-9, scoring 12 points with three steals while reserve Kaitlyn Orihel kept the Wildcats out of trouble making a pair of 3-pointers and reaching 10 to add to the list of those in double figures.

Carter had six boards before she left the game.

“We’ve put together a strong non-conference schedule hoping to prepare us for what is always a challenging Big East schedule,” Dillon said. “It’s finals week, so these guys have a lot on their minds, so I hope they use basketball as their escape.”

Dillon has now won 99 games at her alma mater after returning to succeed the legendary Harry Perretta when he retired.

Villanova on Sunday will host James Madison in Finneran Pavilion at 2 p.m. (FloSports). The Dukes were also a strong CAA rivalry prior to the move several years ago to the Sunbelt Conference, where they were the made the preseason favorite.

Delaware made the best of its situation, Chloe Wilson led the squad with 19 points and 14 rebounds, Tara Cousins scored 14, Ella Wanzer scored 11, and Ande’a Cherisier scored 10 and joined Cousins with a pair of steals.

The Blue Hens, who will be switching conferences next season, heading to Conference-USA, are off until visiting Navy next Thursday at 6 p.m. (ESPN+) in Annapolis, Md.

Penn State, which opened Big Ten Conference play, losing at home Saturday to Indiana, returned out of league for a few more non-conference games, beginning with Wednesday’s 68-51 win at Providence in Alumni Hall in Rhode Island.

Gracie Merkle had 24 points and 18 rebounds while the Nittany Lions (9-2) surged in the second half against the Friars (6-6), who have yet to win in the eight-game series between the two schools dating to the 1984-85 season.

Penn State has bested all 11 opponents in rebounding this season including Wednesday’s 44-29 differential against the Big East representatives.

Moriah Murray scored 14 points for the visitors, while Jayla Oden tallied 13.

Grace Efosa scored 15 points with seven rebounds and three assists for Providence, while Emily Archibald had 12 points and seven boards.

On Sunday the Nittany Lions visit Big 12 Country playing at Kansas in the famed Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence at 3 p.m. on both ESPNU and ESPN+.

Rutgers, which dropped its Big Ten opener Sunday in a tough two-point loss at Wisconsin, back in non-conference play for a bit like its longtime PSU rival, handled Northeast Conference favorite Fairleigh Dickson 83-58 at home in Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J.

Kiyomi McMiller had a career-high 30 points with 11 rebounds for the Scarlet Knights (6-4), while Chyna Cornwell also claimed a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards, eight on the offensive glass. Destiny Adams scored 13 with pairs of blocks and steals.

The home team dominated FDU (7-3) on the boards 51-27, including 22-10 on the offensive glass.

This was the start of a four-game home stand next facing Wagner Sunday at 2 p.m. (B1G+), Lafayette on Dec. 21 and then returning from the Christmas break to engage the Big Ten the rest of the way starting with nationally ranked Ohio State on Dec. 29.

Princeton, which dropped two games out West, was back in Jadwyn Gym in central New Jersey, where the Tigers beat Rhode Island 66-54 leading all the way, though the Rams (4-8) were as close as four points early in the fourth quarter and several times before that.

The long-running Ivy champions (6-4) got 18 points from Ashley Chea, including three makes from deep, while reserve Tabitha Amanze had another strong effort with 14 points, and Fadima Tall scored 13.

Princeton is off until Dec. 21 when the Tigers will host Vermont at noon (ESPN+).

The National Scene

Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen had 25 points in front of a sellout crowd of 14,998 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa’s win over visiting Iowa State (8-3), the Hawkeyes bouncing back from Saturday’s loss to Tennessee in Brooklyn, N.Y., where the Vols forced Iowa (9-1) into 30 turnovers.

Sydney Affolter scored 16 and Hannah Stuelke had 13 points and nine boards.

While the Cyclones shot 52% from the field, the Hawkeyes were now on the delivering end of defense, mining 24 points off 21 turnovers, nine coming in the fourth quarter which went Iowa’s way 22-13.

Audi Crooks had 31 points and 10 boards for the Cyclones, and Addy Brown scored 13.

Neither team was prolific at the line, but the home team was 15-25, while the visitors a mediocre 6-16.

Iowa State held the lead for almost 33 minutes until Iowa’s defense produced the 13-2 run in the fourth quarter.

Earlier in the day, the Cyclones announced the loss of Marquette transfer Kenzi Hare with a season-ending hip injury.

They will host Eastern Illinois on Sunday in Ames at 6 p.m. (ESPN+) and then face No. 2 UConn on Tuesday in the second game of the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., at 8:30 p.m. on FS1.

Iowa gets into Big Ten play Sunday visiting No. 17 Michigan State at the Breslin Center in East Lansing at noon on BTN.

Five other ranked teams played Wednesday, all against unranked opponents, but only one game involved a near-upset, No. 22 NC State, which just returned to the AP Women’s Poll, rallied to barely beat in-state rival Davidson 59-57 in Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh.

Saniya Rivers scored 25 points for the Wolfpack (7-3) with 11 boards, while Aziaha James had 21 points.

Davidson (3-7), which plays in the Atlantic 10, took a 44-40 lead into the fourth quarter.

It was 52-all and then the winner’s Rivers launched her own 6-0 run but the Wildcats got back within a point on a shot from Millie Pryor and a deep shot from Katie Donovan with 41 seconds to go.

Rivers missed a chance to extend the lead with 16 seconds left but then Charlise Dunn blew a layup that would have put Davidson ahead with one second left.

James then made one shot off two attempts from the line for the final score.

Issy Morgan scored 20 for Davidson and Dunn tallied 17.

While the bigger story occurring on campus at North Carolina was involving the hiring of former NFL Boston Patriots football coach Bill Belichick, the No. 14 Tar Heels women continued to roll, beating UNC Greensboro 80-56 in Chapel Hill as Alyssa Ustby had 15 points and eight boards with four steals.

Courtney Banghart’s squad (10-1), which has won seven straight and lost just once in Greensboro on a neutral court to No. 2 UConn, got 11 points from Indya Nivar and doubled UNC Greensboro’s line total 14-7.

The loss was the 14th straight in the series for UNC Greensboro (7-3).

North Carolina on Sunday has an ACC date with No. 25 Georgia Tech, the Yellowjackets are unbeaten, at 2 p.m. on the ACC Network.

Elsewhere, No. 6 Texas (9-1) at home in Austin beat Southern University 97-39, Taylor Jones scoring 19 points with 11 boards, and three blocks, while Madison Booker scored 17 and Kyla Oldacre scored 16 in 17 minutes. Rori Harmon dished nine assists. DeMya Booker scored 12 for Southern (1-9).

No. 25 Georgia Tech, another first season entry on Monday, stayed unbeaten with a matinee 97-37 win over UL Monroe (3-5) as Rusne Augustinaite had five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points as the the Yellowjackets matched their season-starting 10-0 record from 1977-78, and in this one blitzed their way to a 45-10 from the opening tip. They’ll have a bigger hurdle on Sunday facing No. 14 North Carolina in a dual ACC opener.

No. 24 Nebraska (9-1) at home in Lincoln beat Tarleton State 63-50 as Britt Prince scored 19 points and Alexis Markowski scored 15 points. The Huskers were 22-of-25 at the line against the Texans (5-6), who were 2-2. Next up ahead of the Big Ten rest-of-the-season slate soon to come is a visit Sunday from Chattanooga.

In games of note with unranked teams on both sides St. John’s won at nearby Hofstra 62-38 in Hempstead, N.Y. as Lashae Dwyer scored 18 and former Drexel and Penn State player Kylie Lavelle was 7-9 from the field for 15 points for the Red Storm (9-1). Next up is a visit Sunday from MAAC champion Fairfield, which beat Villanova with a closing rally Sunday.

Hofstra fell to 3-6.

Wisconsin (9-2) avoided an upset winning 71-64 in overtime at Butler (9-3) in Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as Sarah Williams scored 36 points.

Minnesota (11-1) shook off its first loss beating SWAC power Jackson State 81-43 st home in Minneapolis as Tori McKinney scored 14 points and the visitors fell to 1-8.

Looking Ahead

There are no locals on Thursday’s card but a major national showdown looms in the Shamrock Classic in South Bend, Ind., as No. 2 Connecticut visits No. 8 Notre Dame at 7 p.m. on ESPN. The visiting Huskies will be without Azzie Fudd, who suffered a mild knee sprain in the romp over Louisville Saturday night in Brooklyn.

With this being the front end of the finals period, not much else in general is on the night’s card, while on Friday, locally, D-II Chestnut Hill is being hosted by La Salle at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

On Saturday, locally, Rider hosts Stonehill on the front end of a doubleheader with the men at 6 p.m. (ESPN+) in Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J.

Nationally, No. 13 Kansas State is hosting Middle Tennessee at 6 p.m. (ESPN+) in Manhattan.

A non-conference game involving former PAC-12 rivals has Utah of the Big 12 visiting Washington of the Big Ten at 9:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.

No. 1 UCLA (9-0) will take its unbeaten record nearby to Long Beach State (5-3) at 5 p.m. (ESPN+), while Detroit Mercy (6-1) is at No. 20 Michigan (8-1) in Ann Arbor at 3 p.m. (B1G+).

On Sunday, of local games not mentioned, Temple hosts No. 15 West Virginia at 2 p.m. in the Liacouras Center on ESPN2, the host Owls coming off their recent Big 5 Classic championship at Villanova over the Wildcats.

Drexel is at Florida State at 2 p.m. (ACCNX) at the Tucker Center in Tallahassee.

Nationally, No. 3 South Carolina hosts American Athletic Conference champion favorite South Florida at 2 p.m. on the SEC Network. Connecticut opens Big East play hosting Georgetown at 1:30 p.m. on SNY at the XL Center in Hartford.

Richmond, the defending A-10 champs, are hosting Texas in the Robins Center in Virginia at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

And that’s the report.