The Guru’s Local/National NCAAW Roundup: Villanova Blasts St. John’s Joining Top-Ranked UConn as Only Two Big East Unbeatens in League Play; No. 25 Princeton Tops Temple

 By Mel Greenberg

VILLANOVA, Pa. – A year ago, Villanova headed into the holiday break with a lot of questions about what conference play in the Big East might bring especially after the second straight time after St. John’s in Madison Square Garden and then Seton Hall here in Finneran Pavilion became losses unable to deal back without the home and home schedule offering from the league.

The one glimmer of hope was then-freshman Jasmine Bascoe, the high-quality recruit from Canada.

That was then, this is now.

Following Friday’s handling of Seton Hall here, the Wildcats (10-2, 3-0) Monday afternoon quickly dismantled St. John’s 85-48 repelling the Red Storm (11-3, 1-2) to come out of finals rust-free over the weekend and head merrily on their way to join the rest of the nation celebrating with family and friends on a pause that will not end until Sunday.

Villanova made 11 shots from deep and sizzled from the opening tip shooting 13-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Though St. John’s was able to connect 6-for-12 from the field in the first ten minutes, the Wildcats were a storm of their own forcing six turnovers bringing nine more points.

Villanova stayed hot heading to the half with a .500 (8-for-16) effort from the field and 4-of-6 from the perimeter.

Bascoe was 9-for-14 collecting 21 points with nine assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals, while Kelsey Joens and reserve Ryanne Allen each connected with three from distance, scoring 12 and 13 points on the day. Additionally, Brynn McCurry and Denae Carter each connected for 10 points with Carter grabbing 10 boards and reserve Brooke Bender also had three threes to score nine points.

The Red Storm never got close as the home team built a 41-lead in the second half.

“December’s been good for us, moving the needle, getting better,” said Villanova coach Denise Dillon, whose Wildcats early in the month here claimed the Big 5 Classic championship over Saint Joseph’s.

“It’s figuring out what we have and understanding who we are. The Big East is brutal. It can be extremely tough, and Georgetown, Seton Hall and St. John’s already gave us a taste of it, we just want to continue to get better.”

Considering the Big East is headed by NCAA champion and top ranked Connecticut, the goal is to be the second or third seed for the easier path to the title game to enhance an at-large invite to the 68-team NCAA field.

“That break we had during finals was a concern,” Dillon said. “The practices went well bht they were carrying that academic load. We had a little rust starting the Seton Hall game but we should what we’re capable.

“Today you never know. Everyone is heading on their way, but we came together. We took care of business.”

Villanova goes into the break with a .net ranking number of 28, best among the 13 area teams of which Princeton is next at 38. That’s a good range to exist to draw the committee’s attention.

The Wildcats and UConn are quickly the only unbeaten Big East teams at 3-0.

Meanwhile, two other locals played each other in the only other Monday game involving area teams and Ivy favorite Princeton (12-1), which retained its No. 25 ranking in the Associated Press women’s poll, won its 10th straight winning 87-77 at home in Jadwin Gym over Temple (6-6).

The visiting Owls shot 50 percent from both the field and 3-point land but in a reversal of how games have gone for the Tigers, they led early by 22 points with Temple narrowing the differential in the second half.

Turnovers plagued Temple again with 22 miscues negating Kaylah Turner’s career-high 36-point performance that included eight makes from deep, also a personal best.

Tristan Turner missed her fourth straight game with an ankle sprain to diminish play in the backcourt.

Jaleesa Molina added 12 points while Saniyah Craig scored eight with 12 boards and five assists.

Princeton’s Madison St. Rose scored 22 points and Skye Belker added 19.

Temple, which went 1-4 against NCAA tournament teams in non-conference play, opens its American Conference play Jan. 3 hosting UTSA.

The same day Princeton opens Ivy play visiting Penn at The Palestra though the Quakers will first come back from the break Monday and Tuesday playing in FDU’s tournament in Hackensack, N.J.

The National Scene

Five ranked teams, two against each other, wrapped up the pre-break schedule.

Three were home as No. 23 Tennessee (8-3), which plunged Monday after the loss to Louisville in Brooklyn in a first meeting with Southern Indiana (8-3) demolished the opposition 89-44 in Knoxville led by Nya Robertson with 20 points, propelled by six 3-pointers and Mia Pauldo scored 19 with five makes from deep.

No. 8 Oklahoma (12-1) set a program record for points in the Sooners’ 126-54 win in Norman over North Carolina Central (2-10) led by Zya Vann with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

No. 19 Ohio State (11-1) won 95-47 in Columbus over Western Michigan (3-7) led by reserve Elsa Lemmila with 15 points.

In the title game of the Cherokee Invitational in Cherokee, N.C., No. 24 Michigan State (11-1) pulled an impressive upset with a 66-49 over No. 15 Ole Miss (12-2) as Rashunda Jones scored eight of her 13 points in the third quarter when the Spartans took control.

Grace VanSlooten had 16 points and 10 boards for the winners who head to Big Ten play hosting Rutgers Sunday.

Ole Miss was led by Ohio State transfer Cotie McMahon with 13 points.

In the third place game, Old Dominion won 89-68 over Indiana State.