The Guru NCAAW Report: Rider and Rutgers Suffer Losses; Jefferson’s Shirley Wins 900th; No. 8 Ohio State Upset by Indiana; Likewise No. 11 Duke by Louisville

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Just two locals were on Thursday’s schedule and both Rutgers and Rider took losses in their respective conferences – moving both on the edge of elimination from the postseason tournaments in their leagues.

Rider played the top of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), losing 72-46 at Fairfield in Connecticut at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena.

The Broncs (6-19, 4-12) were competitive in the first quarter with the Stags (22-3, 16-0) trailing 14-2 before Fairfield went on to control the next period 26-9 and the game though Rider managed to play an even 8-8 in the third quarter.

“Overall, it was a solid effort,” said veteran Rider coach Lynn Milligan. “We couldn’t sustain any runs of our own. We had too many self inflicted mistakes. We will learn and grow and be ready for Saturday.”

Winner Bartholomew was the sole player scoring in double digits for the visitors with 10 points.

Fairfield’s Emina Selimovic scored 17 points, Meghan Andersen scored 13, and Kaety L’Amoreaux scored 11.

The Stags have won 39 straight MAAC games going unbeaten all the way last season to win the NCAA automatic bid at the tournament which next month continues to be held at James Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

“(Rider) wears on people and we are constantly able to put in fresh bodies and they rely on each other,” said Fairfield coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis.

The Fairfield conference streak is fourth longest in the nation.

Rider hosts Mount St. Mary’s Saturday at 5 p.m. (ESPN+) at Alumni Gym in Lawrenceville, N.J., and Fairfield is off until next Thursday when the Stags play the same team,

Quinnipiac (21-3, 13-2), the team closest to Fairfield in the standings, was idle but hosts Manhattan at 2 p.m. (ESPN+) Saturday when the Bobcats will honor their outgoing seniors.

Rutgers, meanwhile, began a Big Ten two-game swing in the Northwest  playing half the former Pac-12 members who joined the conference after previous losses to front-running Southern Cal and UCLA.

In Seattle, Washington (15-12, 6-9) in its Alaska Airlines Arena gained an 83-65 win over the Scarlet Knights (10-17, 2-14), who got 19 points from Destiny Adams, while JoJo Lacey scored 13, and Awa Sidibe scored 11.

Elle Landine scored 28 for the home team, DaLayah Daniels scored 22, and Hannah Stines scored 16 points.

Rutgers moves on to Oregon in Eugene Sunday at 5 p.m.

The Scarlet Knights sit in 17th place in the 18-team conference, one game above Penn State, who they’ll host next weekend looking for a split in the season series.

Shirley Gets 900th

On Wednesday night D-II Jefferson coach Tom Shirley became the second women’s coach in the NCAA division to reach 900 wins when the Rams beat Caldwell 58-33.

He’s the 25th in all Divisions and two genders to gain the milestone.

Shirley is exceeded in D-II by retired Bentley coach Barbara Stevens (1,058) overall, but is 10th in all divisions which is led by UConn women’s coach Geno Auriemma, the overall NCAA leader, including men’s competition, who’s ongoing extended record reached 1,238 Wednesday as the fifth-ranked Huskies won at Seton Hall in the Big East.

Shirley needs four more wins to move to ninth and he is third on the active list.

“While reaching 900 career wins is recognized as an individual achievement, it must be applauded as a group effort,” he said. “Certainly, generations of very good players, who were terrific student- athletes, helped make this possible. The assistant coaches, university staff and the supportive administration also deserve recognition.”

Shirley, over 43 seasons, has coached since 1981, beginning at Division III Allentown, now named DeSales, before moving in 1989 to Textile in East Falls, which became Philadelphia University in 199, and merged with Jefferson in 2017.

He also served until recently as the school’s athletic director.

The National Scene

Seven of nine ranked teams playing won Thursday night, the one upset, in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Louisville won at No. 11 Duke 70-62, the first home loss this season for the Blue Devils (20-7, 11-4) in Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.

Jayda Curry scored 24 points for the Cardinals (19-7, 12-3) while reserve Oluchi Okananwa scored 17 for Duke.

Elsewhere in the ACC, No. 1 Notre Dame (24-2, 15-0) won 82-42 at Miami as Sonia Citron scored 19 and Merchantville’s Hannah Hidalgo scored 18 points against the Hurricanes (13-13, 3-12).

The Fighting Irish have won 19 straight second active longest to Grand Canyon at 22.

No. 9 North Carolina (24-4, 12-3) got 21 points and 14 boards from Maria Gakdeng in a 68-58 win at Syracuse (10-16, 4-11), while No. 13 N.C. State (21-15, 13-2) won 83-68 at No. 20 Georgia Tech (21-6, 9-6) in Atlanta as Aziaha James and Zoe Brooks each scored 17 points for the Wolfpack.

Saniya Rivers added 16 points and Madison Hayes scored 14.

The Yellow Jackets got 17 points from Tonie Morgan  and 16 from Dani Carnegie.

The two new additions from the Pac-12 traveling East got wins, California (22-6, 10-5) won 76-70 at Virginia while Stanford (14-12, 6-9) won 75-74 in overtime at Virginia Tech (15-10, 7-8) as Chloe Clardy scored 30 points and sent the game into an extra session with a layup with 27 seconds left in regulation.

Shay Iljiwoye’s two foul shots with 13 seconds left in the extra period were the winning points withstanding the 3-pointer from the Hokies’ Matilda Ekh at the finish.

In the Atlantic Ten, George Mason was upset 66-50 at Davidson giving Saint Joseph’s a chance to finish second if they beat the Patriots here Sunday. The Hawks have the tie-breaker for third with Davidson.

In the Big Ten, Indiana at home (17-9, 9-6) got 16 points esch from Yarden Garzon, Sydney Parrish, and  Shay  Ciezki, while Yarden also had 11 boards in a 71-61upset of No. 8 Ohio State (22-4, 11-4) in which the Hoosiers also shot nine threes.

The Buckeyes got 18 points from Jaloni Cambridge and Cotie McMahon scored 14.

No. 21 Maryland won at Northwestern 85-79 as the Terps (21-6, 11-5) got 23points from Kaylene  Smikle against the Wildcats (9-16, 2-12).

Northwestern has tie-breaking wins against Northwestern and Rutgers to make the cut but not Purdue.

No. 3 UCLA (25-1, 13-1) at home in Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles beat No. 25 Illinois 70-55 as Lauren Betts scored 22 points and  Kiki Rice scored 16 against the Illini (21-6, 11-5).

Betts, a Stanford transfer last season who missed Sunday’s game with a foot injury, had six blocks to set UCLA’s single season record with 67, one more than Monique Billings.

In the SEC, No. 6 South Carolina bounced back from last weekend’s drubbing from Connecticut beating visiting Arkansas 95-55 as freshman Joyce Edwards scored 18 points and MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 15 for the Gamecocks (23-3, 12-1).

No. 7 LSU (26-2, 11-2) at home in Baton Rouge beat Georgia 79-63 as Flau’Jae Johnson had three 3-pointers and scored w21 points.

Georgia (10-17, 2-11), which has lost nine of 10, got 28 points from Trinity Taylor.

No. 15 Tennessee (20-6, 7-6) at home in Knoxville got 20 points from Jewel Spear in a 88-80 win over No. 18 Alabama (21-6, 8-5) which got 22 points, six boards, and five assists from Sarah Ashlee Barker.

No. 16 Oklahoma at home beat Vanderbilt 101-81, while No. 14 Kentucky won 73-65 at Missouri.

Looking Ahead

A slim Friday schedule overall settles on the Coastal Athletic Association where Drexel (13-9,9-3) alone in second is at Campbell (15-9, 8-4) which is tied for third with Charleston a game behind the Dragons.

Drexel is a game behind first place North Carolina A&T (14-9, 10-2), which is at William & Mary.

Delaware (9-14, 6-7) is at Elon (13-10, 7-5), the visiting Blue Hens on a five-game win streak.

All CAA games above tip at 7 p.m. on FloSports.

And that’s the report.