The Guru’s Local/National NCAAW Roundup: Saint Joseph’s and Delaware Win to Advance to the Hawk Classic Championship Sunday Afternoon; No. 25 Princeton Takes Ninth Straight Rallying to Win in Overtime at George Mason

 By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru (x account hacked)

PHILADELPHIA – Having been idle for finals since losing to Villanova two weeks ago in the Big 5 Classic title game, Saint Joseph’s (7-3) opened its annual Hawk Classic at Hagan Arena Saturday afternoon rust free and in high spirits soaring to a 33-3 trouncing of Le Moyne (1-10) after one quarter and concluding with a 100-40 victory.

That differential is three more points than the program record-setting wipeout Drexel handed visiting area D-2 Chestnut Hill earlier in the week.

Coach Cindy Griffin’s squad will be part of a total local title game Sunday at 2 p.m. (ESPN+) after Delaware in the nightcap bounced back from Wednesday’s home setback to La Salle with a 75-56 victory over Akron finishing strong in the final period.

“Really, really proud of the way the team came out today,” Griffin said. “As a coach you’re always concerned after being off for 13 days, ‘Are we going to play too fast? Are we going to execute our offense well enough?’

“Gabby (Casey) came out and gave us our start, and the defense set the tone. The ball really moved, you’re looking at 31 assists on 38 baskets.

The visitors did not score a field goal in the opening period shooting 0-9, no one scored in double figures and the Hawks owned the boards, 44-18, forced 18 turnovers to create a 30-7 advantage in transition and gained a lopsided 22-2 differential in second chance points.

Saint Joseph’s was 16-39 on makes from deep.

Casey was 4-7 from outside and picked up a double double of 14 points and 10 boards, Faith Stinson, shooting 7-10 from the field was the game leader, Cecilia Kay off the bench scored 10 points, Jill Jekot was 3-6 on 3-point attempts scoring nine, an effort from outside matched on the story within the story of the day.

That promotion could be called Take Your Mom to Work from the career afternoon from Kaylie Griffin, the eldest daughter of the Saint Joseph’s coach, who was 4-7 from the field, 3-6 from deep.

Asked what she gave her daughter for breakfast, Griffin responded, “You know what? She just shot the ball with confidence.

“If they choose not to guard us, we learned our lesson from last year, Kaylie showed up today, ready to shoot, really proud of her.”

The team performance was a statistical DJ delight on the records spun by the Hawks.

It’s only the third time in Griffin’s 25 years coaching her alma mater the Hawks reached 100 points, 13th overall. The 33 points in the first ten minutes are the second most since the NCAA switched to quarters during the 2015-16 season and the three points allowed are the fifth fewest in that span.

The 60-point margin of victory is sixth largest in Hawks history below the record 102-30 win last season over Goldey-Beacom.

The assists on field goals were the second most, one assist short of the record set against Fordham on Dec. 29, 1992, and the 16 made 3-pointers shooting 41.0 percent is a new standard and the 39 attempts beyond the arc ties that record set earlier this season.

The game was a bit of a reunion in the four-team field with 2004 grad Emma Boslet serving on Nick DiPillo’s staff at Le Moyne and Akron coach Ryan Gensler a 2009 Saint Joseph’s grad who was a manager on Griffin’s staff before moving on to multiple places before being hired by the Zips in 2003.

Delaware (6-4) used a 24-11 fourth quarter to win over Akron (2-9) and move on to the championship after the Zips and Le Moyne play for third place at noon.

Ella Wanzer scored her 1000th career point and shot 7-10 from deep, scoring a team-best 25 points on the season. The seven threes are most under Blue Hens coach Sarah Jenkins and second most matching all-American Elena Delle Donne in 2010.

Kailah Correa scored 18 points.

“Everything is a learning lesson, everything is part of our story,” Wanzer said. “Wednesday’s game was a wakeup call. Coach Jenkins holds us to a very high standard.

“Today’s game shows all the hard work we put in the last two days and that Wednesday’0s game just isn’t us,” she continued. “This is our standard.

“I think we match up very well against Saint Joseph’s. We have a lot of shooters on our team. It’s going to be about who’s tougher. It will be a great test for us. Saint Joe’s a great team and we’re a great team. It’s going to be a good matchup and it’s going to come down to who wants it more. We have to rest for a quic turnaround and put the work in.”

Akron’s Ni’Rah Clark scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds while Corine Reed scored 10.

 Keiryn McDuff, a transfer from Bowling Green, is the daughter of Kevin McGuff, Ohio State’s coach who previously coached at Washington and Xavier when the Musketeers were in the Atlantic Ten. He also was an assistant to Muffet McGraw at Notre Dame.

For the second time in less than a month after No. 7 Maryland topped Minnesota with 10 points in the final minute of double overtime, No. 25 Princeton (11-1) defied the ESPN .1 percent probable win odds scoring seven points in the last minute of regulation to force overtime resulting in Ashley Chea’s basket in the final second for a 71-69 win at defending Atlantic 10 tournament George Mason (6-6) in Fairfax, Va.

The Tigers, preseason Ivy favorites, have won nine straight, most using a strong final period.

Madison St. Rose scored 19 for the winners, Olivia Hutcherson scored 17, while Sye Beler and Chea each scored 11 points, and Fadima Hall grabbed 10 rebounds.

George Mason’s Zahira Walton scored 18 points, Kennedy Harris scored 17, and Louis Volker scored 12 while Hawa Komara pulled down 10 rebounds.

Princeton hosts Temple Monday at 11:30 a.m. (ESPN+) in Jadwin Gym and visiting Owls coach Diane Richardson knows what she is up against per her statement after Friday’s win at home over Coppin State.

“We have to execute,” she said. “We must, must execute and make them play defense because if we take quick shots, they’re gonna get it and they’re gonna get back in transition.

“So, we have to execute, take good shots, make them play defense.”

In another game with two locals, Rutgers (8-4) beat Lafayette at home 54-45 in Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway, N.J., as Faith Blackstone collected her 1,000th point and Scarlet nights coach Coquese Washington picked up her 250th career win, including a previous stop at Penn State.

Blackstone gained her first double double with 22 points and 12 boards, while Nene Ndiaye had 19 points and 10 rebounds.

In the third quarter the Leopards (4-7) outscored the host Scarlet Knights 14-7 and Teresa Kiewiewt finished the game with 18 points and Sauda Ntaconayigize scored 14 points.

Rutgers next returns to Big Ten play next Sunday at Michigan State at 2 p.m. on B1G+ while Lafayette next opens Patriot League play New Year’s Eve visiting Colgate in Hamilton, N.Y., at 2 p.m.

Penn State (7-4) in the 4 Tha Culture Holiday Classic consisting of predetermined matchups each round won 78-66 over VCU (4-9) in suburban Richmond at the Henrico Sports and Events Center, site of the Atlantic 10 women’s tournament.

Moriah Murray made six shots from deep to account for all 18 of her points along with four rebounds and four assists for the Lady Lions while Rutgers transfer Kiyomi McMiller had 17 points with eight rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Tea Cleante compiled 15 points with eight assists and five steals, equaling her personal best, while Gracie Merkle had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The visitors picked up 24 points off VCU turnovers and also scored 19 second-chance points.

VCU’s Daija Preston scored 16 points, Tanya Tachenko scored 16, and Katarina Knezevic scored 10.

Penn State next comes right back in the event playing Richmond Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.

Drexel (7-4) fell 69-59 at home in the Daskalais Athletic Center to America East favorite Vermont (10-4).

The loss wasted Amaris Baker’s performance tying a personal best 13 made field goals to fuel 33 points breaking her previous arena high of 29 collected Tuesday in the rout of Chestnut Hill.

Laine McGurk added 11 points with seven assists. She also had four rebounds with three steals.

The Dragons took an early lead before the Catamounts moved ahead in the second quarter and stayed there the rest of the way.

Drexel moves onto play in the Coastal Athletic Association, drawing a bye on Jan. 2 and then hosting Campbell Sunday, Jan. 4, at 2 p.m. on FloCollege.

In a first meeting, La Salle (8-4) fell 85-37 to visiting Mississippi State (12-1) at the John E. Glaser Arena

The Explorers (8-4) were doubled up in the first period, the Bulldogs (12-1) going ahead 24-12 abd dominating the other three periods.

Jaylah Lampley scored 18 points for Mississippi State, Destiny McPhail had 16 points and 10 assists, Favor Nwaedozi had 13 points and Chandler Prater had 10 points and 10 rebounds while Trayanna Crisp also scored 10 points.

La Salle’s Ashleigh Connor scored 10 points, the sole player in double figures for Mountain MacGilivray’s team, which next heads to A-10 action the rest of the season, beginning New Year’s Eve at Fordham at 1 p.m. (ESPN+).

Lehigh (4-7) lost 75-67 at Towson (6-5) despite Lily Fandre scoring 24 for the Mountain Hawks and grabbing seven rebounds.

Jessie Ozzauto scored 23 for the visitors, who only had seven players available.

Towson’s Thalia Shepard scored 18 points and India Johnston and Zoli haul each scored 17 points.

Lehigh, the defending Patriot League champions, next opens conference play against runnerup Army at West Point New Year’s Eve at 1 p.m. on ESPN+. The host Black Knights are coached by Saint Joseph’s grad and former assistant coach Katie Kuester.

Besides the local games for Sunday mentioned, Rider follows the opening Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) loss at home Friday to two-time reigning champion and preseason favorite Fairfield by visiting Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Conn., 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

On Monday, besides the Temple at Princeton game, Villanova hosts St. John’s at Finneran Pavilion at noon (ESPN+) for a Big East contest.

That game will conclude all local action until after the Christmas break until next Sunday.

The National Scene

In the second annual Women’s Champions Classic No. 1 UConn (12-0) beat No. 11 Iowa 90-64 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after No. 16 Louisville (12-3) handled No. 17 Tennessee 89-65.

In the Connecticut game, Azzi Fudd scored 27 against the Hawkeyes (10-2) while Sarah Strong scored 27 points with seven boards and six steals as Huskies coach Geno Auriemma’s overall NCAA record victory total grew to 1,261.

Fudd had 21 of her points in the second half while Strong had 20 and five steals in the first half.

Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke scored 17 points and Chazadi Wright scored 16.

Second-year Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell’s goal of being unbeaten in December was short-lived against the Cardinals, who got 18 points from Tajianna Roberts and a first ever double double from Imari Berry who collected 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Saint Joseph’s transfer Laura Ziegler had 10 points for Louisville.

Tennessee’s Zee Spearman had 18 points and 12 rebounds, while Talaysia Cooper scored 14 and freshman Mia Pauldo had 10 points.

Dawn Staley’s South Carolina’s national runners up (12-1), whose only loss was to No. 2 Texas at the finish in Las Vegas in November, won 105-43 to Florida Gulf Coast (3-6) in Fort Myers as Joyce Edwards scored 29 points and Madina Okot scored 27.

Edwards also grabbed 10 boards and Okot 12.

No. 13 Vanderbilt (12-0) stayed unbeaten winning 96-46 at home in Nashville over Texas Southern (3-8) as Justine Pissott shot 9-13 from the field, including 7-10 from deep to score 25 points while Mikayla Blake scored 23 on 8-14 from the field.

No. 4 UCLA (11-1) kept Long Beach State (0-10) winless by gaining a 106-44 triumph as Gabriela Jaquez and Lauren Betts each scored 17 points for the Bruins at home in Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

Kiki Rice added 15 points and nine rebounds with seven assists.

No. 9 TCU (13-0) opened Big 12 play at home in Fort Worth, Texas, winning 77-55 over visiting Kansas State (7-7) as Notre Dame transfer Olivia Miles had 29 points and but only eight rebounds and four assists to miss an otherwise NCAA record four straight triple doubles.

Marta Suarez had 20 points with eight rebounds.

The Horned Frogs went in front of No. 2 Texas with their 34th straight home victory, one more than the Longhorns, who are off until Dec. 28.

TCU’s only loss in their last 27 games was to Texas in the NCAA regional final last March.

In other games of note, Richmond (10-3), the Atlantic 10 favorite, in the 4 Tha Culture Holiday Classic in suburban Henrico County defeated Alabama A&M 72-58, dropping the visitors to 4-8 as Rachel Ullstrom had 20 points, 18 from six makes from long distance, while Maggie Doogan scored 15 points with seven rebounds.

Columbia (8-4) rallied at home in New York City to win 70-65 over UTSA (5-6) as Marija Avlijas scored 21 points.

FDU topped Ursinus 85-19 at home in North Jersey while in a Sun Belt game, preseason favorite JMU (9-5) lost 83-74 in overtime at Marshall (11-3), which was led by Olivia Olson with 26 points while Ashanti Barnes scored 21 for the Dukes.

Duke (6-6) won 76-46 at Belmont (5-7) led by Toby Fournier with 26 points while Hilary Fuller scored 19 for the home team.

On Sunday in the second annual Bay Area Women’s Classic at the Chase Center in San Francisco Stanford plays Oregon at 6 p.m. on ESPN while at 8:30 p.m. on the same networ No. 19 Southern Cal plays California.

Stanford, which upset No. 22 Washington on Friday, will be looking to make a case to get ranked and stay tied with UConn for third place in total appearance in the Associated Press women’s poll, celebrating its 50th anniversary season.

The Cardinal had been in second behind Tennessee, which leads the nation at 801, but was recently passed by Texas and caught by UConn this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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