The Guru NCAAW Report: Big Crowd and Big Win for Saint Joseph’s Over George Mason for a Sweep; Drexel Holds Second in CAA; No. 1 Notre Dame Upset by NC State in Double Overtime

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

 

PHILADELPHIA — On an afternoon in which Notre Dame could not sustain its newly-gained No. 1 ranking for more than a week and parted with a 19-game win streak at the hands of Atlantic Coast Conference rival N.C. State in a 101-95 high-scoring slugfest in double overtime, here at Saint Joseph’s  Hagan Arena Sunday the Hawks put a stop to their two-game losing streak and picked up a key win at the final week of the Atlantic 10 regular season, beating George Mason 83-69 to have a chance for second or third seed in next month’s conference tournament back in suburban Richmond,  Va.

 

The Hawks head to Dayton Wednesday and then finish up Saturday afternoon back here on senior day hosting defending champion and first place Richmond looking for a split with the Spiders.

 

Laura Ziegler had 18 points and eight boards for the home team (21-6, 12-4), while Talya Bruglar, looking her best since returning from  a hand injury, scored 18 points, shooting 5-9 from the field, and Mackenzie Smith and Aleah Snead each scored 11 points to complete a  home-and-home sweep  of the Patriots (23-5, 13-4).

 

George Mason’s Zahirah Walton shot 10-18 from the field for  a game-high 28 points, Paula Suarez scored 11, and Nalani Kaysia grabbed 11 boards.

 

This game of runs had all the markings of what occurs once this time of the year arrives.

 

Things looked comforting for the Hawks when they opened a 20-point lead in the third quarter, only to  see the opposition sliced 15 off of it in several chunks to move within five at 58-53 at the end of the period.

 

Not to worry this time, because veteran coach Cindy Griffin’s team got its mojo back in the final period of the national telecast and returned to a separation of double digits once more to move back into the victory column.

 

The Hawks had a lot of energy in the building, also, a sizable crowd not seen in a long time with an attendance number of 1,674, the kind of atmosphere seen in recent seasons up the road at Villanova.

 

“I challenged my marketing department and set a goal of 1,200,  between the girl scouts and autograph day, and other approaches,”  said athletic director Jill Bodensteiner, who is also a member of the NCAA women’s tournament committee, pleased with the result.

As  for the performance, Griffin said, “It  comes down to this week and next week. We’re  playing the top of our league. It’s just going to help us when we get into the A-10 tournament.

 

“When the schedule came out month ago we looked at what these next two weeks would be.

 

“We’re all fighting for that double bye (that goes to the top four seeds). But you’re not done with the double bye. That’s not going to be the answer for everything.”

 

The Hawks have been on both sides of the NCAA bubble from bracket analysts the last month looking for that at-large invitation if they fall short  of the conference crown and automatic bid.

 

Of the big lead that shrank and then re-grew, Griffin said, “They put the press on. We got a little crazy, but we were able to settle a little bit and just give a difference look on the press offense.

 

“But once we settled  in, we were able to stay in attack mode and really take advantage of those advantage breaks.

 

“(George Mason) is not 23-5 for nothing. “It was good to see Bruglar back to her old self. Thank goodness, right? She was just waiting to burst. And I think today was really, really great for her, for her confidence level. It’s  just great to  see her out there just playing with a lot of poise and a lot of confidence.”

 

Bruglar moved  into fifth all-time on the program’s career list for points.

 

While minimally, the Hawks likely could return to the new second tournament the NCAA laaunched last year, Griffin would like to end the drought away from the big show, knowing what quality mid-majors are up against with the slew of Power 4 teams dominating the national action.

 

“We’ve  got great players, great coaches and great teams that deserve to play in the NCAA  tournament,” she said. “Hopefully, that was displayed today. We know it’s  tough. We know it’s tough, but why not us, right? Why not us? Why not the  Atlantic 10.

 

“And we’ve proven that we go out and play people, we go out and we’re winning games, and that we’re getting competition every night.”

 

Down South, Drexel, which a year ago bolted from a seventh seed to the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title over a four-game period, is better positioned this season and took care of business to keep it that way in second place winning 63-56 at Elon in North Carolina to stay a game behind North Carolina A&T.

 

In collecting their ninth win in their last 10 games and fourth straight, Drexel (15-9, 11-3) was led by Australian Chloe Hodges who narrowly missed a triple double scoring 20 points, while grabbing 12 boards to tie a career-best also tied in Friday’s win at Campbell, and dealt eight assists.

 

Deja Evans scored 15 points with eight boards and three blocks, while Cara McCormack scored 11 points against the Phoenix (13-12, 7-7).

 

Drexel’s longtime travel partner Delaware, which is Conference USA bound after the season, was unable to help the Dragons, losing at North Carolina A&T 71-55 in Greensboro, N.C., to end a six-game win streak by the Blue Hens (10-15, 7-8).

 

Coach Amy Mallon’s squad finishes up its season home stand this weekend at the Daskalakis Athletic Center hosting Monmouth at 6 p.m. Friday night and greeting Campbell Sunday at  1 p.m., both on FloHoops.

 

In the game by Delaware against the Aggies (16-9, 12-2), Chloe Wilson had 10 points and nine boards, while Ella Wanzer scored 12 fueled by three makes from deep. Rebecca Demeke scored 11 and Ande’a Cherier scored 10 points.

 

The streak was the longest since Sarah Jenkins returned to Delaware to take over the program.

 

The Blue Hens on Friday travel to Long Island to visit Stony Brook at 7 p.m. on FloSports and then are off until a week from Wednesday going for a split when they host Drexel at 6:30 p.m. on FloHoops.

 

Villanova failed to take care of business in the Big East, once again following a bad trend for the Wildcats (16-12, 10-6) by losing 63-56 at Providence in Rhode Island to stay mired in fifth place.

 

Maddie Webber scored 17 points against the Friars (12-18, 5-12), while Maddie Burke scored 13 points, and Kaitlyn Orihel scored seven off the bench.

 

Olivia Olsen scored 18 points with 12 boards for Providence.

 

Villanova is back home Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Finneran Pavilion on Senior Night to host Butler (FloHoops).

 

Rutgers’ tale of woe continued on the second of a two-leg trip to the Northwest in the Big Ten losing 77-58 to Oregon (19-9, 10-7) in Eugene.

 

Destiny Adams scored 20 for the Scarlet Knights (10-18, 2-15) with 10 boards, while Chyna Cornwell and JoJo Lacey each scored 10 points.

 

Rutgers is back home next Sunday at 2 p.m. in Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J., in the Knights’ final game of the regular season hosting Penn State (10-17, 1-15), which will play Purdue (9-18, 2-14) first.

 

Those three teams are all above the cut line for the Big Ten tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse next month in Indianapolis.

 

Northwestern which is one above is two short having postponed a visit to UCLA and Southern Cal in Los Angeles during the wildfires.

 

The Wildcats, who would  be  heavy underdogs to both teams, have beaten Rutgers and Penn State but lost Purdue.

 

They finish Sunday at 3 p.m. hosting Nebraska.

 

The National Scene

 

In the Notre Dame (24-3, 15-1) loss in the conference, the first by the Fighting Irish, at Reynolds Coliseum to the Wolfpack (22-5, 14-2), Zoe Brooks had a career-high 33 points for N.C.  State in the game with 21 lead changes, while Aziaha James scored 20.

 

The visitors, denied to finish first outright in the ACC, were led by Merchantville’s Hannah Hidalgo with 26 points and Sonia Citron scored 23, including a 3-pointer with 0.6 left in regulation to force the first extra period.

 

Five players in all were in double figures for N.C. State.

 

The winners jumped to a 10-0 start in the second overtime.

 

Freshman Tilda Trygger, with a 6.4 averaged, matched her personal best for the Wolfpack with 19 points.

 

On Thursday both teams are home with the Fighting Irish hosting Florida State while NC State hosts Wake Forest.

 

The Notre Dame loss has No. 2 Texas, which is off until playing Georgia Monday, poised to move up to No. 1 for the first time since February 16, 2004.

 

Elsewhere in the ACC, Florida State on the road upset No. 20 Georgia Tech 73-70 in Atlanta as Sydney Bowles had a career-high 32 points and Makayla Timpson had 19 with 16 rebounds, the Seminoles (22-6, 12-4) playing the last three games with wins while Ta’Niya Latson, the nation’s leading scorer, has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

 

Tianna Thompson, off the bench, scored 19 for the Yellow Jackets (21-7, 9-7).

 

Georgia Tech is at California Thursday when the Seminoles visit Notre Dame at South Bend,  Ind.

 

No. 9 North Carolina (25-4, 13-3) rallied from an early 12-point deficit and won at Louisville 79-75 as Trayanna Crisp scored 19 points and freshman Lanie Grant scored a career-high 19 against the Cardinals (19-8, 12-4), who were led by Jayda Curry with 18 points.

 

The Tar Heels are at No. 11 Duke on Thursday while Louisville hosts Clemson.

 

Duke (21-7, 12-4) at home in Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C., beat Syracuse 80-49 as freshman Toby Fournier scored 22 points and reserve Oluchi Okananwa scored 13.

 

Virginia Tech downed visiting California 87-84 while Virginia routed visiting Stanford 89-69.

 

In the Big East No. 23 Creighton won 83-74 at DePaul at Wintrust Arena in Chicago as Lauren Jensen scored 28 for the Bluejays (23-4, 15-1), whose lone loss in the conference is to No. 5 Connecticut and visits the Huskies on Thursday and finishes by hosting Villanova on Sunday.

 

In the SEC, No. 6 South Carolina won 82-54 over Vanderbilt in  Nashville as MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 24 points for the defending NCAA champion Gamecocks (25-3, 13-1) while the Commodores (19-9, 6-8) were led by Mikayla Blakes with 19 points and Khamil Pierre scored 14.

 

No. 7 LSU rallied from a 16-point deificit at No. 14 Kentucky in Lexington as Mikaylah Williams scored 15 of her 24 points in the second half for the Tigers (27-2, 12-2) while Georgia Amoore scored 16 for the  Wildcats (21-5, 10-4).

 

No. 15 Tennessee won 86-78 at Florida as Talaysia Cooper scored 18 for the Lady Vols (21-6, 8-6), who trailed by nine at the half against the Gators (14-14, 5-9). Zee Spearman scored 16.

 

Tennessee is at Kentucky Thursday and finishes by hosting Georgia Sunday in Knoxville.

 

No. 16 Oklahoma on the road routed Arkansas 94-54 as Oregon State transfer Reagan Beers scored 30 for a  second straight game for the Sooners (21-6, 9-5).

 

No. 18 Alabama (22-6, 9-5) at home in Tuscaloosa won 66-50 over in-state rival Auburn as Aaliyah Nye used six  makes from deep to score 29 overall.

 

In the  Big Ten beyond Rutgers, JuJu Watkins scored 22 points along with Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen to lead No. 4 Southern Cal (25-2, 15-1) to a 76-66 win over No. 25 Illinois (21-7, 11-6) at home in the Galen Center in Los Angeles while the Illini got 22 points from Genesis Bryant and Kendall Bostic scored 18 with 16 boards.

 

 No. 3 UCLA, which was first in the AP Poll for 12 weeks, barely won 67-65 at Iowa as Elina Aarnisalo made two foul shots for the Bruins (26-1, 14-1) with 3.8 seconds left in regulation.

 

Lauren Betts scored 22 for the visitors with 12 boards while the Hawkeyes (18-9, 8-8) got 17 points from Villanova transfer Lucy Olsen who tied it with three foul shots with six seconds left and then committed a foul to send Arnislao to the line.

 

UCLA goes to Wisconsin Wednesday and then hosts Southern Cal Saturday looking to split the series and Big Ten regular-season crown.

 

No. 8 Ohio State at home in Columbus beat Purdue 98-46 as Chance Gray scored 21 for the host Buckeyes (23-4, 12-4) and freshman Jaloni Cambridge scored 20.

 

No. 22 Michigan State beat visiting Indiana 73-65 in East Lansing as Grace VanSlooten scored 17 for the Spartans (20-7, 10-6) Chloe McNeil scored 15 with 10 boards for the Hoosiers (17-10, 9-7).

 

In the Big 12, No. 10 TCU at home in Fort Worth, Texas, beat No. 17 West Virginia 71-50 as the Horned Frogs (26-3, 14-2) got 26 points from Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince scored 20 with eight rebounds.

 

J.J. Quinerly was held to 13 points for the Mountaineers (21-6, 11-5).

 

Looking Ahead

 

The locals don’t play Monday but Texas, which could move up a step to first in the Associated Press poll at noon Monday is at Georgia in the SEC while No. 12 Kansas State in the Big 12 hosts No. 29 Baylor.

 

Temple is at Memphis Tuesday in the American Athletic Conference.

 

And that’s the report.