The Guru’s NCAAW Local/National Roundup: Drexel Opens B5 Play Blasting Penn; Villanova Fades to Princeton in the Fourth; Hidalgo Sets Notre Dame Scoring Record and NCAA Mark for Steals

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA – It’s been six seasons since Drexel and Penn last met, though the schools are just four blocks apart from the Dragons’ Daskalakis Athletic Center here on Market Street and the Quakers’ famed Palestra down 33rd Street.

And when it comes to the home team here of the Coastal Athletic Association,4$b it’s been even longer, 11 seasons long, when it comes to posting a victory over the neighborhood rival Ivy League upper tier program.

But with the Drexel women’s program last season one year after the men becoming an official part of the Big 5 and a switch in the pod alignments in the structured tournament format leading to the second annual triple header Big 5 Classic returning to Villanova, Sunday, Dec. 7, the two were reunited here Wednesday night with the Dragons ending the longevity making quick work of the Quakers in a 72-55 victory to extend their 2025-26 start to 3-0 while the Quakers fell to 2-1 with their first loss.

For a little over four minutes in the first overall pod game in the Big 5 series it appeared to loom as one of those wire-to-wire thrillers typical of City Series play.

But then Drexel lowered the boom moving from a narrow 10-9 lead on a 20-4 run and continuing to a 44-14 wipeout at the half, allowing Penn one point in the second quarter.

“One of the strengths of our program has always been our scoring defense, limiting teams to the things they want to do,” said Drexel coach Amy Mallon, who is now in her sixth season after being promoted when Denise Dillon left for her alma mater at Villanova. “I credit my staff; Stacy Weiss was the scout for this game and prepared us the way we needed to be prepared... To limit a team to one point in a quarter, that takes a total team effort, and I thought that's something we were able to do and something we were focusing on.”

The differential kept growing to 35 midway through the third quarter but Penn, which visits fourth-ranked Texas on Nov. 30 in Austin, way out of reach of a triumph was able to own the fourth period 23-11 leading to the final score.

“It’s disappointing,” said Penn coach Mike McLaughlin. “It Was just a massive run, we couldn't stop it, couldn't put the ball in the basket.

“I don't have a whole lot of good to say about what our offense did the first 20 minutes. We drew a couple things up, obviously I didn't do a great job because none of that really got us out of the flow,” he continued. “It was rough, it was probably one of the most difficult quarters I've been a part of.”

 Amaris Baker, who reached the 1,000th point milestone in Drexel’s Friday night win at Marist in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., had a game-high 18 points, Laine McGurk, who scored 33 in the season-opening win at Pittsburgh and came into the contest with a 24.0 average as the reigning CAA player of the week, scored 12, and Molly Lavin, a native of London, England who transferred here from American U. ahead of last season, had her first double double as a Dragon, collecting 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Penn’s Mataya Gayle was the only Quaker scoring in double figures with 13 points while Tina Njike came close with nine points and 11 rebounds, one less than the 12 grabbed by Katie Collins, the reigning Ivy rookie of the year.

Penn meets another CAA team Saturday traveling up to Hofstra at 1 p.m. (FloCollege) while Drexel on the same network hosts Loyola, Md., Sunday at 2 p.m.

The other Big 5 team in the pod with Penn and Drexel is Saint Joseph’s, who the Dragons play on Hawk Hill Nov. 29 now with a shot for the championship game, while the Quakers play the Hawks at The Palestra Nov. 24.

Villanova Felled by Princeton

The Wildcats (2-2) were on the way to a quality win at home in Finneran Pavilion over the Ivy favorites by building a 14-point lead early in the third quarter on the Tigers, who opened their season Sunday with a win rallying at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

But Princeton played the rally card again in the fourth quarter, overwhelming Villanova 23-11 for a 73-68 victory.

“That was a tough outcome,” said Villanova coach Denise Dillon. “Got to do a lot more work. I gotta be better for our team to be better, but good finish by Princeton.”

Sophomore Jasmine Bascoe, fresh off her homecoming win with ‘Nova in Toronto Sunday over VCU, scored 16 points but struggled from the field, shooting 5-15, promising freshman Kennedy Henry scored 13, and Denae Carter scored 12.

Brynn McCurry and Kelsey Joens each grabbed six rebounds.

Princeton’s Fadima Tall, one of five USBWA national players of the week, scored 21 with nine boards, the same rebound total as Oliva Hutcherson, while Madison St. Rose, who missed most of last season with an injury, scored 17, Skye Belker, picking up nine points in the fourth quarter, finished with 13, and Ashley Chea scored 10.

Villanova next is at Sun Belt favorite James Madison Sunday at 2 p.m. (ESPN+) while Princeton the same day is at No. 9 Maryland in College Park at 1 p.m.

Penn State Routs Coppin State; Delaware Falls in Ovt. at ODU; Rider Blitzed at B.C.

The Lady Lions rose to 3-0 winning 90-62 over the Eagles (0-3) at home in Rec Hall to bring a matching record to Saint Joseph’s Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. (ESPN+).

Rutgers transfer Kyomi McMiller scored 21 points with nine rebounds, Gracie Merkle scored 15, Moriah Murray scored 12 shooting 4-9 from deep, and reserve Shaelyn Steel scored 10.

Down in Norfolk, Va., Delaware lost a tough one at Old Dominion, the Lady Monarchs winning 73-66 in overtime dropping the Blue Hens to 1-2 while climbing to 2-1.

Delaware’s Ande’a Cherisier scored 15 points with seven rebounds, while Trinity Vance was 5-8, including 2-of-3 makes from deep, for 13 points, Lay Fantroy scored 11 with nine rebounds and five steals, and Safi Kolliegbo scored 11 with five boards and three steals.

Trailing 62-56 with 4:20 left in regulation, the Hens bolted in on an 8-0 run to go up by a bucket, Vance scoring six of those points.

The Monarchs, however, knotted the score with 14 seconds sending the game into overtime where ODU took control the rest of the way.

Delaware on Monday visits American U. in the nation’s capital at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

Up in New England where Rider, the other local, played on the road, falling to 1-1 the Broncs suffered a 92-52 loss at Boston College (3-1) in Chestnut Hill, outside of Boston.

The Eagles drove to a 31-9 lead in the first quarter and were never threatened the rest of the way.

“We lost to a very good team, who was hitting on all cylinders tonight,” said Rider first year coach Jackie Hartzell. “We struggled keeping them in front of us and getting out on their shooters. I was pleased with our second-half effort and hope to build on that moving forward.”

Aliya McIver led the Broncs, scoring a personal best 14 points.

Rider continues with a back-to-back Thursday night at Stonehill 6 p.m. in Easton, Mass.

Other games Thursday on the local card, Rutgers hosts Atlantic 10 contender Rhode Island at 11 a.m., and Lafayette at the Kirby Sports Center in Easton, Pa., hosts St. Peter’s at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN+.

The only local game Friday is at 11 a.m. as the other Big 5 pod sees Temple hosting La Salle at the Liacouras Center on ESPN+.

The National Scene Features Historic Night For ND’s Hidalgo and Iowa State’s Crooks

Twelve ranked teams in The Associated Press women’s poll played, as expected all but one affair was lopsided, No. 22 Louisville at home in the Yum Center had a single digit 74-68 victory over Colorado, but nevertheless there were headline making events in three places beginning with South Jersey’s all-American junior Hannah Hidalgo, who in a Notre Dame 85-58 victory at home over Akron in South Bend, Ind., ziplocked the Zips with a program record 44 points for the Irish and cracked the NCAA record with 16 steals.

No.16 Iowa State in a 97-50 win over Valparaiso at home in Ames saw Audi Crooks smash the school record with 43 points, and down in Fort Worth, Texas, No. 17 TCU set a team record in the Mark Campbell era beating Tennessee State 122-39.

No. 1 Connecticut at home in Storrs went to 3-0, beating Loyola, Chicago 85-31 as Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma extended the all-time NCAA men’s and women’s coaching wins record to 1,253 almost a year after passing retired Hall of Fame Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer at 1,217.

The Huskies were led by Sarah Strong and KK Arnold, each with 11 points, Wisconsin transfer Sarah Williams scored 10 and reserve Jana El Alfy grabbed nine boards.

UConn next hosts Ohio State Sunday at noon on Peacock.

No. 19 Vanderbilt got 26 points from Mikayla Blakes while Sacha Washington had 10 points and 10 boards in a 75-65 victory over Austin Peay on the road in Clarksville, Tenn.

Hidalgo shot 16 for 25 from the field, including 3 of 6 from deep, and 9-11 from the line in just 28 minutes while passing the theft record held by several players, Old Dominion’s Ticha Penicheiro the most recent in 1998.

The Irish next meet No.14 Michigan State Saturday in the Shamrock Classic in Detroit at 4 p.m. on NBC.

Audi Crooks also got her 43-point record in less time playing 28 minutes for Iowa State (4-0), which next meets Norfolk State Sunday at home.

TCU’S Maddie Scherr scored 22 propelled by six threes, and California transfer Marta Suarez scored 19 points.

 The Horned Frogs meet No. 10 N.C. State Sunday.

On Thursday night in Las Vegas in the WBCA Challenge No. 3 UCLA meets No. 11 North Carolina at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 after Fairfield meets South Florida at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.

Maryland hosts wTowson at 7 p.m. on B1G+, while No. 12 Tennessee hosts Belmont at 7 on the SEC Network and No. 21 Iowa hosts Drake at 8:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.