The Guru’s NCAAW Local/National Roundup: Penn’s Njike Double Doubles in Win at Delaware State; No. 3 UCLA Handles No. 6 Oklahoma in Top 10 Win

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

There was just one local game Monday night, and while potentially obtainable to see live on the road down at Dover, not on a day updating the AP WBB Poll database and writing the first player of the week release per USBWA duties.

Moving forward, it’s early, and a bigger test will come Wednesday night when Penn ends a mini drought in the series heading a few blocks out of The Palestra up 33rd Street to the Daskalakis Athletic Center to play Drexel at 6 p.m. (FloCollege) in the first Big Five pod game of the season.

But Monday night a glimpse of the Quakers’ future showed with Tina Njike after going through two seasons of injuries posting her first double double with 15 points and 12 boards in a 63-41 win at Delaware State (1-2) to take a 2-0 record against the Dragons, who are also 2-0.

Penn is 3-0 in the series with the Hornets.

Reserve Saniah Caldwell scored nine points in 28 minutes, sophomore Katie Collins scored eight with 12 rebounds while Ese Ogbevire had eight points and two assists.

Delaware State was held to 25.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep.

On Tuesday, La Salle will take its 2-0 record to Lehigh (1-1), a matchup of two locals with the Mountain Hawks playing their home opener at Stabler Arena (ESPN+) at 6 p.m. while 2-0 Temple at 7 p.m. visits West Virginia (ESPN+), a major early test for the Owls in Morgantown, and Saint Joseph’s, also 2-0, hosts Cincinnati at 7 p.m. (ESPN+) at Hagan Arena.

The National Scene

The first in-season Associated Press women’s poll of the rankings’ 50th anniversary was released Monday at noon and off last month’s preseason media vote, the top six headed by defending NCAA champion UConn and No. 2 South Carolina remained the same but not for long given No. 3 UCLA’s 73-59 home win later at night over No. 6 Oklahoma as the Bruins went to 3-0 and the Sooners dropped to 1-1.

The largest changes saw Baylor (2-0) bolt from No. 16 to No. 7 off its Paris upset of then-No. 7 Duke (1-1), which plunged from No. 7 eight spots to 15th, while Southern Cal (2-0) soared from 18th to No. 8 after its one-point upset of then-No. 9 N.C. State (1-1), which dropped a spot to 10th.

In Monday’s UCLA triumph, Utah transfer Gianna Kneepkens scored 20 for the Bruins who outscored the opposition 18-12 in the third period to create some distance in the game played in Sacramento at the Golden1 Center, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings.

WNBA prime prospect Lauren Betts shot 4-11 for nine points but grabbed 10 boards and blocked four shots as the Bruins owned the boards 59-43.

Oklahoma’s Reagan Beers, who grabbed her knee after fighting Betts for a rebound and awkwardly falling, finished out with seven points and 14 boards.

Zya Vann added 13 points and six boards to the Sooners’ attack while Payton Verhulst scored 16.

UCLA reserve Angela Dugalic scored 16.

Oklahoma’s last Top 5 win was in the 2001 national semifinal against then No. 3 Duke.

The Bruins have another key early season game Thursday against No. 11 North Carolina, part of the WBCA Challenge in Las Vegas while Oklahoma hosts Kansas City Wednesday in Norman.

Three other ranked teams won their games, all easy, as No. 19 Vanderbilt (2-0) at home in Nashville thumped Furman 96-48, the Commodores’ first game since winning their opener against California in Paris, France, last Monday as Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda scored 16 and Mikayla Blakes scored 15 against the Paladins (1-2), and move on to meet host Austin Peay Wednesday.

 No. 4 Texas (3-0) at home in the Moody Center in Austin blasted Louisiana 100-38, leaving the opposition winless at 0-3 as reserve Kyla Oldcare led five teammates in double figures with 19 points and Breya Cunningham grabbed 14 boards for the Longhorns, who next host Texas Southern Sunday.

Washington (2-0), which entered the poll at No. 25 replacing Richmond, whose debut lasted one appearance after the Spiders’ loss at Texas, got 19 points from Sayvia Sellers and 14 from Yulia Grabovskaia at home in Seattle in an 87-56 win over Montana (1-2), whose Avery Waddington led three Grizzlies in double figures with 14 points.

The winning Huskies visit Utah in Salt Lake City Saturday, the same day Montana travels to South Dakota State.

Looking Ahead

A delay posting today comes after one of three ranked games completed – No. 20 Oklahoma State (5-0) at home walloped Prairie View 105-55 as the opposition stayed winless at 0-3 while the Cowgirls got 25 points from Micah Gray and Achol Akot had 15 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Oklahoma State has reached 100 points in four of its five games and next meets St. John’s on Nov. 19.

Later Tuesday, No. 2 South Carolina hosts Clemson at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 and No. 10 N.C. State hosts Maine at 7 p.m. on ACCNX.

Elesewhere, Quinnipiac hosts St. John’s at 5 p.m. on ESPN+, UMass hosts Harvard at 6 p.m. on ESPN+, Tennessee Tech hosts MTSU at 7 p.m., same network, and Indiana at 7 p.m. hosts Marshall on B1G+.