The Guru NCAAW Report: Saint Joseph’s Moves to a 2-0 Start in the A-10 Where Richmond Edged at Fordham; No. 6 Texas Rallies Over No. 9 Oklahoma; Stanford and Cal Fall in ACC

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. — It was quite the Thursday, locally and nationally, and while we dateline where we were at the home of Rider, which hosted defending MAAC champion Fairfield at Alumni Gym, we zip first over to the Atlantic 10 for the top local news.

That would be Saint Joseph’s, which completed a perfect opening week against top-tier competition, following up Sunday’s win on Hawk Hill over VCU by winning down at George Mason 61-55 in Fairfax, Va., blunting a home-team rally with some sharp foul shooting in the closing minutes.

Talya Bruglar scored 18 points for the Hawks (11-2, 2-0 A-10) with a perfect 8-8 from the line and 2-2 on both attempts from deep, Laura Ziegler picked up another double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds, and Mackenzie Smith collected 14 points with seven boards and three steals.

The Patriots (11-2, 1-1) got 18 points from Paula Suarez, who handled all the George Mason 13 points in the opening quarter, which saw the Hawks build a double-digit lead, Kennedy Harris scored 17, and Nalani Kaysia had 11 points and nine boards.

Despite an early an advantage, Saint Joseph’s once again answered a challenge with tough defense after GMU moved within a basket 52-50 with 2:30 remaining in regulation.

The Patriots were then held scoreless over four straight possessions, while the visitors in the final 40 seconds went 9-10 from the line to gain their sixth straight victory.

On top of the trip for a noontime start, some help on Saint Joseph’s long-range ambitions occurred later Thursday night when Fordham, which punctured the Hawks’ NCAA hopes near the end of the regular season last March, upset preseason favorite and defending champion Richmond 80-78 at home in Rose Hill Gym in Bronx, N.Y.

Irene Murua Txintxurreta scored 24 for the Rams (7-6, 1-1), while Addie Budnik matched it for the visiting Spiders (10-5, 1-1).

Meanwhile, La Salle (7-9, 1-2), the other local in the conference, did not fare as well, losing at Davidson 78-61 in North Carolina after being ahead 17-13 at the end of the first period.

Joan Quinn off the bench scored 14 while Ashleigh Connor scored 12 with eight boards for the Explorers.

Davidson (7-7, 2-0) had six players score in double figures led by Kyra Bruyndoncx with 17 points.

Saint Joseph’s and La Salle meet Sunday at 2 p.m. (ESPN+) at the Explorers’ John Glaser Arena in the first of the two, though neither will have any bearing on their Big Five relationship.

With the new tournament system that concluded last month, the Hawks and Explorers were in opposite pods and did not meet, though the waggle in the arrangement is that third clash could only occur in the Big Five Classic championship.

Lehigh and Lafayette Open Patriot Play with Road Wins

The two locals in the Patriot League got off to a positive start with Lehigh (10-3) winning 65-53 at Bucknell (5-7) at Sojka Pavilion in Lewisburg, Pa., while Lafayette (4-8) won 66-55 at Boston U. (6-6) in the Terriers’ Case Gym.

Lehigh in the Mountain Hawks’ game got 17 points from Maddie Albrecht, while Ella Stemmer scored 12, and Meghan O’Brien had nine points and seven boards.

Ashley Sofilkanich led three Bison in double figures with 15 points.

The Leopards, meanwhile, got 18 points and six boards from Kay Donahue, while Sauda Ntaconayigize scored 15.

Powered by four makes from deep, Boston U.’s Alex Giannaros scored 20 points.

Lafayette on Sunday hosts Navy at 2 p.m. (ESPN+) in the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa., while Lehigh at the same time (ESPN+) hosts Loyola, Md. In Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa.

Rutgers Downed at Maryland

The Scarlet Knights (8-6, 0-3) are still looking for their first Big Ten triumph after three games, the latest a 78-61 loss to No. 8 Maryland (13-0, 3-0), one of a dwindling few nationwise who remain unbeaten.

Both teams, though, have challenges ahead, Rutgers will be hosting No. 4 Southern Cal at 8 p.m. Sunday night, while the Terrapins visit No. 23 Iowa the same day at 6 p.m., both games on the Big Ten Network.

In Thursday’s game, Shyanne Sellers scored 22 points and Allie Kubek had 17 for Maryland, and Rutgers transfer Kaylene Smikle scored 13 against her former team.

Destiny Adams had 15 points for the visitors, who committed 24 turnovers.

Fairfield Handles Rider

In the game here, the visiting Stags (8-3, 2-0 MAAC) were never seriously threatened, though the host Broncs (2-9, 0-2), who opened in the league at Quinnipiac, the other of the two top teams, did stay competitive early.

Fairfield has spent the last several weeks, much of which was on the holiday break, honing its defense, especially after the season-ending injury early last month to Janelle Brown, the MAAC preseason player of the year, in the win at home over Villanova.

“We picked up our defensive intensity after the (holiday) break, I thought that was important going into the next part of the season,” saidStags coach Carly Thibault-Dudonis. “I don’t think it showed its benefits at the start of the game but as it went on, I think it wore them down.”

Though only two MAAC games have been played, eyes are already on the two mid-major titans in the home state of UConn and the league clashes to come ahead of the MAAC tourney, returning to Atlantic City in Boardwalk Hall in March.

“I think we’re two evenly matched teams and those are going to be great games, for sure,” she said.

Quinnipiac (11-1, 3-0 MAAC) in its game, after trailing St. Peter’s by a point in the half in the Bobcats’ game in Hamden, Conn., at home, broke loose for a 54-39 win as Jackie Grisdale scored 13, Anna Foley scored 11, and Grace LaBarge scored 10. Freshman Gal Raviv, who had a slow start in the first two quarters, finished with eight points and seven boards, while dishing five assists.

In the game here, Fairfield outscored Rider in every quarter.

Raina Brown had 16 points, while Cyanne Coe scored 12.

No one scored in double figures for the Broncs, who, as has happened most of the season, were led by La Salle transfer Gabby Turco, scoring nine in this one.

“We turned the ball over too much tonight,” said veteran Rider coach Lynn Milligan. “So we didn’t give ourselves a chance to win.

“You’re giving up a bucket, and you come down and turn it over or take a rushed shot, that gives them momentum going down the other end.”

Rider next is at Manhattan on Saturday at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).

The National Scene: Texas Bests Oklahoma in SEC Opener

In the highlight game of the night, which featured the Southeastern Conference openers, the two powerful newbies and longtime rivals from the Big 12 went at it, No. 5 Texas surging at the finish to win at No. 9 Oklahoma, 80-73.

It certainly was a big game from both sides, because the outcome featured the first of a motherlode of quad wins to beginning stockpiling for the NCAA committee, when it builds the national tournament bracket in March.

Reserve freshman Jordan Lee scored 17 points playing 33 minutes for the Longhorns (14-1) in the game at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, which drew 8,039 to the nationally televised affair.

Rori Harmon scored 16 points, Taylor Jones scored 14 on 7-for-9 from the field, and Kyla Oldacre scored 12 with seven boards for the winners.

Oklahoma (12-2), which held a 12-point lead in the second quarter, got 23 points from Payton Verhulst, while Liz Scott scored 14.

Oregon State transfer Raegan Beers got in early foul trouble for the Sooners and had 11 points in 17 minutes.

Turnovers were decisive, the ‘Horns picking up 28 points off 26 Oklahoma miscues, while Oklahoma got 15 points off 18 Texas turnovers.

On Sunday, Texas will host Arkansas, while No. 15 Tennessee visits Oklahoma.

Elsewhere, coach Kim Caldwell’s conference debut with the Lady Vols was successful, they stayed unbeaten (13-0) with a 91-78 rout of Texas A&M (7-6) on the road in College Station, Texas.

Caldwell’s introductory pressing style to the program this season continued to yield huge results, forcing the Aggies into 25 turnovers, which yielded 34 points. The home folks got 27 points from 19 Tennessee miscues.

Talaysia Cooper scored 16 points for the visitors, Ruby Whitehorn scored 15, and Zee Spearman scored 14.

Texas A&M got 20 points from Aicha Coulibaly, while Sahara Jones scored 17, and Janae Kent scored 10.

Both teams have nationally ranked opponents Sunday, the Lady Vols hosting No. 9 Oklahoma on ESPN while the Aggies visit No. 25 Ole Miss.

No. 2 South Carolina (13-1), the defending NCAA champion which is chasing a third-straight unbeaten run in the SEC, easily won 83-52 at Missouri (11-5) in front of a hostile crowd of 5,154 at Mizzou Arena in Columbia.

MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 17 for the winning Gamecocks, while Ashton Judd had 15 for the Tigers.

Dawn Staley’s champions move on to visit Mississippi State Sunday at 2 p.m. on the SEC Network, while the Tigers visit 19 Alabama at 3 p.m.

Kenny Brooks conference debut with No. 16 Kentucky saw the Wildcats (12-1) at home handle Mississippi State 91-69 in Lexington, connecting on a school-record 18 three-pointers.

Dazia Lawrence scored 28 for Kentucky, while Georgia Amoore, who followed Brooks from Virginia Tech scored 24 and each made seven from deep.

Jerkaila Jordan had 17 points for the Bulldogs (13-2).

Kentucky hosts Vanderbilt Sunday. The Commodores (14-1), coached by former UConn star Shea Ralph, won their SEC opener at home in Nashville beating Georgia 108-82 as Mikayla Blakes scored 36 points, while Khamil Pierre scored 28 with 8 rebounds.

No. 9 Alabama (14-1) at home in Tuscaloosa picked up a 79-69 win over Florida (9-6) as Zaay Grey scored 27.

No. 6 LSU (16-0), another in the group of unbeaten teams, won at Arkansas 98-64 as Flau’Jae Johnson had 15 points and 10 boards, while Aneesah Morrow had 11 points and 10 boards.

Izzy Higginbottom had 27 points for the Razorbacks (7-9). The winning Tigers host Auburn on Sunday.

Bay Area Newbies Upset In ACC Action

Unranked Stanford fell at SMU 67-63 in Moody Coliseum in Dallas in a game between two of three new members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, while No. 20 California, the other one, lost 69-58 at Clemson in South Carolina.

The winning Mustangs (9-5, 1-1), who host California Sunday, got 21 points from Nya Robertson, while Elena Bosgana scored 20 for the Cardinal (8-5, 0-3).

Stanford will be at Clemson, 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The Tigers (9-5, 2-1) got 18 points from Loyal McQueen, a total matched by Ioanna Krimili of the Golden Bears (13-2, 1-1).

No. 13 Georgia Tech (15-0, 3-0) beat visiting Syracuse 85-68 as freshman Dani Carnegie scored 28 for the Yellow Jackets, while Zoesha Smith had a double-double of 16 points and 12 boards against the visiting Orange (6-7, 0-2).

Coach Nell Fortner’s team visits Florida State, Sunday.

No. 14 Duke (11-3, 2-0) got 14 points each from Ashlon Jackson, Taina Mair, and Reigan Richardson in the Blue Devils’ 86-59 win at Boston College (10-6, 1-2).

Noteworthy

In the America East, UAlbany, who recently played LSU tough in Baton Rouge finishing up non-conference play, beat visiting Vermont 64-55 as Kayla Cooper scored 17 for the home team (11-3) in its conference opener. The Catamounts (5-10) got 19 from Anna Olson.

In the West Coast Conference, preseason favorite Gonzaga (4-6, 3-2 WCC) rallied to beat long-running rival Portland 76-71 as Maud Huijbens scored 19 with 12 boards against the host Pilots (14-2, 3-2), who have dropped two straight after soaring to an overall 14-0 start.

Middle Tennessee beat visiting Florida International 69-38 in a Conference USA match.

Looking Ahead

Just one game locally, Friday, Drexel kicks off Coastal Athletic Association play Friday at 6 p.m. (FloSports) home in the Daskalakis Athletic Center hosting longtime rival Delaware, which couldn’t field a team its previous two games and is set to leave the conference for C-USA at the end of the season.

The only other game on the radar is also a CAA game, Charleston, the recent runner-up in Saint Joseph’s Hawk Classic, hosts Towson.

On Saturday, locally, Ivy League action gets under way with Penn in a key contest at once hosting Columbia at 2 p.m. (ESPN+) in The Palestra while defending champion Princeton is up the road hosting Cornell at 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+).

Temple at 7 p.m. will look to augment its 2-0 start in the American Athletic Conference visiting preseason favorite South Florida in Tampa on ESPN+.

That’s the report for now.