The Guru’s NCAAW Local/National Roundup: Penn and La Salle Win While Temple Fades at Richmond; Ole Miss Escapes in Overtime at Memphis

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

PHILADELPHIA – To Penn coach Mike McLaughlin, the Quakers’ 55-50 victory over Norfolk State Tuesday night at The Palestra enabled him to breath a sigh of relief in the wake of a 48-33 disadvantage on the boards brought about on the offensive glass with a huge 21-7 differential by the opposition.

“We were lucky,” he said.

But it's one thing to get destroyed on the boards and still win and another to get wiped out on the scoreboard as occurred just a week ago in the Big Five opener up 33rd Street at Drexel.

To those who saw the massacre from the Penn (4-1) side, in one week and four city blocks the Quakers have come a long way with Saturday’s win at Hofstra part of the upgrade.

“I saw improvement at Hofstra but tonight …” McLaughlin said, though also conceding, “There was some good, to be sure.”

Penn certainly might have let this one get away if played earlier but the Quakers closed out with a 14-9 effort in the fourth quarter though there were some tenuous moments after going up seven late in the game.

Tina Njiike had another fine performance with 12 points and six boards along with a pair of blocks while Simone Sawyer scored 11 points.

Norfolk State (2-4), which has lost by lopsided scores at Ole Miss, Duke, and Iowa State, all ranked at the time of the games, to prepare to contend in the MEAC, got a double-double 10 points and 12 boards from grad student and Temple transfer Jasha Clinton while Cire Worley had a game-high 13 points and seven rebounds.

Penn is off until its second Big Five game, hosting Saint Joseph’s Monday night at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

La Salle (4-1) bounced back from the loss to Temple to beat area Division III West Chester 83-50 at home at the John E. Glaser Arena mining 30 points out of 21 turnovers.

The Explorers owned the backboards 52-36 as they got double doubles from Ashleigh Connor (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Aryss Macktoon (17 pts., 14 rebs.) while Kiara Williams scored 16 points and Joan Quinn scored 13.

West Chester (1-2) got 10 points from Marianna Papazoglou.

La Salle next hosts American Saturday at 1 p.m. (ESPN+) marking the return of former Penn associate head coach Kelly Killion, who is in her first season guiding the opposition.

Temple (3-2) never led at Atlantic 10 favorite Richmond, though challenged until late in the game, falling 72-57 to the Spiders (4-1), who closed with a 12-0 run at the Robins Center in Virginia.

The outset was again costly as it has been in games playing quality opponents, this one trailing 25-13 before rallying to make it a contest until fading near the finish.

Richmond made it a two-season sweep after beating the Owls in last season's opener.

Maggie Doogan, a native of Broomall, just missed a triple double for the Spiders, scoring 31 points with 14 rebounds and nine assists.

She had six makes on 12 attempts from deep while Rachel Ullstrom had three and scored 13 points. Ally Sweeney added 10 points.

Temple’s Kaylah Turner had four 3-pointers and scored 22 points while Jaleesa Molina had 11 points and 11 boards.

Saniya Craig scored eight points with nine boards.

The Owls next are at Villanova Saturday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ for their second Big 5 game and the Wildcats’ first repeating last season’s title contest won by Temple.

A win by the visitors puts the Owls back in the championship on Dec. 7 back at Villanova.

The National Scene

Four ranked teams played with a near-upset occurring at Memphis where the Tigers (2-3) took No. 13 Ole Miss (4-0) into overtime before falling 73-64.

The Rebels trailed by 13 points before rallying with Ohio State transfer Cotie McMahon scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds while Christeen Iwuala had 15 points and 14 boards.

Chae Harris scored 24 for Memphis, which also got a career-high 22 points from Daejah Richmond.

Ole Miss is off until hosting Longwood on Monday.

Host No. 20 Kentucky (6-0) stayed unbeaten in crushing Purdue 76-35, the Boilermakers falling to 2-2.

Clara Strack had 17 points, 13 boards and five blocks while Penn transfer Jordan Obi scored 17.

Kentucky next plays in-state rival No. 21 Louisville Saturday on the road.

No. 6 Michigan (4-0) ahead of Friday’s showdown with No. 1 UConn at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Ct., romped at home over Binghamton 120-50 dropping the opposition to 2-2 as Olivia Olson and Syla Swords each scored 15 points.

Freshman Jazzy Davidson scored 19 points with seven rebounds and five assists as No. 11 Southern Cal (3-1) rallied from a 14-10 deficit to outscore visiting Portland 24-9 in the second quarter and 26-11 in the fourth to grab a 78-51 win over the Pilots (2-2) at home at the Galen Center in Los Angeles.

USC next on Friday plays No. 24 Notre Dame.

Looking Ahead

Locally on Wednesday Drexel is at Lehigh at 6 p.m. at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa., Princeton at 7 p.m. is hosting Rice in Jadwin Gym, and at the same Rider is visiting Navy, all three games airing on ESPN+.

Nationally, No. 2 South Carolina at 7 p.m. hosts Winthrop on SECN, No. 4 Texas is hosting James Madison at 8 p.m. on SECN+, No. 18 Oklahoma State is at St. John’s at 7 p.m on ESPN+.