The Guru’s NCAAW Local Weekend Roundup: Penn State Firepower Handles Saint Joseph’s; Penn, Drexel, Rutgers, Lafayette, Villanova All Win

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA - For the most part, local teams thrived on Saturday and Sunday and considering the large number of games across the two days for our group of 13, as well as national, this is another situation calling for separate reports.

Starting Sunday and working in reverse since this is a two-day recap, we were on Hawk Hill where a dual local event occurred with Saint Joseph’s of the Big 5 at home in Hagan Arena hosting former Atlantic 10 and region rival Penn State, long since affiliated with the Big Ten.

The game was originally heading as part of an A-10 50th anniversary affair at Penn’s Palestra and when a situation caused the site to be cancelled the coaches kept the competition with the visiting Lady Lions getting an opportunity for playing their first higher level non-conference foe of the season and the Hawks a chance to add a Power Four opponent on their schedule resume.

Back in the day when the Lady Lions were coached by the late Immaculata star Rene Portland and the series highlight was the popcorn viewing point guard battle between Penn State’s Suzie McConnell Serio and Saint Joseph’s feisty Debbie Black, with rumors drifting back from central Pennsylvania following PSU losses of the team running the track in Rec Hall as soon as the team bus returned to campus.

Such discipline was not necessary Sunday after the Lady Lions (4-0) started shooting 70 percent accuracy threes to rally from an early deficit and went on to an 89-77 victory handing the Hawks (3-1) their first loss of the season.

Though in recent years both schools have had gains off the portal – Jill Jekot is a transfer back to her home here from Happy Valley – Penn State has picked up a gift from France on a scale of the help given the Colonials here during the Revolutionary War.

That would be 5-9 guard Tea Cleante, who connected from the field on her first eight attempts on the way to 23 points.

“She’s getting used to how the game is called,” said PSU coach Carolyn Kieger, who has made past visits to nearby Drexel and prior on a regular basis to Villanova in Big East competition when she coached Marquette. “You saw a couple travels there, the physicality, but she’s played big time matchups before, she’s played high level basketball against really elite competition so for her, it’s just a matter how the refs call the game over here, some terminology, but I think she’s adjusting really well.”

Penn State has started the season prior to this first road stop playing most home games through March back in Rec Hall, though it is noticeable those games airing on the Big Ten Network will occur in the larger Bryce Jordan Center.

Enhancement beyond Cleante on the roster is 6-6 center Gracie Merkle, who commands a lot of attention, but still had a game high 25 points while Rutgers transfer Kiyomi McMiller had 15 points, 10 boards and five assists.

Saint Joseph’s, which will return the visit next season, fell victim early to Penn State’s firepower, trailing by 13 points in the second quarter and 17 in the final period lived up to the ‘Never Die anthem rallying several times until the Lady Lions locked the door.

Still, the Hawks were able to also attack from beyond the arc if not as efficient. Gabby Casey, though, was 6-10 from deep to finish with a personal best 24 points, with four helpers, while Aleah Snead made four from deep for a career-high and collected 21 points.

Saint Joseph’s actually bested Penn State on connects beyond the perimeter 15-12 but did so on a lot more attempts.

“We want them to be fearless shooters,” Kieger said. “We want them to play without a fear of failure, we want them to catch shot-ready, we obviously have Gracie Merkle, who demands so much attention we know we're going to have skip passes, we know we're going to have ‘one more’ passes so we have a lot of faith in our guards to step up and shoot it when they're open.”

Hawks veteran coach Cindy Griffin, whose team next travels to regular-season Ivy champion Columbia Thursday for an 11 a.m. game off Broadway on the Upper West Side in New York City, was not dismayed with the outcome.

“There’s a lot to take away from this game,” Griffin said. "I thought we had a lot of good individual performances. I was really happy with the production of Gabby and Aleah, they just really showed a lot of composure there and there's a lot to learn from.”

Sunday Sunshine for ‘Nova, Drexel, Rutgers, and Lafayette

Villanova did a double bounce back Sunday afternoon getting back on the winning side from Wednesday’s home setback to Princeton and avenging a series defeat from a year ago winning 84-73 at Sun Belt favorite James Madison in Harrisonburg, Va.

It’s a trip quite familiar to Wildcats coach Denise Dillon from her time coaching Drexel when the Dukes were also in the now-called Coastal Athletic Association.

Three of these four winners were in tight contests at the half but Villanova (3-2) used a 24-16 third quarter to move in front.

Brynn McCurry had a career-high 18 points for the Wildcats who matched season records with JMU as a result of the victory.

Reserve Ryanne Allen nailed three makes from deep in a span of 2:30 in the third to propel the Wildcats to a 58-46 lead before JMU stirred on a 5-0 spurt that was blunted when Jasmine Basccoe nailed one from beyond the arc and get to a 61-51 advantage heading into the final period.

The Dukes got the differential into single digits but Villanova held and had final say to win where Dillon guided Drexel to their first CAA tourney crown in the Gabriela Marginean high-scoring era.

McCurry was 4-7 from the field and 10-11 from the line with a second career-high seven assists in the game with five rebounds.

Bascoe scored 17 points, Allen collected 14, while freshman Kennedy Henry scored 11 points, and Kelsey Joens scored 10.

The five were able to withstand big efforts from JMU’s Peyton McDaniel scoring 23 points and grabbing 14 boards while Bree Robinson scored 22 points.

Villanova is off until hosts the Wildcats’ first seasonal Big 5 game at Finneran Pavilion, a 7 p.m. rematch on ESPN+ of last season’s Big 5 Classic championship on the Main Line won by Temple.

An Owls victory puts them in the title game again on Dec. 7 at Villanova. Temple before Saturday’s game visits A-10 favorite Richmond Tuesday night at 6 p.m. on ESPN+ looking to avenge the opening night loss to the Spiders at home a year ago.

Drexel (4-0) used a 36-28 second half to win 68-57 at home in the Daskalakis Athletic Center over Loyola, Md. (0-5) as Amaris Baker scored a game-high 20 points, shooting 8-15 from the field as the Dragons equaled their best start since 2010-11.

Laine McGurk also connected with triple three-balls scoring 18, while Deja Evans scored 13 and Grace O’Neill, playing the full 40 minutes had six points, eight assists, and six rebounds.

On Wednesday the Dragons head an hour north to defending Patriot League champion Lehigh at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa., at 7 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

Rutgers (4-1) also pulled away Sunday from a tight halftime score at home in Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J., beating Northeast Conference champion FDU 59-49 to drop the opposition to 2-3.

Zachara Perkins scored a career-high 17 points, Imani Lester scored 13, Nene Ndiaye scored 10, as did Kaylah Ivey.

Anotonia Bates tied her career-best with 10 rebounds and Perkins did likewise with nine boards.

Rutgers ups the competition next on the Knights’ first road trip on the season Thursday traveling to Auburn in SEC Country in Alabama at 7 p.m. on SECN+.

Lafayette (2-3) made it a two-game win streak besting St. Francis, Pa., 69-55 on the road in Loretto, keeping the opposition winless at 0-4.

The Leopards got 18 points on 6-8 shooting; all makes from deep in seven tries from Sauda Ntaconayigize with six boards and four assists, while Haylie Adams was 5-9 from the field, including 3-6 on 3-point tries, and Rosie Scognamiglio off the bench was hot from outside shooting 4-5 from beyond the arc for 12 points.

Lafayette next stays on the road Thursday visiting Wagner on Staten Island, N.Y., at 7 p.m. on NEC Front Row.

On Saturday, the other local weekend winner was Penn (3-1) bouncing back from the Quakers’ drubbing by Drexel in their Big 5 opener winning 67-55 at Hofstra (1-2) at Hemstead, N.Y. as Simone Sawyer scored 21 points with nine boards.

Sawyer was 5-10 from the field, including 3-4 from deep while sophomore Katie Collins scored 13 points with four boards and four assists.

Penn next on Tuesday night is back home in The Palestra at 6 p.m. hosting Norfolk State on ESPN+.

Besides Temple on Tuesday, La Salle hosts area D-2 West Chester at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN+ at the John E. Glaser Arena.

The lone area team in action Monday has Delaware down at American U. at 6 p.m in the nation’s capital on ESPN+.

Ivy favorite Princeton (2-1) on Sunday challenged then- No. 9 Maryland (5-0) for a bit on the road in College Park but never led in an 84-68 loss to the high-scoring Terrapins, though the Tigers didn’t miss by much to become the first of five opponents holding them under 80 points.

Maryland’s Sara Oluchi Okananwa shot 9-13 from the field scoring 20 points, Saylor Poffenberger scored 19, and freshman Addi Mack scored 15 points.

The home team was 17-18 from the line and outrebounded the Tigers 39-28.

Princeton’s Madison St. Rose scored 20 and Olivia Hutcherson scored 19 points.

Princeton, the last of the 13 locals to play at home, host Rice at Jadwin Gym, Wednesday, while Maryland greets Bethune Cookman on Thursday.

Two other locals suffered losses, Saturday.

Lehigh (1-3) fell 59-49 at home to America East favorite Vermont 59-49 as the Catamounts stayed unbeaten at 4-0. 

The Mountain Hawks also were in a close at halftime leading by a point.

Just two Lehigh players were in double figures; Belle Bramer had 12 points and freshman Leia Edwards scored 10.

Vermont had 50 of its 59 points come from Jadyn Weitz (15), Keira Hanson (14), Nikola Priede (11) and Catherine Gilwee (10).

Rider’s three-game road trip across a four-day span in New England after an opening night home win finished winless, the Broncs (1-3) falling 81-57 at Bryant (4-0) in Smithfield, R.I.

The home team’s 20-8 fourth quarter ruined any chance Rider had to prevail.

Deb Okechukwu scored 18 for the Broncs, Kristina Ekofo scored 15, and Aliya McIver scored 14.

Rider next is still on the road Wednesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ visiting Patriot League favorite Navy, which upset Florida at home in Annapolis, Md.